Opponent: Vermont
Specifics: Wednesday, Dec. 21 | 7 p.m. | Hinkle Fieldhouse | Indianapolis, Ind.
TV: FOX Sports Network affiliates including FOX Sports Midwest/Indiana | Vince Welch & Jordan Cornette
Radio: 1070 AM & 93.5 FM (also streamed through TuneIn Radio App) | Mark Minner (play-by-play) & Nick Gardner (analyst)
Follow Along: @ButlerMBB
Tickets: Still available through the Butler Ticket Office
Full Notes (PDF)
LAST ONE OUTSIDE THE BIG EAST: The Bulldogs conclude the non-conference slate Wednesday night (Dec. 21), hosting Vermont at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Butler is 10-1 on the season. The 7 p.m. tip will air on FOX Sports Network affiliates, including FOX Sports Midwest/Indiana. Vermont enters with a record of 8-4.
THE SERIES: This is the first meeting as men's basketball opponents between Vermont and Butler. The only other game for the Bulldogs against a current America East opponent was a 99-57 win over Maine in the 2014-15 season opener. That was Chris Holtmann's first game as head coach (then interim) at Butler.
99 AND COUNTING: Chris Holtmann is in search of win No. 100 as a head coach. He enters Wednesday's match-up with a career mark of 99-77, including 55-23 at Butler.
FUN TRIP DOWNTOWN: The Bulldogs used 28 points from Kelan Martin to knock off ninth-ranked Indiana, 83-78, Saturday afternoon at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in the Crossroads Classic. Butler made 10 three-pointers and committed just six turnovers in the win.
The Bulldogs are now 5-1 all-time in the Crossroads Classic and improve to 11-3 in games played at Bankers Life Fieldhouse.
BEAST OF THE BIG EAST: Kelan Martin was named BIG EAST Player of the Week for his performance against Indiana. The junior went 9-of-16 from the field, tying a career-best with five three-pointers. He added four rebounds and two assists. It was Martin's third career BIG EAST weekly honor, as he also was recognized twice during the 2015-16 season. Martin also received the Lute Olson Award National Player of the Week honor.
Martin has led the Bulldogs in scoring in seven of the team's 11 games this season. He has scored 20 or more points in five of those contests, including three of the last four games as he has averaged 22.5 points per game over that stretch.
EXCLUSIVE CLUB: Senior Andrew Chrabascz had 14 points against Indiana, including the 1,000th point of his Butler career. He becomes the 38th Bulldog to reach the milestone. 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 965 career points.
Chrabascz is second on the team in scoring and assists. He is tied for the team lead in rebounding. His .550 mark from behind the arc leads the BIG EAST.
LIVIN' IN THE 80s: Butler is now 26-0 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 five 80+ performances on the young 2016-17 season.
VALUE THE BALL: Butler has posted a season-low six turnovers in back-to-back wins over Cincinnati and Indiana. On the season, the Bulldogs are averaging only 9.9 turnovers per game. That mark is third nationally.
Senior Tyler Lewis had six assists against no turnovers Saturday against Indiana. For the season, he has 58 assists and only 14 turnovers. His 4.14 assist/turnover ratio leads the BIG EAST and is ninth in the NCAA.
GROWING UP FAST: Freshman Kamar Baldwin scored a career-high 14 points in the win over Indiana. He added five rebounds, leading the team in caroms for the second consecutive game. Baldwin scored in double-figures in five of his first six college games. His 14 points against Indiana broke a string of four straight single-digit scoring performances.
Baldwin was recognized as the BIG EAST Freshman of the Week after Saturday's win over Indiana. Baldwin has started the last two games and is now third on the team in scoring.
ON THE CLIMB: In Monday's national polls, Butler was voted to the No. 13 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.
The Bulldogs are now 3-0 versus Top 25 teams in 2016-17, including two Top 10 wins.
QUALITY FOES: Outside of its NCAA Tournament runs, Butler defeated Top 25 opponents in back-to-back games for the first time since the 2006 NIT Season Tip-Off when the Bulldogs knocked off #22 Tennessee and #23 Gonzaga at Madison Square Garden. There were only four instances since 2006 when Butler faced back-to-back ranked opponents in the regular season. They had lost at least one game in each of those pairings.
LET'S GET IT STARTED: Butler is in search of its second consecutive 11-1 non-conference record. A win against Vermont would match the 2015-16 start. The last team to start better than 11-1 was the 2008-09 team that started 19-1 on its way to a 26-6 mark.
TAKE MORE THAN YOU GIVE: Butler's turnover margin of +5.5 leads the BIG EAST and is 11th nationally. On the season, Butler holds a 216-110 advantage in points off turnovers, almost doubling up its opponents.
Butler's assist/turnover margin of 1.50 is second in the BIG EAST and 17th in the NCAA.
BOUNCING BACK: The Bulldogs rebounded from their first loss of the season by knocking off No. 22 Cincinnati, 75-65, Dec. 10 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.
BEHIND THE ARC: The Bulldogs are shooting an impressive .395 mark from three-point range this season. That includes making 28-of-59 (.474) over the past three games.
AFTER 20 MINUTES: Butler has led at the half in eight of 11 games this season. The Bulldogs are 48-7 when leading at the half during Chris Holtmann's time on the Butler sidelines.
MORE GIVE, LESS TAKE: Senior Andrew Chrabascz has 31 assists on the season, which trails only Tyler Lewis (58) for the team-lead. Chrabascz had five assists (against no turnovers) versus Cincinnati, his first game leading the team in helpers. Chrabascz has posted multiple assists from his power forward position in nine of the team's 11 games. He has 14 assists against only one turnover in the team's last four games.
HELPING HAND: Tyler Lewis has led the team in assists in eight of Butler's 11 games this season. He has registered at least four assists in all but two contests. Lewis's 5.3 assists per game rank third in the BIG EAST and 56th nationally.
HOME COOKING: With the 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 2.0 steals per game is third in the BIG EAST and is 53rd 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.
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.
PERCENTAGE PLAY: The Bulldogs are shooting 48.8 percent on the season and have eclipsed 50-percent shooting in four of the team's 11 games. Under Chris Holtmann, Butler is 22-0 when shooting 50 percent or better from the field.
Butler ranks 35th nationally in field goal shooting.
