How much do you know about the Big East, as tournament time approaches? Chances are you’re familiar with Villanova and are aware that the Wildcats will be a top-two seed when March Madness begins.
What about the teams just below Villanova in the standings, however? It’s been easier for the likes of Butler and Providence to fly under the radar, but after a compelling collision on the final Saturday of the regular season, these teams have reason to think they can do some damage in the coming weeks.
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In a game that decided the upper-level seedings in the Big East, Butler picked up its first quality win since beating Georgetown and North Carolina in the Bahamas in November. The Bulldogs went into Providence and foiled the Friars.
Coming into the game, the Bulldogs were 0-5 against the three teams (Villanova, Georgetown, and Providence) in the conference who were ahead of them in the standings. With the win and a Georgetown victory over Seton Hall, Butler clinched the third seed in the Big East Tournament next week.
Providence, which only needed a win to claim the second seed and avoid Villanova until the final, fell all the way to the fourth seed, in the Cats’ side of the bracket in New York.
Butler controlled the action for most of the day, but Providence fought back midway through the second half to apply scoreboard pressure to Butler. The Bulldogs, once up by 16, saw their lead trimmed to three, at 62-59, with 51 seconds left. Butler, though, hit all six of its free throws in the final 51 seconds to salt the game away, 68-64.
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For the Friars, they go as Kris Dunn and LaDontae Henton go. The duo averages nearly half of Providence’s 71 points per game. The Friars were nearly lifeless until Dunn broke loose in the second half. After Dunn picked up his level of energy on the defensive end (which then fed his offensive game), Providence dug out of a 16-point hole to create a tense final minute. Dunn scored 21 of his 23 points in the second half. Henton was quite most of the day, hitting only 2-of-10 shots for eight points.
During the comeback, much of Providence’s work was done in transition. The Friars gained several points off steals or run-outs from Dunn. Providence was able to cut 10 points off a 46-30 deficit in about five minutes with this technique. When they were not able to get out and run, the Friars only hit one field goal in the final eight minutes of the first half, which is what led to a worrisome scoreboard situation in the first place.
Coming into this tilt, Providence was averaging 12.5 offensive rebounds per game, which is another key to its scoring. On Saturday, Butler — the conference leader in defensive rebounds — held the Friars to only six offensive boards in the contest. That loomed large throughout the afternoon, and it ensured that when Providence missed a shot, the Friars generally didn’t get second-chance points.
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The Bulldogs are strong on the glass, but their main weakness was also on display on Saturday. The Bulldogs are susceptible to long scoring droughts for the simple fact that they are just not a strong outside shooting team. Another drought struck on Saturday, and that prolonged struggle, combined with Providence’s defensive effort, allowed the Friars to get back in the game in the second half.
Much of the work Butler does on the offensive end is with Roosevelt Jones and his frontcourt teammates scoring while going to the basket. This is what makes Kellen Dunham so crucial to the Bulldogs. While Dunham is Butler’s leading scorer, he is also the Bulldogs’ only real threat from the perimeter. While Dunham came into Saturday shooting 43 percent beyond the arc, the Bulldogs do not have another player over 40 percent on threes.
With this lack of shooting ability, some may think that going to a zone may be the answer against Butler. Providence tried that, however, and gave up back-to-back 3-point shots and never went back to it. Butler was still able to get the ball inside-out for quality looks.
Freshman Kelan Martin could become a sparkplug for the Bulldogs in the coming weeks. He provided valuable energy when Butler was under siege during Providence’s second-half run. He scored 14 points off the bench on Saturday. Martin has seen inconsistent minutes and has tallied accordingly inconsistent scoring numbers, but a few more performances like Saturday could change how much playing time he receives.
Given what each squad showed on Saturday, Butler and Providence are both teams that are primed for a March run. With both looking like mid-seeded teams, the only question is the matchups they receive when the brackets are revealed. Butler, though, certainly accomplished a lot more than Providence did heading into the Big East tournament.
