Insider: With 'his guys,' Thad Matta's rebuilt Butler team off to sizzling start
Butler coach Thad Matta has been around college basketball long enough to make any sweeping proclamations after two games.
When asked what being 2-0 with a plus-74 point differential feels like, the longtime coach kept his answer short and sweet.
"Great," Matta said with a chuckle.
Matta knows there's a lot of season left and things can change quickly. The Bulldogs ended nonconference play 8-3 last season before going 6-15 the rest of the way.
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Matta is always looking for things to correct through film and on the practice court, but there's no denying how dominant Butler has looked so far. Butler beat Southeast Missouri State, 91-56, Friday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
The Dawgs have scored 90-plus points in back-to-back games for the first time since a stretch of three straight 90-plus point wins in 2017 against Western Illinois, double overtime against Georgetown and 101-93 upset over No. 1 Villanova.
The 2017-18 team led by Kelan Martin and Kamar Baldwin was the last Butler team to make the NCAA tournament. A tournament berth for a team picked to finish second-to-last in the Big East would be quite the accomplishment, and these Dawgs carry themselves like a team ready to prove people wrong.
Bucknell transfer Andre Screen said he noticed the camaraderie and togetherness of this squad immediately upon arriving on campus last May. The group of 11 new faces are getting closer each day, and it's starting to pay off come game time.
"Just working and grinding with the staff, getting used to our coaches and continually playing with each other," Screen said. "We scrimmaged with each other maybe about five or six times (during the offseason) just getting used to playing with each other. I think that's translated well, when we played the two teams we played.
"Off the court just hanging out with guys. I think it's important that you have fun with your teammates off the court. It helps build camaraderie, chemistry, gets guys talking and you start to feel each other out."
With a 34-point lead after halftime, Butler's second unit did most of the heavy lifting against SEMO. Freshman Boden Kapke broke out with 11 points and six rebounds off the bench. Sophomore Landon Moore added five points and four rebounds. Freshman Finley Bizjack scored six points and dished out a team-high five assists.
Kapke is carving out a role as a backup center behind Jalen Thomas and Screen. Frontcourt depth will be key with Thomas nursing an injured foot and freshman forward Augusto Cassia out indefinitely with a leg injury. The Minnesota native is always under control, using his size and strength to establish position down low on offense and defense.
"I think I've really developed that even throughout the summer, just kind of learning from Andre, Jalen and even (John-Michael Mulloy), it's helped me develop my game," Kapke said. "I can watch them and see little tricks that they know, and I can get to the open spot and make the right play."
This Butler team is completely remade with a bunch players coming from other schools in search of a better opportunity to show their skills. While some schools may pull in recruits with higher prospect rankings, Matta and his staff went out and recruited players who fit his system. That belief in them is translating to an energetic and confident team on the court.
"Coach says we're his guys, and I think he's got his guys," Screen said. "We're one unit and we'll play for each other and the name on the jersey, most importantly."
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Butler basketball: New roster has Bulldogs off to 2-0 start
