Butler Preview

Butler comes into the Tennessee game with a 4-0 record, having knocked off Notre Dame and Indiana in the Preseason NIT. The Bulldogs are averaging 67.5 points this season, led by AJ Graves at 17.8 per game. #32 Drew Streicher leads the Bulldogs off the bench, with a team leading 5.3 rebounds per game. Streicher led the team in their last game, a 62-56 win over NAIA Illinois-Springfield. The Bulldogs will be well versed in Bruce Pearl’s style of play, having played against Pearl in the Horizon league when Pearl was at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

KEYS TO THE GAME:

This will be a reunion of sorts as Pearl will face off against a familiar foe in the Butler Bulldogs. It is no doubt that the Bulldogs will have a excellent scouting report on the Vols, but Pearl will have that same advantage against the Bulldogs. The Vols will once again enjoy a size advantage of sorts as the Bulldogs have no one over 6’7”. Butler struggled in their last outing against Illinois-Springfield, a team from the NAIA that plays a similar style to that of the Vols. The Prarie Stars forced Butler into 12 turnovers on the game, six of those coming from point guard Mike Green. The Vols will look to pressure Mike Green in the press and creating more turnovers. Butler will try to slow the game down, and use their superb defense to win the game. If the Vols can slow down leading scorers Mike Green and AJ Graves, and create turnovers, then the Vols should be able to come away with the victory. If Butler is able to slow the pace of the game down and limit their turnovers, then the Bulldogs will have a good chance of pulling off the upset.

Matchup to watch for: AJ Graves vs. Chris Lofton. Both leading scorers will be going head to head against each other. Both players like to fire the 3 ball. Graves is 13-36, 36.1%, while Lofton is 12-30, 40% for the year. If either is able to shut down the other, it could lead to a loss for the loser of the battle.

Projected Starting Lineups:

Butler

PG – 6’1” #10 Mike Green
SG – 6’1” #4 AJ Graves
SF – 6’5” #1 Julian Betko
PF – 6’6” #33 Brandon Crone
C – 6’7” #24 Brian Ligon

Tennessee

PG – 6’2” #12 Ramar Smith
SG – 6’2” #5 Chris Lofton
SF – 6’2” #2 JaJuan Smith
PF – 6’4” #23 Dane Bradshaw
C – 6’7” #32 Duke Crews