New season, new hope: Butler basketball opens with 94-55 win over Eastern Michigan

Butler started its season opener against Eastern Michigan slow before using a dominant second half to earn a 94-55 win Monday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Butler put six players in double figures with Jahmyl Telfort (18 points) and Pierre Brooks II (16 points) leading the way. D.J. Davis, Andre Screen, Connor Turnbull and Posh Alexander had 13 points each.

Here's three takeaways from Butler's season opening win.

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Dawgs start slow, overpower Eagles and pull away

Butler played like a team with an entirely new roster early in the first half. There were communication issues, defensive breakdowns and general tentativeness early on. The Dawgs started the game shooting 5-for-13 from the field and 1-for-6 overall.

Butler started to find its footing in the first half once shots started falling. With so many new faces, the Dawgs may be prone to slow starts during the early portion of the season. The players are learning coach Thad Matta's system and each other on the fly. Those split-second decisions aren't there yet, but the Dawgs move the ball well and that will always lead to open shot opportunities.

Facing a smaller Eastern Michigan team, Butler's size and athleticism overwhelmed its MAC opposition. Senior center Andre Screen dominated in the second half, scoring nine of his 13 points after halftime. He regularly got position down low and finished over his smaller defenders. He showed agility with a nice putback dunk and even showed off his touch with a jumper in the paint. The 7-1 transfer from Bucknell finished 6-of-6 from the field.

Butler shot 61% in the second half with 11 assists and just one turnover.

"I liked the fact we had to slug it out there for a little bit, because I wanted to see how these guys would react," Matta said.

Pierre Brooks II, Jahmyl Telfort take on scoring load

Brooks, a Michigan State transfer, made his mark early, scoring the Bulldogs' first five points. He shot the ball with confidence during Butler's two exhibition games, and he continued playing with purpose in the season opener.

Brooks can get into the lane at will and uses his strength to finish in the paint. He scored 11 of his 16 points in the first half.

When the Eagles took a 17-16 lead with 9:12 left in the first half, Telfort and Brooks helped the Dawgs regain the lead, combining for eight points during a 14-0 run. Telfort is another strong, experienced player capable of handling the scoring load. He uses his strength to finish in the paint and he's a capable outside shooter.

Through three games, Brooks has the shown a willingness to be Butler's go-to scorer. His ability to get buckets and all three-levels combined with his strength and passing ability make him a great candidate to run the offense through. Look for Brooks and Telfort to play off each other all season.

"Me and Pierre, we both have the bodies to get in the paint at will," Telfort said. "We've just got to be playmakers (in the paint). Another night we might attract two guys and have to kick out and play make for someone else."

Second unit shows life in second half

Every member of Butler's starting five ended with a positive plus/minus. Before a second-half surge, every reserve player had a negative plus/minus. The Dawgs are starting experienced players, but they have underclassmen and freshmen coming off the bench — outside of Screen.

Freshman Finley Bizjack figures to be a key role player, while fellow freshman Boden Kapke will likely be brought along slowly. Sophomore Landon Moore has some experience at the Division I level, but he has to make a significant talent jump from playing at St. Francis (Pa.) to playing tougher competition on Butler's schedule.

Butler's subs had six turnovers and one assist in the first half. In the second half, Butler's subs did not commit a turnover. Matta did a good job keeping an experienced player in the game with his younger players, and the reserves got more comfortable later in the game.

This group isn't ready to play extended minutes in crunchtime, but they put on a show once the game was in hand. Turnbull had multiple highlight-reel dunks. Bizjack made a few nice drives, and Moore ran the offense well, finishing with four assists.

Freshman Boden Kapke's contributions won't show up on the stat sheet, but Matta said the big man did a great job of doing all the little things and being in the right places at the right time.

"I think that we're still kind of learning our roles," Matta said. "That's the thing, when those guys come into the game, you know, we need elevation."

Butler basketball vs. Eastern Michigan highlights

Butler stats vs. Eastern Michigan

Butler 94, E. Michigan 55

E. MICHIGAN (0-1): Geeter 2-9 0-0 4, Serven 2-4 1-3 6, Acuff 5-16 2-2 13, Ellerbe 0-4 0-0 0, McGriff 3-9 0-0 8, Osojnik 4-8 2-2 13, Martynov 1-3 0-0 2, Billingsley 0-1 0-2 0, Jihad 2-5 4-6 9, Rice 0-0 0-0 0, Randle 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 19-59 9-15 55.

BUTLER (1-0): Telfort 6-10 5-6 18, Thomas 1-2 0-0 2, Alexander 5-10 3-3 13, Brooks 7-12 0-0 16, Davis 5-10 2-2 13, Bizjack 1-4 0-1 2, Kapke 0-0 0-0 0, Turnbull 5-6 1-1 13, Moore 0-3 2-2 2, Gavalas 0-0 0-0 0, McComb 0-0 2-2 2, Mulloy 0-0 0-0 0, Screen 6-6 1-2 13. Totals 36-63 16-19 94.

Halftime—Butler 34-26. 3-Point Goals_E. Michigan 8-24 (Osojnik 3-6, McGriff 2-4, Jihad 1-1, Serven 1-1, Acuff 1-7, Geeter 0-2, Ellerbe 0-3), Butler 6-22 (Turnbull 2-3, Brooks 2-6, Telfort 1-2, Davis 1-5, Bizjack 0-1, Moore 0-2, Alexander 0-3). Rebounds_E. Michigan 31 (Geeter 5), Butler 35 (Thomas 7). Assists_E. Michigan 10 (Ellerbe 4), Butler 17 (Alexander 6). Total Fouls_E. Michigan 20, Butler 14.