Butler gets back to their roots in a win over Richmond

Playing their first full game without Rotnei Clarke in the lineup, Butler shot 37.5% from the floor and just 5-19 from long range.

Kellen Dunham, Brad Steven’s star freshman that many expected to pick up more of the scoring load, was just 2-10 from beyond the arc against Richmond.

With those numbers in mind, would you be surprised if I told you that Butler still won the game by 15, knocking off the Spiders 62-47? That’s what happens when you get back to your roots as a program.

Butler held Richmond to 32.7% shooting from the field, dominated the interior offensively and manhandled the Spiders on the glass. Rebounding margin may be a dead stat, but when you see a team — like Butler — outrebound an opponent 53-20, it doesn’t really matter whether or not the stat is relevant. But if that doesn’t suit you, how about this: Butler grabbed 20 offensive rebounds to Richmond’s 14 defensive rebounds, giving them an astounding 58.8% offensive rebounding percentage.

But that wasn’t the only way the Bulldogs dominated the paint.

Center Andrew Smith finished with 15 points and seven boards on 6-9 shooting from the floor. Roosevelt Jones chipped in with 10 points, 12 boards (six offensive) and four assists as well.

Performances like this are what makes the Bulldogs so impressive this season. They have plenty of talent and and an elite go-to scorer, but this is a group that still thrives on the things that made them a plucky underdog for so many years.