Butler Insider Akeem Glaspie on Butler’s season-opening win over USI
Butler Insider Akeem Glaspie on Butler’s season-opening win over Southern Indiana
- Butler defeated IU Indy 112-80, improving its season record to 2-0.
- Michael Ajayi recorded his second double-double with 11 points and 14 rebounds.
- The team showed strength in rebounding and IU Indy’s full-court press.
- Poor free throws and 17 turnovers were notable areas of concern for the Bulldogs.
Michael Ajayi led the Dawgs with 11 points and 14 rebounds. The Gonzaga transfer has two double-doubles in his first two games with the Bulldogs. Jalen Jackson added 17 points, eight rebounds and three assists.
Here’s what I liked, what I didn’t like, and what Butler’s win means.
What I liked about Butler Basketball’s win against IU Indy
- IU Indy plays at breakneck speed, pushing the pace whenever possible and pressing after made baskets. Butler handled the press well and found open looks on the secondary break. Azavier “Stink” Robinson scored a press-breaking transition jumper in the first half. Jackson used his speed to break pressure and lob the big men at the basket.
- Butler showed a new side, switching to Drayton Jones as the incoming quarterback in the first half. Jones kept his hands active and jumped up and down, making his 6-foot-11 frame even bigger, and 6-2 Micah Davis couldn’t see over him and threw the ball. In a close game against a smaller player, putting Jones on the ball is a great way to force a turnover.
- Jackson is a good, shifty on-ball defender. The Fort Wayne transfer made four steals in the first half, highlighted by a play in which he stole the ball, dribbled between a defender’s legs to keep him alive, scooped up the ball and made an easy layup. Jackson Keith is another player who uses position, strength and length to shut down his man on defense. Five Butler players recorded a block in the first half.
- When your smallest players are great rebounders, the entire team rises. Jackson and Robinson grabbed six and five rebounds in the first half, respectively. Ajayi led with nine rebounds in the first half, but Butler’s guards cleaned up the glass well. Guards who rebound well give the team the option to push the ball immediately, or put the ball in the hands of a good passer, opening up opportunities for outlet passes all over the court.
- Yohan Traoré continues to provide energy from the bench. On consecutive possessions in the second half, he dribbled past several defenders and finished with a two-handed dunk and followed up with another dunk after corralling a loose ball. The former five-star recruit scored eight of his 11 points in the second half.
- Jack McCaffery (nine points, six rebounds) is a mismatch at fifth against a smaller team. At 6-9 with great footwork and touch around the basket, the Dawgs may have found something with McCaffery in the post. McCaffery regularly finished through contact, belying his somewhat thin frame. Ajayi and Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor have been the small-ball duo in Butler’s frontcourt, but McCaffery may have carved out a role for himself with his strong play.
What I didn’t like about Butler Basketball’s win against IU Indy
- A fast-paced style of basketball can get out of control quickly. The first half became a foul festival with 24 fouls and 30 free throws. IU Indy had no choice but to foul once Butler broke their press, but the game was ugly. To the Jags’ credit, Butler’s inability to make free throws made fouling a decent strategy, but it’s not fun to watch.
- Jackson did a great job getting to the basket, but his teammates did him no favors when looking to shoot. Butler’s big men struggled to finish lobs and quick passes, giving the defense time to recover instead of finishing with an easy two. Big men with big hands are a very valuable weapon. Right now, it looks like lobs may not be a regular part of Butler’s offense.
- Despite their 13-point lead in the first half, Butler shot poorly during the first 20 minutes of the game. At one point, the Dawgs missed eight free throws in a row. The 13-point lead could easily have been 20. The Dawgs struggled from the charity stripe and behind the arc, hitting just 2 of 12 (16.7%) on 3-pointers in the first half. The nights out of 3 are understandable, the misses that many shots from the free throw line are inexcusable. In a close game, Butler can’t be relied on to convert from the line.
- Turnovers continue to plague Butler. The Dawgs lost the turnover battle for the second straight game. IU Indy turned 17 Butler turnovers into 26 points.
What Butler Basketball’s win against IU Indy means
Butler is capable of winning the games he’s supposed to win. The Dawgs were heavy favorites against Southern Indiana and IU Indy. The Dawgs avoided catastrophe, but that says very little about the team’s long-term prospects.
Even the Dawgs’ ability to regularly beat the press can be taken with a grain of salt, because IU Indy does not have the length and athletic ability that a top-level team can offer the Dawgs. The slow start and bad shooting may have brought down previous Butler squads, so kudos to the Dawgs for figuring it out and putting in the effort.