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Fifth-year forward Jahmyl Telfort had 25 points in the loss against UConn. Photo by Jonathan Wang. CALEB DENORME | MANAGING EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu The men’s basketball team dropped to 8-11 after an overtime loss to UConn . This defeat also means the Bulldogs’ conference record falls to 1-7. Butler was without junior guard Kolby King , who is recovering from a concussion. This meant that sophomore guard Finley Bizjack got the starting nod. The Trophy Club, Texas native made the most of his opportunity, pouring in 17 points. Fifth-year forward Jahmyl Telfort led the scoring charge with 25 points. The Dawgs started slow, falling behind by 15 at one point before clawing their way back into the game. Butler took the lead with just under four minutes to go in the second half, but could not land the knockout punch to shock the Huskies on their home floor.  In a heartbreaking overtime loss, let’s go beyond the box score. Mental improvement Throughout this season one of Butler’s main problems was its work effort and mentality. Early on, it looked like this game would be the same old story for the Dawgs. With just over four minutes to go in the first half, the Bulldogs were staring down the wrong end of a 15 point deficit. Butler was being out-rebounded and out-toughed on both ends of the floor. Then, a switch flipped and the Dawgs began to show a bit of bite. Thad Matta’s men cut the UConn lead down to eight by halftime and kept chipping away despite everything the Huskies were throwing at them. Telfort ran the show, Bizjack made hustle plays and fifth-year center Andre Screen did the dirty work down low.  As time went on, Butler began to gain momentum and UConn looked vulnerable. The Bulldogs saw that weakness and continued to attack until they grabbed the lead late in the game. The Dawgs could have closed down shop when they went down by 15. Nobody would have blamed them because fans had seen it happen before. Instead though, this team decided to fight back and take the No. 19 team in the nation down to the wire in a hostile environment.  The mentality and toughness Butler displayed against UConn is a glimmer of hope in an otherwise gloomy season. Fans will be hoping this version of the Bulldogs will show up moving forward.  Close only counts in horseshoes So many times this season the Dawgs have found themselves on the wrong side of close games. Some will say that Butler is better than its 8-11 record, but the ability to get the job done in crunch time is crucial to being a winning basketball program. There were a few moments in this game where the Bulldogs could have all but secured the victory but could not get it done. Senior forward Pierre Brooks missing a free throw on the front of a one-and-one to possibly extend Butler’s lead to three is one example. Another is Screen fouling UConn forward Alex Karaban to give him an and-one opportunity to tie the game in overtime, which he would end up converting. No matter how much talent the Bulldogs seemingly have or do not have on the court, the veteran mindset to close out games is not there right now. For how hard Butler played, it was almost a shame it did not end up walking out of Connecticut with a win. For now, the Dawgs will rue their missed chances and move their focus to face DePaul this Saturday at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Butler will likely get another chance to prove they can close out a game as a revamped Blue Demon squad comes to Indianapolis.

Sophomore center Boden Kapke had 13 points in the Bulldogs’ loss against Creighton. Photo by Jonathan Wang.  CALEB DENORME | MANAGING EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu The men’s basketball team continues its Big East march with a home matchup against Seton Hall. The Dawgs are in the middle of a dismal nine-game losing streak, with their last win coming on Dec. 3 against Eastern Illinois .   The Bulldogs seek to defend Hinkle Fieldhouse and earn their first win of 2025 against the Seton Hall Pirates .  Here is what you need to know as Butler prepares to battle the Pirates: Who: Butler vs. Seton Hall When: January 15, 7 p.m. Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse How to watch: FS1 Toughness and a strong mentality A main catalyst of Butler’s losing streak has been the way opponents have out-muscled the Dawgs. The Bulldogs have been pushed around by every single opponent during this nine-game streak, so Butler will need to play tougher to get a much-needed victory. Rebounding and turnovers are a consistent struggle for the Dawgs, with both problems showing up at different times. There will be games where the Bulldogs rebound well, but turn the ball over 20 times. Other times Butler will limit its giveaways, but get blitzed on the boards. For the Dawgs to become a complete team that can finish games, they must learn to be tougher on the glass and be smart with the ball. When the giveaways and missed rebounds happen, Butler needs to keep a good mentality as well. The Bulldogs are too often dropping their heads after a bad play instead of moving on to the next. This allows opponents to attack in those lapses of concentration and get easy opportunities at the rim. If there was ever a game to get a win, this matchup with Seton Hall is extremely promising. The Pirates have been dismal this season, so Butler will be looking to end the streak at home in front of a noisy Hinkle crowd. Seton Hall scouting report The Pirates come into this game with a 6-10 overall and a 1-4 conference record and their lone Big East win came in overtime against basement-dwellers DePaul . Seton Hall finished last season with a 25-12 record , crashing out in the first round of the Big East tournament before winning the NIT with wins over North Texas , UNLV , Georgia and Indiana State .  The Pirates are led by a pair of guards, sophomore Isaiah Coleman and graduate Chaunce Jenkins . Coleman leads the team in points and rebounding, averaging 15.7 points and five rebounds per game . Also adding production out of the backcourt, Jenkins averages 11.3 points per game and is the Pirates’ main three-point threat, taking a team-high 66 shots from long range this season. This is a depleted Seton Hall team compared to the squad that conquered the NIT last season. Losing guard Kadary Richmond in the transfer portal to St. John’s and guard Al-Amir Dawes’ graduation hurt this team significantly. Both guards averaged over 15 points per game last season, leaving a sizable scoring gap for the new squad to fill. This is a winnable game for Butler. Seton Hall has struggled this season and has found it hard to get wins in Big East play. If there was ever a time for the Bulldogs to stand up and grab a victory in front of their home crowd, it’s this game against the Pirates. Fans of the Dawgs will be hoping the Hinkle crowd will spur their team to a win for the first time in 43 days.

Graduate forward Patrick McCaffery had 17 points in the loss against UConn. Photo by Jonathan Wang. CALEB DENORME | SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu The men’s basketball team fell for the fifth straight time on Saturday, this time to No. 11 UConn . The Bulldogs got off to an extremely slow start but fought back multiple times to cut the lead to a one-possession game. It was in those crucial moments that the Dawgs could not take advantage, ending in yet another loss to the Huskies.  Let’s go beyond the box score for Butler’s home loss to the reigning national champions: Failure to capitalize on opportunities In the opening seven minutes of the game, the Bulldogs dropped behind 25-9. Spurred on by a sellout home crowd, Butler cut the lead to three with a little over two minutes to go before halftime. UConn would finish the half on a 6-0 run to take a nine-point lead into the locker room. After a disastrous start Butler fought back into the game, but then the Dawgs gave UConn all the momentum back. The Huskies continued to pad their lead throughout the first part of the second half until Butler got back within a possession with five minutes to go. In those five minutes the Bulldogs had numerous opportunities to take the lead, but they never did. The inability to take the game from UConn led to the loss, and head coach Thad Matta knows he needs to see improvement. “That’s where we’ve got to get better, where we can make those plays to win the games,” Matta said. “Those are the plays that we have to make.” Butler showed resilience to fight back and stay in the contest, but they could not put the final pieces together to take the lead. The components were all there for the Dawgs to capture a marquee victory in front of their home crowd, but they fell short yet again. “We show some unbelievable signs,” Matta said. “We’re a team that everybody has to play good. We’ve been tested, there’s no question about that.” Where does Butler go from here? At this point in the season last year Butler had a 10-3 record . This year’s Bulldogs are now 7-6 and on the brink of being .500 early on in the season. This squad was supposed to take the next step in Matta’s third season back at his alma mater, but instead, the Dawgs have an abysmal record and an impatient fanbase. The losses to UConn, Marquette , Houston and Wisconsin are excusable from the Bulldogs’ standpoint. Aside from the Houston matchup, Butler has been in every game they lost to those ranked opponents. The defeats that will sting the most will be the two “buy” games against Austin Peay and North Dakota State . At the end of the day, it all comes down to Butler’s mentality. On paper, the Dawgs should be a team that challenges the upper half of the Big East. Now at 7-6 with multiple bad losses on their resume, that is not the case. No one denies that the Bulldogs have talent, but they implode when the lights are the brightest. When Butler figures out how to execute and follow through for 40 minutes of basketball, the Dawgs will begin to win games. Until then though, the Bulldogs remain in a free-fall.  “We’ve seen everything,” Matta said. “So now it’s time to [start] winning some basketball games.”

Junior guard Kolby King played 19 minutes in the loss to Houston. Photo by Darcy Leber. CALEB DENORME | SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu The Bulldogs seek to get back in the win column on Tuesday against North Dakota State (NDSU) after suffering a blowout loss to Houston over the weekend. The Cougars ran the Dawgs out of the gym, winning by a margin of 28 points. Butler returns home with a 7-2 record trying to grab another victory with conference play looming on the horizon.  Here is what you need to know as the Bulldogs battle the Bison: Who: Butler vs. North Dakota State When: Dec. 10, 5:30 p.m. Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse How to watch: FS1 Getting back on track Saturday’s loss to Houston was ugly, to say the least. Butler got shut down on the offensive end and was outmatched in almost every phase of the game.  This game against NDSU comes at the perfect time for the Bulldogs. The matchup is an opportunity to get a bounce-back win against an inferior opponent before heading off to face a gauntlet of a schedule. After the Bison, the Dawgs will face No. 20 Wisconsin , No. 6 Marquette and No. 18 UConn in a one-week span. With those huge matchups coming up, Butler cannot afford to have a poor showing in this game. Coming off the loss down in Houston, the Dawgs need to come out hungry and put North Dakota State away in a convincing fashion.  North Dakota State scouting report The Bison are 7-4 and currently on a four-game win streak. Last season, NDSU went 15-17 and bowed out in the quarterfinals of the Summit League Tournament. North Dakota is led by the tandem of senior guard Jacari White and senior forward Jacksen Moni . White has played all 11 games this season, averages 17 points per game on 45.2% shooting and has hit the most threes on the team. Moni averages 16 points per game on 50% shooting and is second-highest on the team in assists despite playing only eight games.  The weakness for NDSU is going to be how often they turn the ball over. The Bison have 116 turnovers through 11 games , averaging 10.5 giveaways per matchup. If the Bulldogs want to have a strong showing in this game, they need to limit their own turnover problem and capitalize on the giveaways North Dakota will give them. It should be a nice bounce-back game for Butler, but the Dawgs need to come out ready to play. Fans saw what happened against Austin Peay earlier in the year, and nobody wants a repeat of that game.

Senior forward Patrick McCaffery had 20 points in the Bulldogs’ win over Eastern Illinois. Photo by Andrew Buckley.  CALEB DENORME | SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu The Bulldogs seek to improve on their six-game win streak on Saturday as they travel to Houston to take on the 17th ranked Cougars. Butler won its last game at home in a solid showing against Eastern Illinois 73-58 . The Dawgs will hit the road for their matchup with Houston on Dec. 7 in the Big East – Big 12 Battle with a chance to take down another ranked opponent.  Here is what you need to know as the Bulldogs take on the Cougars. Who: Butler vs. Houston When: Dec. 7, 5:30 p.m. Where: Fertitta Center How to watch: ESPN2 Playing up to the competition The common theme of Butler’s season so far has been its tendency to play down or up to whatever opponent they are facing. Some of the Bulldogs’ best performances came against stronger opposition such as Northwestern and Mississippi State . On the other hand, the Dawgs’ worst showings came against seemingly inferior teams like Austin Peay and Missouri State. Butler lost to Austin Peay and escaped with a narrow seven-point victory over Missouri State .  The key to this game against Houston is playing up to their competition once again. On paper the Cougars are a better team than Butler, but the Bulldogs have a habit of showing up in big games and capturing the victory.  The Dawgs will need their two stars — fifth-year Jahmyl Telfort and senior Pierre Brooks — to show out on the offensive end. Butler also needs sharpshooter Patrick McCaffery to continue his hot shooting stretch to give the Bulldogs a perimeter presence. On the defensive side, the Dawgs need to be tough. Too many teams this year have been able to penetrate the Butler defense and get good looks inside, although the Bulldogs’ defense has improved in recent weeks. Butler will need somewhat of a perfect storm to beat Houston, but it has shown an ability to grind out tough games away from home before. Saturday will be the time to prove that resilience once again against a ranked opponent.  Houston scouting report The 17th ranked Cougars sit at 4-3 this season , with losses to No. 2 Auburn , No. 10 Alabama and No. 24 San Diego State . Houston has been through its fair share of early season struggles, but they have played a much harder schedule than a majority of teams. The Cougars are led by their two guards in graduate L.J Cryer and junior Emanuel Sharp . Both Cryer and Sharp average upwards of 14 points per game and take the most shots out of any other Cougar. The key for Butler will be to stay tight with these guards and rebound the basketball. In a game against a team as good as Houston, you cannot give its players extra possessions on offense. It will be interesting to see how coach Thad Matta ’s men perform against one of the elite teams away from home.

Senior forward Patrick McCaffery had 20 points against Eastern Illinois. Photo by Andrew Buckley. CALEB DENORME | SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu The men’s basketball team improved to 7-1 with a 73-58 win over Eastern Illinois . After returning to Hinkle as the Arizona Tip-Off champions , the Dawgs kept their noses out in front of the Panthers to capture another victory. Forwards Jahmyl Telfort and Patrick McCaffery led the scoring charge for the Bulldogs, each pouring in 20 points . Let’s go beyond the box score for Butler’s seventh win of the season. Another slow start Butler put up 36 points in the first half, but it was not smooth sledding. The Bulldogs turned the ball over on the first possession, continuing a worrying trend of carelessness with the basketball, notching 17 turnovers by the end of the night.  Coach Thad Matta was adamant the turnover numbers need to go down and his team needs to protect the basketball  “I mean 17 turnovers is mind-boggling to me,” Matta said. “Every night we take the court we need to be as sharp as we can possibly be.” This is not an uncommon occurrence through the first eight games of this season for the Bulldogs. Butler tends to start games on the slow side and then pull away in the second half. The Dawgs seemed to buck this trend in the Arizona Tip-Off wins over Northwestern and Mississippi State , but the issues returned against Eastern Illinois. Butler had six turnovers in the first half and took 25 shots compared to the Panthers’ 35 .  Another issue early on was the Bulldogs’ tendency to give up offensive rebounds. Butler allowed six offensive boards in the first half , but luckily Eastern Illinois only converted those giveaways into two points. Had this been a better opponent, the Dawgs could have been caught out due to their slow start. They will not get away with any falters off the line against Houston on Saturday. A team-oriented offense Out of the ten players that got onto the floor for Matta, eight of them got into the scoring column. Telfort, McCaffery and junior guard Kolby King finished with double-digits in points . Butler’s ability to get scoring input from all-around is a bright spot. Having multiple players who can put the ball in the basket regardless of if they start or not is a good problem for Matta to have. One of the best shooting performances of the night came from McCaffery. The Iowa transfer went 6/14 from the field and a blistering 5/8 from beyond the arc , with many of those threes coming from the corner. No matter where the shot is on the court, McCaffery always likes a good look at the rim. “I just like open threes,” McCaffery said. “Let it rip [and] shoot a lot of them from all over.” Butler now sets its sights on a massive matchup with Houston on Saturday. Beginning a stretch of tougher games, the Dawgs will need to limit mistakes heading into this portion of the schedule. “We know we have a big test on our hands,” McCaffery said. “We know that’s going to be a dogfight.”

Butler takes the 2024 Arizon Tip-Off crown after beating Mississippi. Photo courtesy of Butler Athletics.   CALEB DENORME | SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu The Butler Bulldogs grabbed a massive top-25 victory over Mississippi State to win the 2024 Arizona Tip-Off Challenge. After besting Northwestern on Thanksgiving , the Dawgs rolled into the championship game and captured a ranked win to move to 6-1 on the season. Fifth-year forward Jahmyl Telfort and senior forward Pierre Brooks led the offensive charge for Butler, tallying 46 points between them. Junior guard Landon Moore also contributed off the bench, adding 13 points and two assists. Despite Mississippi State’s late surges, the Dawgs were able to keep their noses out in front to get over the finish line. An early-season marquee win for coach Thad Matta and the Bulldogs will go a long way down the stretch. Let’s go beyond the box score for Butler’s championship performance against Mississippi State. The dynamic duo The combo of Brooks and Telfort was an enigma that Mississippi State could not solve. The two forwards poured in 52.9% of the Dawgs’ total points on the night and were two out of three Bulldogs along with Moore in double-digits. This is the expectation Butler fans had for the wing pair coming into the season. If both Telfort and Brooks could score in double digits on the offensive end, the Bulldogs would be in good shape to win those games. Both Brooks and Telfort were 8/15 from the field while playing upwards of 35 minutes each. Their efficiency from beyond the arc was also a stat to marvel at — Telfort shot 57% from deep , and Brooks hit 50% of the time .  Despite the explosion from his forwards, everyone on the floor for Matta got onto the scoresheet. Butler had nine players contribute to the scoring effort, a complete team effort to seal the championship. The Bulldogs will want to carry this momentum and playstyle into their coming games, especially as the Big East schedule looms. Defensive toughness On the other end of the floor, Butler kept Mississippi State at bay to keep the lead throughout the game. The Dawgs had several different players step up and contribute on defense, often making it hard for Mississippi State to get open shots. The Bulldogs limited Mississippi State to shooting just 37.7% from the field and 25.9% from three . The Dawgs also dominated on the boards, securing 11 more rebounds than their opponents to help them close out the victory. Despite the win, Butler did not force many turnovers on defense and gave the ball away 14 times on offense. There was a turnover disparity, but the Bulldogs’ ability to contest shots and make Mississippi State uncomfortable resulted in missed shots. These contests forced those misses and limited Mississippi State getting points off of turnovers. There is still room for improvement though. Butler had troubles on the interior of its defense on some of Mississippi State’s drives, allowing easy layups throughout the game. The Bulldogs cleaned this problem up later on to secure the win, but it was a persisting issue during the matchup. Butler will take this win and head into a matchup against Eastern Illinois on Tuesday, Dec. 3 back home in Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Fifth-year forward Jahmyl Telfort had 19 points in the Bulldogs win over SMU last week. Photo by Andrew Buckley. CALEB DENORME | SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu Butler looks to win its third game in a row on Friday, taking on Merrimack College at home. The Bulldogs come into this game off an 81-70 win over SMU last week to improve to 3-1. Fifth-year forward Jahmyl Telfort led the scoring charge for the Bulldogs with 19 points , and the Dawgs had six players finish with double digits in the scoring column. Merrimack is a member of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conferenc e (MAAC) and is currently 1-3 on the year.  Here is what you need to know as the Bulldogs prepare to battle the Warriors. Who: Butler vs. Merrimack College When: Nov. 22, 7 p.m. Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse How to watch: FS2   Playing consistent basketball After a rocky start to the season that included a shocking loss at home to Austin Peay , Butler turned it around and put together a complete game against SMU.  The Bulldogs combined offensive efficiency and defensive toughness against the Mustangs which ultimately resulted in the victory. On offense, the Dawgs shot 41% from the field and a blistering 46.2% from beyond the arc . After their early season struggles to be creative on offense, Butler has seemingly figured it out. On defense, the Bulldogs held SMU to only two players scoring in double digits . The Dawgs’ team defense and ability to get stops would give Butler chances to go on runs. Two of those big runs came in the second half when the Bulldogs built their lead. After the loss to Austin Peay, the Dawgs know that no game is guaranteed. They will need to keep their foot on the pedal on both ends of the floor to continue to stack victories. The key word for Butler is consistency. The Bulldogs cannot revert back to when they played careless, turnover-prone offense and weak defense.  One of the biggest catalysts for this team’s improvement will be Telfort. The Canada native has been the number-one scoring threat for Butler but also has provided a strong defensive presence. Butler goes as Telfort does, so his play will be key heading into this next stretch of the season. Merrimack College scouting report The Warriors currently sit at 1-3 with a win over Vermont and losses to VCU , Princeton and Rutgers . They finished last season with a 21-12 record but fell short of an NCAA Tournament bid in the Northeast Conference (NEC) Final, losing to Wagner College . Merrimack would move from the NEC to the MAAC over the summer. The Warriors are led by sophomore guard Adam “Budd” Clark . Clark averages 21 points per game on 43.4% shooting and grabs 4.3 rebounds per game as well . Sophomore guard Finley Bizjack will need to be at the top of his defensive game to limit Clark’s scoring ability. The weakness of this Merrimack team is their inability to hit threes regularly. The team shoots 22% from downtown and only has two players shooting above a 30% clip  from beyond the arc. The Dawgs will be content to sit deep and give the Warriors those long-range looks because history says Merrimack will not hit them.   It should be another intriguing matchup for the Bulldogs as Thad Matta ’s squad looks to improve to 4-1 on the season.

Fifth-year forward Jahmyl Telfort had 19 points in the win over SMU. Photo by Andrew Buckley.  CALEB DENORME | SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu The Bulldogs stacked another early-season win on Friday night, besting SMU 81-70 thanks to a second half of runs. Let’s go beyond the box score. A comprehensive performance Of Butler’s four games this season, this matchup was its best performance. The Dawgs coupled physical defense with purposeful, highly efficient offense to take down the Mustangs. The Bulldogs shot 41% from the field , but the stat that will pop out is their three-point percentage. 42% of the shots Butler took were beyond the arc and they hit 46.2% of those shots . SMU on the other hand shot just 33.3% from deep . The other bright spot on the offensive side was the scoring distribution. Six Dawgs finished with double-digits in the scoring column, with fifth-year forward Jahmyl Telfort leading the charge with 19 points . Telfort attributed the scoring boom to Butler’s mentality throughout the game. “We just wanted to keep punching,” Telfort said. “We knew that we were going to make a run.” The Bulldogs certainly made runs. A pair of 16-2 and 8-0 runs in the second half gave Butler the cushion it needed. The Hinkle crowd got behind them in raucous fashion and did not let up until the final buzzer sounded. That noise was mainly generated by play at the offensive end, but the Dawgs were stellar on the defensive side as well. While Butler was outrebounded and lost the turnover battle, the Dawgs were able to limit the scoring distribution. Only two Mustangs got into double digits, and role players such as fifth-year center Andre Screen and junior guard Kolby King played a massive role defensively. Screen and King both grabbed several crucial rebounds to limit SMU’s possessions down the line. Butler’s defense only allowed the Mustangs to grab the lead for three minutes and 16 seconds throughout the game. On the other hand, the Bulldogs led for over 31 minutes. Head coach Thad Matta was impressed with how his team executed tonight. “We were very specific in our gameplan going into tonight,” Matta said. “We kept talking in every timeout [saying] ‘Do your job.’” This is the performance that Butler fans were looking for from this team. It took four games, but it seems like the Bulldogs have most of their early-season issues sorted. Time will tell if they can keep them that way.  Chuck Harris’ homecoming Senior guard Chuck Harris spent three seasons at Butler before transferring to SMU prior to Matta’s second year back with the Bulldogs. He made his official return to Hinkle Fieldhouse in front of a packed house, and he did not disappoint. Harris had 21 points on 8/15 shooting, grabbed three rebounds and three steals . He was greeted with boos from Dawg Pound and the Butler faithful upon his entrance into the game. Harris responded by playing with a palpable energy and intensity at both ends. Frustration set in during the second half though. Harris slapped at Telfort after the play was whistled dead and was hit with a technical foul. In the waning moments of the game, he also took a hard foul on sophomore guard Finley Bizjack when the contest was essentially over. This garnered more boos and catcalls from the fans. Nevertheless, Harris showed up. He led his team in points despite coming off the bench. He was able to prove he could still play, but ultimately was unable to propel his team to a victory. Butler will take the win over their former star and move on to a matchup with Merrimack College on Friday, Nov. 22.

The Columbus Crew had their season come to a premature end on Sunday, falling in penalty kicks to the New York Red Bulls. After losing the opening game in Columbus, the Black & Gold travelled to New Jersey to try and even the best-of-three series. Substitute Max Arfsten opened the scoring for the crew, but RBNY was able to equalize when a defensive lapse led to a New York counter where they scored. A poor challenge by Rudy Camacho in the box gifted New York their second goal of the night from the spot, but Christian Ramirez would even the game deep into stoppage time to send the game to penalty kicks. Columbus had a chance to win on penalties but went on to miss their last three chances from the spot. RBNY capitalized, knocking the 2023 champions off their perch and out of the playoffs. It was another hard-fought tactical battle for both sides, but this game was yet again a combination of New York’s defensive discipline and the Black & Gold’s mental shortcomings. Let’s dive into all the tactics that went into this final Crew game of 2024. The tactics For what it is worth, Columbus played much better attacking soccer in this game compared to the first match back home. A change in mentality and tactics gave the Black & Gold an attacking edge. RBNY decided to employ the same pressure they used in the first game to try and get after the Crew’s backline. New York’s double block of five pressers and five sitting defenders looked to force Columbus into turnovers in their defensive half so the home side could counter quickly. The Black & Gold went back at RBNY in two different ways. The first way was by overloading the wide areas and combining with quick one-twos to get around the pressing defenders. Mo Farsi often pinched inside to quickly link up with Steven Moreira and Darlington Nagbe to advance the ball into the attacking phase. The second avenue was by playing a long ball into the feet of an attacker, relying on holdup play and then catching New York out with secondary runners. RBNY was trying to thwart this by having their centerbacks man-mark the dropping Crew attackers. This was a dangerous game because while they were applying pressure on the attackers receiving the ball, they were also being dragged out of position. Columbus exploited those open spaces at times and generated real attacking chances because of it. This tactic by New York was simple: they were banking on the Black & Gold to make mistakes. They saw what happened in the first game where the Crew played poorly, and they wanted to try their luck again. That did not mean they let Columbus play however they wanted to, but RBNY did not go out of their way to beat the Black & Gold. They made the Crew uncomfortable and waited for Columbus to make a mistake so they could pounce. In the second half, tactics changed. New York scaled back their press and it became more of a resisted pressure. They would jump at any poor touches or passes the Black & Gold made, but they were not applying the constant pressure like they were in the first half. This could have been for a number of reasons. One possibility is that RBNY might have been getting tired having to chase the Crew’s defense all over the pitch. The other and more logical reason is that New York’s pressure made them look exposed on the back end and Columbus was not making as many mistakes as before. RBNY coach Sandro Schwartz made the choice to call off his all-out pressure for more defensive stability. This gave the Black & Gold a foothold in the game. They were able to shift New York from side-to-side, ultimately finding the opener on a overshift. One other tactical nugget Wilfried Nancy threw in was pushing Nagbe higher up the field. The Crew kept Sean Zawadzki deeper and allowed Nagbe to make attacking runs into the box and support the attack. RBNY got back into their 5-5 press later in the match and it caused Columbus fits yet again like it did in the first game. From there the Black & Gold’s sloppiness reared its ugly head, allowing New York to grab two goals and get back into the game. If it wasn’t for a Ramirez leveler, the Crew would have gone home earlier than they did. In typical Columbus fashion they gave fans hope until the very end, but a string of poor penalties sealed their fate on the 2024 season. Beyond the tactics The Black & Gold lost this game more on the mental side than the physical side. The beginning of the end began when Moreira gave up on a play when he thought the ball went out of bounds, allowing RBNY to go down the field and equalize. It was the 2015 MLS Cup all over again except this time the fault was on the defender, not the referee. Nancy has been praised for his man-management and ability to take ordinary players and make them extraordinary. His beautiful, bold and brash style of play captivated the league and delivered the Crew a championship. Over the past few weeks though, Columbus’ mental resolve has diminished drastically. Players make mistakes. That is just the true facts of sports. Another fact is that every single goal New York scored in this series was a result of laziness or sloppy play. Those are mental mistakes, which have typically been weeded out since the days of Caleb Porter. Let’s start with the corner in the first game. The Black & Gold are beat on two headers where the defenders barely jump and RBNY is allowed to pull ahead on the road. From there the Crew could not get back into the game because their poor decisions, touches and passes allowed New York to keep them at bay. Now onto the second game, a clean slate. A chance for the defending champions to show what they are made of and the mentality to dominate inferior competition. They went up a goal, but laziness on a routine play where all Moreira had to do was either shield or pass the ball gave New York renewed life.   To make matters worse, Camacho continued his uncharacteristic run of bad form by making a shambolic challenge on Emil Forsberg in the box. It was an intervention that needed to happen, but not by the Frenchman recklessly diving at Forsberg’s legs. Camacho is a better defender than that, but he looked mentally tired. There are several explanations to Columbus’ historic collapse. The most compelling is the fixture congestion the Black & Gold have endured over the past year. After playing in MLS, CONCACAF Champions Cup, Leagues Cup and Campeones Cup, it looks like the Crew were tired. Many thought it would catch up with Columbus eventually, but no one expected the mental collapse that ended up unfolding. This loss will sting, but there are bright spots to take from this season. This was a historic year for the Columbus Crew. They set countless club records and went the distance in several competitions. Most importantly, they did it all playing their brand of breathtaking soccer that fans of the Black & Gold have grown accustomed to. This playoff loss is a reminder that it is hard to repeat as champions, but it is also a reminder that fans need to be grateful. This squad is one for the history books, and in a league like MLS where there is rampant turnover, these stories do not last forever. So, despite the collapse and frustration the year ended with, there are more good times ahead. With Nancy at the helm and the core of this squad intact, MLS will have to watch the Crew go deep into competitions. All focus now turns to next season, where impossible will continue to be an opinion.

Senior Pierre Brooks had 13 points in the loss to Austin Peay. Photo by Makenna Frias. CALEB DENORME | SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu In just the second game of the season, Butler lost its first game of the year. The Bulldogs were outplayed on their own floor against Austin Peay , suffering a crushing 68-66 upset defeat in a dismal performance. Let’s go beyond the box score. Offensive ineptitude For a coach of Thad Matta ’s quality, the offensive output in the first two games of the season has been shambolic. The Dawgs have averaged only 69 points per game against seemingly inferior competition on paper. Not only has the output been below par, the archaic offense does not pass the eye test. Butler struggled to move the ball around the floor due to their lack of movement and poor decision making. Austin Peay played smothering defense from the tip, and the Bulldogs did not have any answers. “They just punched us early,” Matta said. “We’ve got to get better at taking a punch and fighting back. We didn’t handle [the pressure] well. They made us not ready to play tonight.” Fighting back is exactly what the Bulldogs did not do. In fact, they rolled over in front of a packed home crowd and continued to play sloppy basketball. Butler gave up 16 shocking giveaways which the Governors converted into 23 points . On the opposite side, Austin Peay gave up the ball only eight times which the Dawgs turned into a mere eight points . Another embarrassing spot for the Bulldogs was their presence in the paint. Out of 66 total points scored, Butler had only 26 points in the paint . The lack of a post player falls on the shoulders of fifth-year center Andre Screen , sophomore forward Augusto Cassia and sophomore center Boden Kapke . “We had no real post presence tonight,” Matta said. “They were able to neutralize [Andre Screen], and he’s got to play stronger. I thought Boden [Kapke] did a good job [and] I thought Augusto [Cassia] did a really good job… especially on the defensive end.” The combination of a stagnant offense, careless ball protection and no paint presence will continue to plague the Bulldogs if they do not change. In two games fans are not impressed, and Matta knows a mindset change is necessary. “It’s got to be team team team team team team team. That [has to be] the only thing you think about on game day.” Defensive submission Fans would hope that Butler would be better on the other end of the court, but it was more of the same poor play on defense too. The Dawgs were constantly gashed and exploited on drives. The Governors had 44 points in the paint , with those accounting for 64.7% of their total points. The Bulldogs had no answers, constantly getting beat on the drive and off the pick. The star of the night for Austin Peay was junior guard L.J Thomas . Thomas took 27 shots and scored 29 points . He was the only Governor to get into double digits in the scoring column, contributing to 42.6% of his team’s total score. “We had no answer for [L.J Thomas],” Matta said. “He’s a heck of a player. He just keeps probing… and finds a way to get the ball to the basket.” Thomas’ massive night was helped by the Dawg’s inability to get around picks and challenge at the rim. Austin Peay constantly tried to make the Bulldogs switch, which is something they have struggled with so far this season. Another blemish on the night defensively was Butler’s poor rebounding. While the Dawgs secured six more rebounds than Austin Peay, the Governors managed to grab 10 offensive boards . These rebounds gave the away side 15 second chance points . One of these offensive rebounds came at a crucial point late into the second half. Thomas shot a floater that clanged off the rim, and the Austin Peay guard got his own rebound with Butler players all around him. This rebound allowed the Governors to run 26 precious seconds off the clock and get them closer to the upset victory. At the end of the day, this game was a perfect storm of sloppy play and a poor mindset. Despite it being the second game of the season, the Bulldogs look dazed, disinterested and lethargic on both ends of the court. That attitude alone will doom a team no matter who the opposition is. Butler needs to figure out their issues and they have to do it fast because this quality of play will not fly during Big East play.

The Columbus Crew started off their 2024 playoff campaign in disappointing fashion, losing their first game at home to New York Red Bulls. After beating RBNY a few weeks ago, the visitors came out with a new game plan to combat the defending champions. This new plan worked well, allowing New York to grab a goal off a corner midway through the first half. RBNY held onto that lead due to strong defensive play and the inability of Columbus to put the ball in the back of the net. This was the first time the Black & Gold had been shut out since mid-September against FC Cincinnati. Despite the early playoff loss, the Crew will be able to rectify their title hopes starting Sunday in Red Bull Arena. Columbus is in must-win mode now, with any further slip-ups resulting in elimination from the title hunt. This game’s result was partly due to RBNY’s game plan, but it also rests firmly upon the shoulders of the players and coach Wilfried Nancy. Let’s dive into all the tactics that went into this nightmare playoff start for the Black & Gold. RBNY’s gameplan This was one of the most impressive tactical setups we have seen against the Crew in Nancy’s time in Central Ohio. New York proved that they don’t need to “out-Crew” Columbus to win, but they did manage to dominate the game without the ball. The first change RBNY made was to match Black & Gold’s formation. In the last regular season match of the season, New York rolled out a 4-4-2 diamond formation that they preferred to use throughout the year. However, in this game, the visitors came in with a 5-2-1-2/3-4-1-2 to mirror the Crew’s formation. The shape change seemed to catch Columbus off guard. In the early stages, there were lots of conversations happening on the pitch regarding defensive duties against RBNY’s new formation. The Black & Gold were not being exploited, but they did not seem comfortable by any means. The second thing New York did was implement a press that gave them the maximum output of pressure on the Crew’s backline, while maintaining defensive stability. Columbus has seen a plethora of different presses thrown at them during the season, but this one was unique. RBNY pressed with a block of five, with three players going after the Black & Gold defenders and two marking Sean Zawadzki and Darlington Nagbe. The Crew had seen this before, but New York kept their press narrow to force the hosts to hurt them out wide. For a large portion of the game, Columbus did not recognize or take advantage of what RBNY was giving them. They repeatedly tried to play through the middle and were not getting into the attack as much as they usually did. Part of this is due to the design of the press in terms of what formation New York was in. Typically, the Black & Gold can recognize the wide space is open when they are playing against a back four. In four-back defensive systems, the fullbacks usually don’t follow the Crew’s dropping wingbacks to protect their center backs from Columbus’ fluid front three. In this game though, RBNY was in a back five, which allowed their wingbacks to follow Mo Farsi and Max Arfsten when they would drop deep. If a midfielder like Zawadzki or Alexandru Matan dropped into that wide space, the New York wingback could step up knowing the defensive line would slide over to cover the Black & Gold wingback that was still high. So, while the wide space was there for one-on-one opportunities, it was disguised well by RBNY. The only space the Crew consistently exploited in the first half was the midfield gap between the New York press and backline. Although there were able to get the ball into this area, RBNY’s setup stumped them yet again when they tried to advance the ball further. Once the initial press was defeated, New York’s attack would sink back into a low block. Columbus struggled to keep going at the defense once they beat the press because they did not have any overloads available, due to the visitor’s five-back defensive setup. This allowed the midfielders to retreat and get in a defensive shape to stop the Black & Gold from going at goal. With New York now posted up in a 5-4-1, the Crew struggled to pull players out of position because the defensive area was so saturated with defenders. This game plan from RBNY did its job, and they got a set piece goal on the other end to complete the masterclass. New York head coach Sandro Schwarz proved his worth in this game, the only question now is whether RBNY can pull it off once more in the next two matches to advance. Columbus’ failures Although New York had a strong, out-of-the-box game plan to get after the Black & Gold, the home side did not live up to the billing in this game. In the first half the Crew looked lethargic, disinterested, and simply unmotivated on both ends of the pitch. On the offensive side, there were miscommunications, poor touches, wayward passes, and a lack of attacking creativity to break down RBNY’s defense. Fans have seen this Columbus team pick apart low blocks, and while New York’s structure was slightly different, the Black & Gold needed to do better than what they ended up with. On the defensive end, the lack of effort was clear on the corner RBNY scored on. The Crew are in a zonal marking scheme that leaves two men open at the back post. Not a big deal, but Yevhen Cheberko is slow getting out on the cross and gets jumped over on the initial header. Zawadzki then fails to clear the second ball and Christian Ramirez is beaten to the clearance for New York to jump ahead. Breakdowns on set pieces happen, but getting beat to the ball three times in your defensive box is inexcusable. Credit to RBNY for jumping on the opportunity, but the defense needs to do better there. In the second half, Columbus seemed to get more life. They finally began creating overloads around the pressing wingbacks for New York and generated some strong attacking chances, but they failed to convert when it mattered most. On bright spot was the way the Black & Gold were able to free up Farsi on the left side with those overloads. They started to unlock that RBNY defense later in the match, but it was too little, too late. The Crew needed a bit of luck late on, but just could not break down the wall around New York’s goal. Jacen Russell-Rowe had a few chances, AZ Jackson had his shot kick saved away by Carlos Coronel and DeJuan Jones was denied on a volley on an absolute world-class save. Sometimes the ball does not bounce your way, but when Columbus left it to the last half-hour of the match to find the tying goal, they can only blame themselves. This will be a game for the Black & Gold to look in the mirror and refocus. They missed Diego Rossi in that attacking half and will be glad to have him back on Sunday. All indications point to Nancy and his staff having a game plan to get back to winning ways. No more mistakes or poor games allowed now, or else the Crew will end their season prematurely. All to play for in New Jersey this weekend.