Opponent: #9 Indiana (Crossroads Classic)
Specifics: Saturday, Dec. 17 | 5 p.m. | Bankers Life Fieldhouse | Indianapolis, Ind.
TV: Big Ten Network | Brian Anderson & Shon Morris
Radio: 107.5 FM (also streamed through TuneIn Radio App) | Mark Minner (play-by-play) & Nick Gardner (analyst)
Follow Along: @ButlerMBB
Full Notes (PDF)
SEE YOU AT THE CROSSROADS: The Bulldogs and Indiana match up in a Top 25 contest Saturday at Bankers Life Fieldhouse as part of the Crossroads Classic. Butler is ranked No. 18 in both national polls this week, while the Hoosiers come in at No. 9 in both rankings. Butler is 9-1 on the season; IU is 8-1. Both teams enter the game with a week of rest due to final exams. The 5 p.m. tip will air on the Big Ten Network.
THE SERIES: Indiana and Butler meet for the 53rd time Saturday with the Hoosiers owning a 38-14 advantage in the series. The teams have split the last four meetings, including two match-ups as part of the Crossroads Classic (2012, 2014). The series dates back to the 1900-01 season when Butler won a 22-17 decision in Bloomington.
CROSSROADS SUCCESS: The Bulldogs have an impressive 4-1 mark in the Crossroads Classic. The event began in 2011 and Butler's record includes beating Purdue on three occasions and splitting two match-ups against Indiana. The Bulldogs defeated the No. 1-ranked Hoosiers, 88-86 in overtime, as part of the 2012 event. Alex Barlow's floater at the buzzer proved to be the game-winner.
YOU CAN BANK ON IT: The Bulldogs enjoy playing at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Butler boasts a 10-3 mark in 13 games in the current home of the Indiana Pacers. That includes a 3-2 advantage over Indiana, capturing the 2001 Hoosier Classic on the late Joel Cornette's tip dunk to win 66-64. Butler also won two early-round contests at Bankers Life Fieldhouse en route to the 2006 NIT Season Tip-Off title. One of those wins came over Indiana (60-55).
BOUNCING BACK: The Bulldogs rebounded from their first loss of the season by knocking off No. 22 Cincinnati, 75-65, Saturday afternoon in front of a sell-out crowd at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Butler went 19-of-24 from the free throw line in the second half and limited the Bearcats to 40-percent shooting for the game.
Butler is now 18-3 following a loss under head coach Chris Holtmann.
LEADING THE ATTACK: Kelan Martin came off the bench for the first time this season, but took his familiar spot at the top of the box score for the Bulldogs. His 20 points led the team. It marked the sixth time this season that Martin has paced the Bulldogs in scoring.
Martin's 17.7 points per game currently rank eighth in the BIG EAST.
VALUE THE BALL: Butler had a season-low six turnovers Saturday against Cincinnati. On the season, the Bulldogs are averaging only 10.3 turnovers per game. That mark is second in the BIG EAST and eighth nationally.
Butler's turnover margin of +5.4 leads the BIG EAST and is 13th nationally. On the season, Butler holds a 199-102 advantage in points off turnovers, almost doubling up its opponents.
ROCK THE VOTE: In Monday's national polls, Butler was voted to the No. 18 spot by both the AP writers and by the coaches who comprise the USA Today Coaches Poll. Butler cracked the Top 25 for the first time this season in the Nov. 28 polls. Butler has now been ranked in the Top 25 in nine of the last 11 seasons.
MORE GIVE, LESS TAKE: Senior Andrew Chrabascz has 27 assists on the season, which trails only Tyler Lewis (52) for the team-lead. Chrabascz had five assists (against no turnovers) versus Cincinnati, his first game leading the team in helpers. Chrabascz has a 3:1 assist/turnover radio this season and has posted multiple assists from his power forward position in eight of the team's 10 games.
EXCLUSIVE CLUB: Andrew Chrabascz had 12 points against Cincinnati after posting a team-best 18 at Indiana State in the previous game. Chrabascz currently stands at 993 career points. Chrabascz needs just seven points to become the 38th member of Butler's 1,000-point club. Two of last season's seniors, Kellen Dunham and Roosevelt Jones, achieved the feat as well. Kelan Martin is knocking on the door with his 937 career points.
THE FIRST BLEMISH: Indiana State's Brenton Scott was fouled with 1.5 seconds remaining in the contest and converted one of two free throws for a 72-71 win for the host Sycamores Dec. 7. Butler had overcome a five-point deficit with 43 seconds remaining. Scott had 25 points for ISU, while teammate Matt Van Scyoc used six three-pointers for his 23 points.
Butler was one of the final 10 undefeated teams nationally.
WHAT WENT WRONG: Indiana State posted season-highs for a Butler opponent in points (72), field goal percentage (.481), three-point field goal percentage (.455), and three-pointers made (10). At that point in the season, the Sycamores' 14 turnovers were the fewest for a Butler foe and Indiana State was only the third team to out-rebound Butler.
HELPING HAND: Tyler Lewis has led the team in assists in seven of Butler's 10 games this season. He has registered at least four assists in all but two contests. Lewis's 5.2 assists per game rank third in the BIG EAST and 59th nationally. His 3.71 assist/turnover ratio leads the BIG EAST and is 18th in the country.
Entering this season, Lewis had never shot better than 39 percent from the field or 29 percent from three-point range in a season. In 2016-17, he is shooting 63 percent and 47 percent, respectively, in those two statistics.
WHO HAS SEEN ACTION AGAINST THE HOOSIERS: Three Bulldogs were part of the box score in the 2014 match-up against Indiana. Andrew Chrabascz had 14 points and five rebounds. Then-freshmen Kelan Martin (eight points in 15 minutes) and Tyler Wideman (13 minutes) came off the bench in the contest.
HOME COOKING: With Saturday's win over Cincinnati, Butler has now won 34 consecutive home games against non-conference opponents. The streak dates back to a loss to Pittsburgh in the 2012 College Basketball Invitational (CBI).
Butler coach Chris Holtmann is 32-6 at Hinkle Fieldhouse as head coach of the Bulldogs.
I'LL TAKE THAT, THANK YOU VERY MUCH: Freshman Kamar Baldwin had a career-high five steals Dec. 7 at Indiana State. Baldwin's average of 2.20 steals per game is tied for second in the BIG EAST lead and is 42nd nationally.
DOUBLE TROUBLE: Junior Tyler Wideman registered the first double-double of his Butler career with 10 points and 10 rebounds Dec. 3 against Central Arkansas. The 10 rebounds matched a career-high.
In Butler's last three games, Wideman has made 17 of his 21 field goal attempts, an 81-percent clip.
30 FOR 30: Kelan Martin, who wears jersey number 30, had a season-high 30 points as Butler knocked off Central Arkansas, 82-58, Dec. 3. Martin sank five three-pointers in the second half.
AFTER 20 MINUTES: Butler has led at the half in seven of 10 games this season. The Bulldogs are 47-7 when leading at the half during Chris Holtmann's time on the Butler sidelines.
PERCENTAGE PLAY: The Bulldogs are shooting 49.0 percent on the season and have eclipsed 50-percent shooting in four of the team's 10 games. Under Chris Holtmann, Butler is 22-0 when shooting 50 percent or better from the field.
Butler ranks 32nd nationally in field goal shooting.
YOU SEEM DEFENSIVE: Butler is only allowing opponents 62.0 points per game this season, ranking 26th in the NCAA to go along with second in the BIG EAST. Butler's defensive effort combined with scoring 77.7 points per game gives the Bulldogs a scoring margin of +15.7. That is third in the BIG EAST and 32nd nationally.
LIVIN' IN THE 80s: Butler is now 25-0 under Chris Holtmann when scoring 80 or more points. They accomplished the feat 15 times in 2015-16 and on six occasions in 2014-15 to pair with four 80+ performances on the young 2016-17 season.
