Fresh off their first loss of the season at Boise State, head coach Ronald Nored’s Dawgs return to Hinkle for their biggest non-conference home game of the season, facing Pitt.
Here is what you need to know before the Bulldogs take on the Panthers:
Who: Pitt vs. Butler
When: Nov. 13, 6:30 p.m.
Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse
How to watch: Peacock/NBCSN
While die-hard hoops fans will be focused on the matchup at hand, America’s eyes will be on halftime, when a special guest will make his first appearance at Hinkle.
After live mascot Butler Blue IV retired from public appearances last spring, the Butler community has been awaiting his successor. Blue V will greet the crowd during the break after being formally introduced in a 3 p.m. ceremony.
Dialing in the defense
The Dawgs’ defense was their demise against Boise State, giving up an even 100 points to the Broncos. To nobody’s surprise, that was the focus in the following week of practice.
“I thought against Boise we allowed them to just operate how they wanted to,” Nored said. “They didn’t feel us. That resulted in 17 threes [allowed] and layups at the rim, so we’ve just got to establish a presence, establish a fight at the beginning of possessions and keep that fight throughout the whole possession.”
Pitt’s offense should show just enough life for Nored to see how his unit bounces back.
Scouting the Panthers
At 3-0, Pitt is relatively untested this season, picking up its biggest win last time out against Penn State, a fellow member of the fraternity of underwhelming power-conference programs. With Butler held in similar regard, it would be fair to expect a similarly close result to the Panthers’ six-point win at The Palestra.
Pitt’s style of play creates an intriguing contrast with Butler’s. While the Dawgs like to play loose and put up threes, Pitt focuses on dominating the paint and taking care of the ball. The Panthers have turned the ball over just 30 times in three games, with their highest mark — 11 — matching Butler’s lowest-turnover game of the season.
Defensively, the Bulldogs will need to pressure the ball to disrupt Pitt’s halfcourt sets, forcing some turnovers. In addition, a strong paint presence will be a must. The Panthers have struggled shooting threes in their past two matchups, so driving them out of the paint and beyond the arc would be a big step towards shutting them down.
In a game that feels like a must-win for Butler, even so early in the season, it all hinges on the defense.