Butler is one of the worst teams in the country defending the 3-pointer. And they aren't much better shooting it.

INDIANAPOLIS – How much does 3-point defense matter?

That is debatable. What is not debatable is that early in this college basketball season, the Butler Bulldogs have not guarded the arc effectively. Nor have they shot 3s accurately.

Butler (2-1) returns to Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday to face Furman (2-0) in a game that is part of the PK Invitational. The Nike-sponsored event continues Thursday when Butler meets Texas (2-0) at Portland, Ore.

Out of 351 NCAA Division I teams, Butler is among the 10 worst in 3-point percentage defense (.509 through Thursday’s games). Kennesaw State shot 9-of-18 on 3s, Princeton 9-of-15 and Maryland 9-of-20.

Even before that, Lincoln Memorial shot 10-of-25 at Butler in an exhibition.

So while Butler fans accustomed to stout defense might have winced at the six dunks in Maryland’s 79-65 win Wednesday, the Terrapins’ 3s were as damaging.

Ken Pomeroy, a statistician who has charted college basketball trends since 2001-02, has suggested 3-point defense is not necessarily meaningful. For instance, UCLA was 264th in that category last season (.365). The Bruins were a No. 3 seed in the NCAA tournament, made the Sweet 16 and finished 31-5. It helped that they shot .406 on 3s themselves.

In a blog post about 3-point defense, Pomeroy once wrote “it’s difficult to distinguish how much is sneaky close-out ability and how much is opposing offenses choosing to take low-percentage 3s over low-percentage 2s.” In a box score, he wrote, opposing 3s are “least influenced by the defense.”

Two-point percentage is a better measurement of defense, according to Pomeroy. Butler has been deficient there so far, too: 192nd (.505).

Furman, which tied for first place in the Southern Conference last season, will test Butler's 342nd-ranked 3-point defense. The Paladins feature guard Devin Sibley, the conference’s player of the year. He is averaging 23 points a game and shooting 58 percent (7-of-12) on 3s after shooting 45 percent from the arc a year ago.

In two wins, Furman has taken 55 percent of its attempts (73 of 132) from the 3-point line. The Paladins have made 27, or 37 percent.

Butler should have strong perimeter defenders in Kamar Baldwin, Henry Baddley and Aaron Thompson. That has not yet been manifested on the court.

“We’ll be more organized, and we’ll execute better,” Butler coach LaVall Jordan said after the loss at Maryland.

The Bulldogs are shooting 30 percent on 3s, taking 10 more attempts than opponents and making eight fewer 3s.

They are excelling in two other categories in which they have traditionally been elite: defensive rebounding (grabbing 84 percent of opponents’ misses for 10th nationally) and possessions ending in turnovers (13 percent for 24th).

Bulldog bits

Tyler Lewis, 24, a point guard on Butler’s Sweet 16 team last season, is Furman’s director of recruiting.. . . The Bulldogs have won 37 consecutive home games against nonleague opponents, the nation’s fourth-longest active streak. . . . After opening 12-of-23 on free throws against Kennesaw State, the Bulldogs have shot 29-of-32 over the past two games (91 percent). . . . Butler sophomore Sean McDermott scored a career-high 17 points at Maryland. His previous high was seven. . . . Heading into Friday’s game between DePaul and Illinois, the Big East led the Big Ten 4-3 in the Gavitt Games.

Call IndyStar reporter David Woods at (317) 444-6195. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.

Furman at Butler

Tipoff: 2 p.m. Saturday, Hinkle Fieldhouse.

TV/radio: FS2/93.1 FM