Oklahoma vs. Butler: 3-Point Preview

One day after an improbable win left us all wondering how good the Butler Bulldogs really are, they'll be put to the test yet again as they face the Oklahoma Sooners in the Battle 4 Atlantis semifinal. Oklahoma isn't as good as North Carolina on paper, but there are a few things Butler will need to gameplan around if they want to advance to the final.

Contain Buddy Hield

This one is a bit of a no-brainer. Hield, a native of the Bahamas, is Oklahoma's best player by far. He had 24 points in their win against UCLA in the opening round of the Tournament. Butler's defense did a very good job containing Marcus Paige on Wednesday, Hield has a similar skillset and similar precautions will need to be made.

Win the Boards

Butler out-rebounded North Carolina by a staggering 57-40 margin, including 29-14 in the offensive rebounding department. Obviously you're not going to get 29 offensive rebounds every game, but to have a chance against Oklahoma, Butler will need Kameron Woods and Roosevelt Jones to be crashing the glass on every possession.

Nothing to Lose

This one is a bit of a cop out, but Butler needs to just go out and have fun. No one expected them to beat North Carolina, so a semifinal appearance is the equivalent of playing with house money. Of course, i'm not saying they should go out and be complacent and be happy just to be where they are, but they shouldn't shy away from embracing the underdog role, as they've done so many times in the past.