A matchup to get used to: future Big East opponents #6 Butler and #3 Marquette battle for a trip to the Sweet 16

Butler players mob senior Rotnei Clarke after his game-winning miracle three at the buzzer to knock off Marquette in the Maui Invitational this past November. The Bulldogs and the Golden Eagles will meet regularly starting next season, thanks to Butler joining the “new” Big East. (Photo by ESPN)

Four months ago, in a first round Maui Invitational game which Butler trailed 71-69 with mere seconds to play, transfer senior Rotnei Clarke hit a 3-point miracle heave at the buzzer, to advance in that tournament 72-71.

Butler faithful everywhere remember the shot, but so too does the team they defeated: the Marquette Golden Eagles.

Tonight marks their rematch in the Round of 32 for a trip to the Sweet Sixteen.

The #6 seeded Bulldogs return to its familiar role of “underdogs” courtesy of a 68-56 victory over Bucknell.

Despite being favored in the contest, Butler found itself down six-points with 10:00 minutes to play . However, as most have grown accustom to for head coach Brad Stevens and company in March, the Bulldogs outscored the Bison 37-19 to close the contest, connecting on 18 of 20 free throws in the final 4:43.

Heading into the matchup against Marquette, who advanced via a thrilling 59-58 victory on a game winning layup by Vander Blue, the Bulldogs will look to focus on a few key areas to defeat the Golden Eagles again:

Spark up the Arc
To say that Butler had a rough day from downtown against Bucknell would be an understatement for the ages. The Bulldogs didn’t register a single trifecta until senior Andrew Smith drilled one from the corner to start the rally late in the 2nd half. They finished the contest shooting an unfathomable 3 of 17 beyond the arc. While it’s nice to know the Bulldogs don’t always have to live/die by the three, shooting number like that, combined with another 36% outing from the field, will doom them tonight.

Watch Blue for Blue II
In case you didn’t know this is Blue II’s, (the live mascot of Butler,) last NCAA Tournament as the official Bulldog of Butler. However, due to NCAA rules, the only way he can attend a tournament game is if the team makes it to the Final Four in Atlanta. That being said, in order to get on step closer to that goal, the Bulldogs have to shut down Vander Blue. He scored 5 of Marquette’s final 8 points in the closing 41 seconds of their Second Round matchup against Davidson, including the previously mentioned game winning lay-up. The game-winner marked the second time in three games Blue delivered in crunch time. Butler has to keep an eye on Blue, especially if its a close game towards the end. Sophomore Alex Barlow, one of the top defenders on the roster, is the best matchup against Blue, provided he can stay up to his speed. Regardless of who Stevens decides to defend him, as long as they play Bulldog-lockdown defense they should be fine.

Continue cherishing the Rock
This season has been an up and down year for Butler when it comes to taking care of the Basketball: some games it posts large head-scratching turnover numbers, and some games they post low fist-pump worthy numbers. For tonight, the Bulldogs need to build off of its impressive 5 turnover performance against Bucknell in the Second Round on Thursday. The 5 turnovers equaled a season low for the team this season, which hopefully demonstrates a good habit it is developing for the remainder of the postseason. If the number stays under 10 tonight it will in good shape, but if the number is much higher than that, the Golden Eagles may indeed get its
revenge on the Bulldogs.

Overall this is a preview of something we will see on a traditional basis starting next season, when Butler joins Marquette in the “new” Big East.

However, that’s still a long ways down the road.

Tonight’s focus is on a trip to the Sweet 16 and a rematch of one of the most exciting finishes of this past college basketball regular season.

History always follows Butler…hopefully they can repeat that history tonight and advance one step closer to the Final Four in Atlanta.

-Jimmy Cook

Follow on Twitter: @theJCook