BUTLER (18-7, 8-4 BIG EAST) at CREIGHTON (12-14, 3-10 BIG EAST)
When:  Monday, February 16, 8 p.m. (CT)
Where:  CenturyLink Center - Omaha, Neb.
TV:  FOX Sports 1 (Kevin Kugler, Donny Marshall)
Radio:  1070 AM/107.5 FM (Mark Minner, Nick Gardner)

Butler Game Notes

RAPID RETURN:  Just 48 hours after suffering a tough, homecourt loss against one of the nation's top teams, Butler will be back in action with another BIG EAST challenge at Creighton on Monday, Feb. 16.  The game at CenturyLink Center in Omaha, Neb., is scheduled for 8 p.m. (CT, 9 p.m. in Indianapolis) and will be televised on FOX Sports 1.  The Bulldogs will be meeting Creighton for the second time in less than four weeks.  Butler narrowly won the first meeting, 64-61, at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Jan. 21.  The Bluejays (12-14, 3-10 BIG EAST) have won three of six games since that meeting, including a 77-70 decision at home over Marquette on Saturday (Feb. 14).  Butler (18-7, 8-4 BIG EAST) is coming off a 68-65 setback to #6 Villanova on Saturday night.  The game, which had a share of first place in the BIG EAST on the line for the Bulldogs, was decided in the final 0:01.5 on a three-point field goal by Villanova's Darrun Hilliard in front of a sold-out crowd at Hinkle Fieldhouse.  The loss snapped Butler's five-game winning streak.  The game at Creighton will be the first of back-to-back road contests for the Bulldogs, followed by  a trip to Xavier to end the week.              

Butler is seeking its first win over Creighton in Omaha in more than 80 years.   

POLLING DATA:  Butler climbed into the "Top 20" for the first time since early December with back-to-back wins over St. John's and DePaul.  The Bulldogs, ranked 18th in both polls prior to taking on #6 Villanova, previously were ranked in the "Top 20" on Dec. 8, 2014 (No. 15 Associated Press, No. 19 USA Today).  Butler, which began the season without a mention in either national poll, has been receiving votes or ranked in the "Top 25" in 10 of the past 11 weeks (prior to this week's poll).
 
LAST GAME:  Senior Darrun Hilliard slipped free in the closing seconds and hit his eighth three-point field goal of the game to lift #6 Villanova past Butler, 68-65, in a game between the top two teams in the BIG EAST standings.  The dramatic shot ended a back-and-forth contest that was tied seven times and featured eight lead changes.  The final deadlock came at 65-65 on a lay-up by Butler junior Roosevelt Jones with 18 seconds remaining.  The Bulldogs, who had led by as many a five points on three different occasions, had one final attempt to tie the game, but a three-point field goal attempt at the buzzer bounced off the rim.  It was Butler's second loss to Villanova this season.  

Butler is 4-3 against teams ranked in the "Top 25" this season.

SCORING TANDEM: Guards Alex Barlow and Kellen Dunham shared Butler's scoring lead with 19 points apiece against Villanova.  Barlow hit six of 14 shots, including four from beyond the three-point arc, and all three of his free throw attempts to match his career scoring-high.  Dunham knocked down six of 12 shots for the third straight game and five of five free throws, en route to his share of the scoring lead.  The two Butler guards combined for 25 of Butler's 43 points after intermission.  It was the 13th time this season that Dunham had at least a share of Butler's scoring lead, while Barlow grabbed a piece of the top scoring spot for the third time.

COSTLY SCRAMBLE:  Sophomore Andrew Chrabascz suffered a broken bone in his right hand during a loose ball scramble in the second half against Villanova, and he'll be sidelined for two-to-four weeks.  The 6-7 forward was scheduled to have surgery on his hand in Indianapolis on Monday (Feb. 16).  Chrabascz is Butler's third-leading scorer on the season, and he averaged 17.8 points during the Bulldogs' recent five-game winning streak, including a career-high 30 points in a victory at Marquette.  He was a starter in Butler's first 25 games this season.

GLASS CLEANER:  Senior Kameron Woods led Butler with a game-high 12 rebounds against Villanova.  It was the tenth time in the past 11 games that the 6-9 forward topped the Bulldogs in rebounding and the 19th time overall this season.  Woods, who led the BIG EAST in rebounding in 2013-14,  boasts 858 career rebounds and ranks fourth all-time at Butler.  His 18 rebounds against Marquette on Jan. 31 were the most by a Butler player in 25 years!  He needs 42 caroms to become just the third player in Butler history to record 900 career rebounds.

Kameron Woods ranks second in the BIG EAST in rebounding (9.6).

TAKE-AWAY:  Senior Alex Barlow continued to add to his career total for steals with a game-high three thefts against Villanova.  The 5-11 point-guard, who stands fifth on Butler's all-time list for steals, boosted his career total to 171 steals, five shy of Darren Fowlkes (1985-89) in fourth place on the all-time Butler list.  It was the sixth straight game that Barlow grabbed at least a share of the team lead in steals and the 17th time that he topped the Bulldogs in thefts this year.  Barlow had a game-high four steals in Butler's first meeting with Creighton this season.

Alex Barlow ranks second in the BIG EAST in steals per game (2.3).

ALL-TIME LOOK:  Guard Kellen Dunham, enters this week's action in 21st place on Butler's all-time scoring list.  The 6-6 junior, who became the 36th Butler player to score 1,000 career points in December, boosted his career scoring total to 1,269 points in Butler's game against #6 Villanova.  He trails Ted Guzek (1954-58) in the No. 20 position on the all-time scoring list by 42 points.  Last year, Dunham became just the fifth sophomore in Butler history to score 500 points.

Kellen Dunham is currently ranked fourth in the BIG EAST in scoring (16.8).

DEEP THOUGHTS:  Junior Kellen Dunham stands fifth on Butler's all-time list for three-point field goals with 192 career three-pointers.  The 6-6 guard hit a pair of three-pointers against Villanova, giving him 57 three-point field goals this season.  Dunham has hit at least one three-point field goal in 53 of Butler's last 57 games and in 79 total games during his career.  He had just a single three-pointer against Creighton last month.

Kellen Dunham stands third in the BIG EAST in three-point field goals (2.3).       

SENIOR MOMENT:  Senior Alex Barlow has been named one of 10 finalists for the 2015 Senior CLASS Award.  The award is given to a Division I senior who has notable achievements in four areas of excellence:  community, classroom, character and competition.  Barlow, the reigning BIG EAST Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a starting point-guard in all 25 Butler games this season, is the fourth Butler player in five years to be named a finalist for the award, following Matt Howard (2011), Ronald Nored (2012) and Andrew Smith (2013).  The Senior CLASS Award-winner will be announced at the 2015 Final Four in Indianapolis.

BULLDOG BITS:

•Kameron Woods ranks second in the BIG EAST and 24th in the NCAA Division I in total rebounds (239).  He's had nine or more rebounds in 14 games this season.

•Kameron Woods is first in the BIG EAST in defensive rebounds (6.5) and second in the league in offensive rebounds (3.0).

•Kameron Woods has averaged 10.2 rebounds since the start of BIG EAST play.

•Kameron Woods grabbed his 800th career rebound in Butler's game against Creighton last month.  He was fouled on the play and converted two free throws with 0:11 left to give the Bulldogs a 62-59 lead.

•Kameron Woods was held scoreless in Butler's last visit to the CenturyLink Center, but he led both teams with 10 rebounds.

•Alex Barlow has started 58 consecutive games for the Bulldogs.  The former walk-on has 79 career starts.

•Alex Barlow is ranked 13th in the NCAA Division I in total steals (58).

•Alex Barlow matched his career-high with four three-point field goals against Villanova.

•Alex Barlow is averaging 11.6 points, 3.5 assists and 2.2 steals against BIG EAST foes this season.

•Kellen Dunham has scored in double-figures in 24 of 25 games this season and in 39 of his last 44 Butler games.

•Kellen Dunham stands fifth in the BIG EAST in 3-point field goal shooting (.420).

•Kellen Dunham ranks third in the BIG EAST in free throw shooting (.864).  He's made his last 24 free throw attempts.

•Kellen Dunham has averaged 21.3 points in Butler's last three games.

•Kellen Dunham  scored a season-low seven points in Butler's meeting with Creighton last month.

•Roosevelt Jones made his 92nd consecutive start for the Bulldogs against Villanova.  He's played in 97 career games at Butler.

•Roosevelt Jones leads the Bulldogs and ranks third in the BIG EAST in minutes played (35.0).

•Roosevelt Jones is ranked eighth in the BIG EAST in assists (3.7).  He's 13th in the league in scoring (12.8) and tied for 16th in rebounding (5.5).

•Roosevelt Jones had 18 points, 10 rebounds, six assists and three blocked shots in his only previous meeting with Creighton last month.

•Freshman Kelan Martin had 10 points in 13 minutes against Villanova.  It was just his second game in double-figures since the start of BIG EAST play.  He scored in double-figures in eight of Butler's first 12 games.

•Butler leads the BIG EAST in rebounding margin (+6.0).  The Bulldogs have out-rebounded 20 of 25 opponents this season.  

•Butler is second in the BIG EAST in total offensive rebounds (314).