The Bulldogs from Butler University come to Peoria for a big game Wednesday. Most of Bradley's games have been against teams that weren't equally matched. Florida and Michigan State clearly have more talent than the Braves. But, the Braves certainly were better than the likes of Florida Gulf Coast and East Tennessee State.
The Butler game will be different, giving Bradley a chance to play a quality opponent who shouldn't overpower them.
The Bulldogs have run off seven straight wins to start the season but have a lot of inexperience in their lineup. Most notably, they have beaten two Missouri Valley Conference teams (vs. Evansville, at Drake) as well as a home win against Northwestern. Most of their victories have been anywhere between eight- and ten-point margins.
Statistically, the Bulldogs only have given up 52.4 points per game, good for sixth overall in Division I. They are a team that plays tenacious man-to-man defense, but with how poorly Bradley has been shooting from the perimeter, will that change?
Even with three road wins, none of these came in a boisterous place like Carver Arena. Fans of the Braves will need to be loud and try to rattle the inexperienced Butler team.
From a personnel perspective, Butler has three players that average double figures in scoring: forward Matt Howard (6'7" So.), guard Shelvin Mack (6'3" Fr.), Gordon Hayward (6'8" Fr.). All three shoot at least 46 percent from the floor.
Howard had a good game against Bradley last season at Hinkle Fieldhouse. He finished with 14 points and six rebounds, easily pushing around the Bradley post players.
To make matters more challenging for Bradley, the trio of Mack, Hayward and Zach Hahn (6'0" So.) all have outside shooting ability (38, 44 and 40 percent, respectively).
Butler also takes care of the ball well, only turning the ball over 11 times per game. Maybe Bradley's team quickness will be able to disrupt the Butler offense more than the Bulldogs' first opponents have.
Butler plays ten players, all of whom have played in every game. The Bulldogs aren't an overly big team though, so size isn't as big of a concern as it often can be for the Braves.
Important aspects to watch:
Slow down Howard - This young big man looked pretty impressive last season. He looked too quick for forward Sam Singh, so it'll be interesting who matches up against him. In Singh's defense, he's looked more nimble himself this year, so I'd imagine we'll see a lot of this matchup.
No freebies - The team shooting percentage from the free throw line is only 68 percent. But these numbers are skewed by poor totals from some of the players who don't see much time. Of the six players who have at least 10 shot attempts, only guard Ronald Nored (6'0" Fr.) shoots less than 71 percent.
Bradley must play smart defense and will likely need to play more zone in order to stay out of foul trouble.
Freshman mistakes - Just as the Braves need to limit their turnovers (which on the whole has improved lately), they also must force the Bulldogs into committing some. Nored averages 2.0 assists but 2.4 turnovers per game. Using the home court to its advantage, Bradley must cause Nored to make mistakes.
Play your game - These two teams play contrasting styles, with Bradley trying to get out and run and Butler looking to slow down. The Braves need to get out in transition and not let Butler dictate the pace, which is what happened in Indianapolis last year.
***
Bradley really needs to win this game as its on their home court. The team needs proof that it can not only play with some of the better teams in the nation, but actually beat them. Hopefully the first half of the Michigan State game showed the Braves a glimmer of that chance. Butler's team is just as young as Bradley's and the Bulldogs are the on road. This one should be a thriller.
Final prediction: Bradley 67, Butler 65
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