Basketball Preview: Merrimack travels to Indianapolis for first meeting with Butler
The Merrimack men’s basketball team will remain on the road Friday night to meet Butler at legendary Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Hinkle Fieldhouse is the sixth-oldest basketball arena still in use, originally opening in 1928.
Merrimack is 1-3 this season, with a win over Vermont and losses to VCU, Princeton, and Rutgers. The Bulldogs are 3-1, with wins over Missouri State, Western Michigan, and SMU. Two weeks ago, Austin Peay beat Butler 68-66.
Merrimack vs. Butler
When: Wednesday
Tip-off: 7:00 p.m. ET
Watch U.S.: Fox Sports 2
Venue: Hinkle Fieldhouse (9,100)
Location: Indianapolis, Ind.
Purchase Tickets: Click here
History: Merrimack and Butler will meet for the first time. The Warriors are 0-4 all-time against the Big East, with losses to Providence (2), St. John’s, and Georgetown.
Inside the Matchup
— Butler’s depth has been the primary driver through four games. Jahmyl Telfort, Pierre Brooks, and Finley Bizjack are all part of the offense, along with Andre Screen, a 7-footer contributing off the bench.
Telfort is Butler’s leading scorer, averaging 16.3 points per game. Brooks is averaging 15.0 points and Bizjack 10.7 points. Patrick McCaffery averages 15.3 points but has been involved in fewer possessions than Brooks and Bizjack.
— This could be a low-scoring game. The Warriors and Bulldogs are both top-100 defenses. Butler doesn’t generate a lot of turnovers but is ranked No. 27 in effective FG% against.
Butler also defends 3-point shots exceptionally well.
The Warriors are shooting 22.0 percent from three (No. 357 in the nation), and Butler is holding opponents to 26.8 percent from three (No. 43).
— The Warriors are ranked No. 41 in the nation in defensive turnover percentage, and Butler has found itself careless with the ball, ranked No. 313 in offensive turnover percentage. That’s an area the Warriors might be able to exploit.
The Bulldogs have been susceptible to steals (No. 338), and the Warriors are a top-100 steal team (No. 85). Their chaotic zone forces teams into mistakes.
Keys to the Game for Merrimack
They have to shoot better. It will be a challenge against Butler, but that part of their game has to start coming around. I’m not even worried about the percentages (because of the opponents they’re playing); I don’t think Merrimack can afford to go long stretches without hitting a 3-point shot or scoring a point the way they did at times last night against Rutgers (particularly in the second half).
Force turnovers. Butler has been sloppy with the ball; make them pay. Two weeks ago, Austin Peay forced nine steals in their win over the Bulldogs, and Butler turned over the ball 16 times. The Warriors need to see similar numbers on Friday.
Watch the fouls. I’m fully expecting Butler to go to the line more than Merrimack. But the disparity in some of these games is silly. The Warriors committed 25 fouls in two home games and 40 fouls in two road games. VCU committed more fouls against the Warriors (22-20), but the 20-8 difference in the Rutgers game was a little nuts. Given how the officiating usually plays out in these non-conference games, I expect the Warriors to have fewer free-throw attempts than the Bulldogs, but they must keep that margin as close as possible. Butler is No. 20 in free-throw percentage. Ironically, the Warriors are No. 19.
Inside the Numbers
