The old saying goes, “the third time’s the charm.”
For Butler, it can only hope that phrase stays true heading into a contest against #1 seeded St. Louis, the third meeting between them this season, later this afternoon.
Unlike the first two meetings this contest has conference championship implications surrounding it:
Win and advance to tomorrow’s Atlantic 10 Championship game.
Lose and await your fate from the NCAA Selection Committee tomorrow evening.
In the case of the Bulldogs, an opportunity to capture the Atlantic 10 Championship would be a perfect parting gift with it’s impending announcement to leave the conference to join the Big East expected next week.
Along with this, a victory against a Billikens unit that has had the Bulldogs number as of late, (winning two straight against them this season), would further benefit Butler’s NCAA Tournament résumé as far as seeding is concerned.
Of course the Bulldogs are already a lock in the tournament field, but a win today could be the difference between earning a #5 and a #7 seed.
As for Saint Louis, led by A10 Coach of the Year front runner interim head coach Jim Crews, the Billikens have put together their strongest team in almost a decade, and are a lock for an At-Large berth into the NCAA Tournament.
Still, the idea of Saint Louis defeating three times in the same season further solidifies what a historic year it’s been for the Billikens.
After handly defeating Butler at home 75-58 in late January, Saint Louis scored seven of the first nine points of the 2nd half in a rematch against the Bulldogs at Hinkle Fieldhouse last month, in a comeback 65-61 victory to complete a season sweep.
On the other side of things, it’s a perfect opportunity for Butler to make a statement a little more than 24 hours away from Selection Sunday.
Several members of Butler, including head coach Brad Stevens, feel much more comfortable heading to this afternoon’s A10 Semi-Final, remembering how close the last outing vs SLU was, (a four point loss in comparison to a 17 point loss in their first meeting), and keeping in mind, from a scouting standpoint, the two games of experience they now have under their belt.
Despite these factors, the true keys for a Butler victory are the takeaways from Friday’s 69-58 victory over La Salle in the quarterfinals:
Six players scored nine or more in the contest, where as only six Bulldogs achieved that feat in BOTH losses COMBINED against Saint Louis this year.
Butler dominated the battle of the boards (41-23) and the points in the paint (42-24), while also shooting a perfect 10-of-10 at the free throw line.
The Bulldogs signature gritty defense continued to hold true by limiting the Explorers to 58 points, and forcing a dismal 30% shooting performance in the 2nd Half.
If all these elements can be put together, Butler may indeed be able to avenge its previous losses against the Billikens, and bring itself one step close to a fourth conference title in six years in the process.
A win against Saint Louis today and the Bulldogs earn that opportunity by punching its ticket to tomorrow’s Atlantic 10 Championship game.
Easier said than done, but that’s the beauty of March Madness.
There’s never a lack of storylines.
-Jimmy Cook
Follow on Twitter: @theJCook