Winthrop sounds more like an Ivy League preppie than the powerhouse hoops program from the Big South Conference. And that’s probably why the Winthrop Eagles don’t get much love come tournament time. Back to back national title game appearances put the Butler Bulldogs on the map, but they’ve been unable to replicate that postseason success from six years ago. Now, the Bulldogs don’t want to become a footnote on the Eagles’ run to national prominence.
This war on the floor will go down Thursday, March 16, at 1:30 p.m. ET at the BMO Harris Bradley Center. The game will be televised live on TNT. We'll have NCAA basketball odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the college basketball Thursday schedule.
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Playing in the NCAA Tournament is nothing new for Winthrop, but it’s the first time this group of Eagles will be dancing. The school went to the Big Dance nine times between 1999 and 2010 but captured just one victory in that span. They opened as 11-point underdogs for their first round matchup and will probably be making a quick exit once again. The Eagles didn’t play a game against a ranked opponent this season, but they did pick up an overtime victory over Illinois and won 26 games overall.
Butler enters the Tournament on a bit of down note after dropping its last two games. The Bulldogs fell to Seton Hall in the season finale and were upset by Xavier 62-57 in the first round of the Big East championship. It was a disappointing finish to what had been a marvelous season. The Bulldogs handed No. 1 overall seed Villanova two of its three losses, winning both games by eight points. One win over the defending national champs could be considered a fluke, but two victories is a trend.
Player to Watch
The smallest man on the floor could have the biggest impact in this game. The Eagles are led by the diminutive Keon Johnson, the Big South player of the year. He stands just 5-foot-7, but Johnson was large every night for Winthrop. He tallied 31 points in each of the first two conference tournament games and dropped 26 on Campbell in the final to get his team the automatic bid and himself tournament MVP honors.
Johnson isn’t shy when it comes to shooting the triple, he attempted 245 from beyond the arc this season, 100 more than his closest teammate in that department. And the three-pointer is the great equalizer in a game with such a disparity in talent. As a team the Eagles averaged nearly 26 three-point attempts per game and that number will be higher on Thursday. Should they hit a good percentage, it will keep Winthrop close while chasing down the total.
Key Stat
Butler was the worst rebounding team in the Big East with an average of just 32 per game. Their inability to grab clutch rebounds led to their downfall in the conference tournament opener and was a problem all season. And crashing the boards is more important come NCAA Tournament time.
Butler has an advantage down low over the smaller Eagles and should win the rebound battle, but if they don’t this contest has upset written all over it. Andrew Chrabascz is solid in the post for Butler, and along with Kelan Martin and Tyler Wideman, needs to own the low block. Limiting the Eagles’ shot attempts is critical. If Winthrop gets additional possessions it could do damage from distance and make this game closer than it should be.
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Butler was Cinderella at the dance a few years ago and knows just how susceptible the No. 4 seed can be. That’s why the Bulldogs aren’t overlooking the Eagles in this one. Despite losing their last two and exiting early from the Big East Tournament, the Bulldogs have had some additional time to rest and prepare. We all like upsets in the Tournament and root for the little guy. Winthrop is the little guy. However, there just isn’t much to think they can beat Butler.
After all, the Bulldogs knocked off the defending national champs and No. 1 overall seed Villanova twice during the regular season and they feel they are just as good. Beating Winthrop soundly will be evidence of that, and the Bulldogs will succeed with a double-digit victory to cover the spread.
College Basketball Odds: Butler 82, Winthrop 67
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