Butler basketball gets hot from 3, locks down on defense on way to another blowout win
Butler remains perfect on the season with another dominant nonconference performance. Five Bulldogs reached double figures, earning a 81-47 win over East Tennessee State on Monday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
D.J. Davis led the offense with 15 points. Posh Alexander scored 13 points, Landon Moore scored 12 points and Jalen Thomas and Pierre Brooks II added 10 points each.
Here's three takeaways from the win over the Bucs.
Landon Moore breaks out against ETSU
Sophomore guard Landon Moore has shown gradual growth early in his Bulldogs career. He struggled with pressure defense at times, and his jump shot has been inconsistent, starting 1-for-4 from 3 over his first two games.
Against ETSU, Moore showed what made him a coveted target in the transfer portal, knocking down consecutive 3s in the first half, sparking an 11-0 run midway through the first half. After the early scoring spurt, Moore jumped in front of a Buccaneers pass, getting the steal and passing ahead for a D.J. Davis 3, capping an 8-0 run.
Moore's hot shooting continued in the second half. He got a shooter's bounce on a 3-pointer that touched every part of the rim before falling through the basket. On the next possession, Moore's 3-pointer hit nothing but net.
Moore finished with 12 points. He credited extra time spent at practice with helping him find his shot.
"Just staying confident," Moore said. "I put a lot of work in, so your shot will fall. ... Working with coach, he'll pick one thing (to fix). ... There was one practice where I was 0-for-5. He talked to me afterward and said, 'fix this, keep (your hands) high.' The next practice, I swear I went 10-for-10."
Player ratings: How Bulldogs fare vs. East Tennessee State
Dawgs erase early shooting slump
Last season, poor shooting from deep made it difficult for the Dawgs to extend leads or mount comebacks. After an offseason spent upgrading its long-range shooting, Butler showed how deadly it can be when it catches fire from deep.
After starting 0-for-4 from 3 against ETSU, Butler finished the first half 7-for-15. Davis made three treys in the first half. Moore made two and Pierre Brooks and Connor Turnbull each added one.
Just about every member of the team is capable of making an open 3-pointer, but no shooter on the team — and maybe the entire conference — has the pure shooting ability of Davis. Davis is deadly off the catch, moving off screens and pulling up in transition. Davis showed off his fancy footwork late in the first half, using a step back dribble to create separation and drain a 3-pointer at the first-half buzzer.
Davis finished with a team-high 15 points, including 3-for-5 shooting from 3. As a team, Butler finished 11-for-31 from 3.
"Just letting the game come to me," Davis said. "Not trying to force any shots and just trying to move the ball, find my teammates and let my teammates find me.
"Team's face guard and try to deny you catches, but that's when you rely on your teammates and try to help them because they're gonna play me tight and that opens the floor up for other guys."
Every Dawg gets a bone
Butler's active defense leads to a fast-paced offense with endless transition opportunities and easy looks at the basket. Butler forced 19 turnovers leading to 36 points off the turnovers and 20 fastbreak points. Blocked shots, specifically a team-high six blocks from Connor Turnbull are another way the Dawgs can ignite the break.
The Dawgs' ability to create easy offense allows multiple players to get involved offensively and a different player can star each night.
Against ETSU, Davis, Moore and Alexander carried the load. Against Eastern Michigan it was Jahmyl Telfort and Brooks. Against SEMO, the second unit got it done. Through three games, the Dawgs are playing with an unselfishness that will serve it well come Big East play, when opposing teams have more detailed scouting reports on them.
Follow IndyStar Butler Insider Akeem Glaspie on X at @THEAkeemGlaspie.
Butler basketball stats vs. East Tennessee State
Butler 81, ETSU 47
ETSU (1-2): Boyd 3-9 1-1 7, Parker 2-6 0-1 4, Seymour 2-2 0-2 5, Asamoah 3-8 2-2 9, Peterson 2-10 0-0 4, Smith 1-6 3-4 5, Ilic 1-4 1-4 4, Johnson 2-7 0-0 5, Rice 0-1 0-0 0, Sisk 2-5 0-0 4. Totals 18-58 7-14 47.
BUTLER (3-0): Telfort 2-12 0-0 4, Thomas 5-8 0-0 10, Alexander 5-10 2-2 13, Davis 6-9 0-0 15, Brooks 3-10 3-3 10, Bizjack 2-6 1-1 5, Turnbull 2-4 2-2 7, Moore 4-7 0-1 12, Kapke 0-1 0-0 0, Screen 1-1 0-1 2, McComb 1-1 0-0 3, Gavalas 0-0 0-1 0, Mulloy 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 31-69 8-11 81.
Halftime—Butler 45-20. 3-Point Goals_ETSU 4-24 (Seymour 1-1, Ilic 1-3, Asamoah 1-4, Johnson 1-6, Parker 0-1, Rice 0-1, Sisk 0-1, Smith 0-1, Boyd 0-3, Peterson 0-3), Butler 11-31 (Moore 4-7, Davis 3-5, McComb 1-1, Alexander 1-3, Turnbull 1-3, Brooks 1-5, Thomas 0-1, Telfort 0-2, Bizjack 0-4). Rebounds_ETSU 33 (Parker 7), Butler 35 (Telfort, Thomas 6). Assists_ETSU 8 (Boyd 3), Butler 14 (Alexander, Davis 4). Total Fouls_ETSU 17, Butler 12.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Butler Bulldogs basketball stays hot, beats ETSU to improve to 3-0
