Opponent: Seton Hall
Specifics: Wednesday, Jan. 25 | 8:30 p.m. | Prudential Center | Newark, N.J.
TV: FS1 | Tim Brando & Bill Raftery
Radio: 93.5 FM & 1070 AM (also streamed through TuneIn Radio App) | Mark Minner (play-by-play) & Nick Gardner (analyst)
Follow Along: @ButlerMBB
Notes (PDF)
HEADING OUT EAST: The Bulldogs travel to Newark, N.J., for a Wednesday night contest with Seton Hall. Butler is 17-3 on the season and 6-2 in BIG EAST play. Seton Hall is 13-6 (3-4 BIG EAST). The 8:30 p.m. tip will air nationally on FS1.
Butler, ranked No. 11 in both national polls this week, has won six of its last seven games. Seton Hall is the only BIG EAST team that the Bulldogs have yet to face this season. Following Wednesday's game, Butler will navigate through all conference opponents a second time.
THE SERIES: Butler and Seton Hall will meet for the eighth time with all seven previous games coming since the Bulldogs joined the BIG EAST prior to the 2013-14 season. Butler has won six of the seven match-ups, including all six in the regular season. Seton Hall's win came in the 2014 BIG EAST Tournament. The Bulldogs have won four straight in the series.
QUICK STARTS: Butler's 6-2 BIG EAST record is the best start for the Bulldogs in league play since joining the BIG EAST prior to the 2013-14 season. The Bulldogs' overall mark of 17-3 is the team's best start since the 2012-13 team also started 17-3.
SLOW STARTS: The Bulldogs have come back from 18-point and 20-point deficits, respectively, to post wins in their last two games. Marquette led Butler, 43-25, with 19:17 to play in the second half Jan. 16. DePaul led the Bulldogs, 25-5, with 12:52 remaining in the first half Saturday.
In Butler's 70-69 overtime win at DePaul Saturday, the Bulldogs' largest lead was two points (25 seconds remaining in overtime) and Butler led for only 1:41 on the clock. To put that in context, Butler led for 2:20 at Creighton, which turned out to be the Bulldogs' largest loss of the season.
DOWN THE STRETCH: Freshman Kamar Baldwin scored Butler's final five points at DePaul, all in the last 25 seconds of overtime. His three-pointer gave Butler a 68-66 lead and his two free throws with three seconds to play proved to be the game-winner as they gave Butler the 70-69 win.
Baldwin earned Freshman of the Week honors from the BIG EAST for his performance last week. He had 18 points at DePaul after also posting 18 points in the win over Marquette. This is Baldwin's second (Dec. 19) freshman honor from the conference this season. The Winder, Ga., product is averaging 19.0 points per game over his last three contests.
BUTLER HIGHS: Kethan Savage led Butler with 20 points in Saturday's win at DePaul. It was a season-best for the redshirt senior and also his highest point total in a Bulldogs uniform. His five rebounds and 34 minutes were also season-bests.
Savage is averaging 12.4 points per game in BIG EAST play. That is up from his average of 2.3 points per game during the non-conference portion of the schedule. He has scored in double figures in seven of the team's eight BIG EAST games.
RANK AND FILE: Butler is now 5-1 against ranked teams this season, including a 4-1 mark against teams that were ranked in the Top 15 at the time of the contest. Butler owns wins against seven teams that were ranked in the Top 25 or received votes in either national poll this week.
Butler is 12-1 against the RPI Top 100 (as of Monday, Jan. 23). The Bulldogs are ranked fourth in the NCAA RPI metric; Seton Hall is 36th.
HANDLE WITH CARE: On the season, the Bulldogs are averaging only 9.8 turnovers per game. That mark is fourth nationally. Butler had a season-low four turnovers – including none in the second half – against Marquette Jan. 16. The Bulldogs have posted 10 or fewer miscues in 11 games this season, including only six in the overtime game at DePaul Saturday.
Butler's turnover margin of +4.2 leads the BIG EAST and is 15th nationally. Butler is 10-1 this season when committing 10 or fewer turnovers.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS: The Bulldogs are ranked No. 11 in both the AP poll and the USA Today coaches poll this week. That is the highest position in either poll this season. The Bulldogs climbed to No. 9 (AP) and No. 10 (coaches poll) in the Dec. 28, 2015 polls last season.
A DROUGHT IN ROSEMONT: DePaul jumped out to a 25-5 lead in the first 7:08 of play Saturday in Rosemont, Ill. Over the next 37:52 of game action, Butler limited the Blue Demons to only 45 points. The Bulldogs also held DePaul without a field goal for a 15:02 stretch as the Blue Demons made a shot with 13:39 to play in the second half and their next made field goal came at the 3:37 mark of overtime. DePaul scored two points over the final 7:25 of regulation.
In BIG EAST games, Butler ranks third in scoring defense, limiting opponents to 71.6 points per game.
PLAYING FROM BEHIND: The Bulldogs have trailed at the half in each of its last six games, but have won five of those contests. Butler led at the half in 10 of its first 14 games this season. When leading at the half, the Bulldogs are 10-0 this season and 50-7 during Chris Holtmann's time on the Butler sidelines.
WINNING THE CLOSE ONES: The Bulldogs are 5-2 this season in games decided by five points or less. Butler is also 2-0 in overtime games.
CRASHING THE BOARDS: Butler is 12-0 this season when out-rebounding its opponent. The Bulldogs have out-rebounded six of their last seven opponents.
Kelan Martin, Andrew Chrabascz and Tyler Wideman have each posted a double-double this season.
SECOND UNIT: Led by 20 points from Kethan Savage, Butler's bench out-scored their counterparts from DePaul, 32-4, Saturday afternoon. Butler's second unit has out-scored the opposition in 17 of the team's 20 games this season, including all eight BIG EAST games.
In BIG EAST play, Butler's bench has a 233-93 advantage, which averages out to 17.5 more points per game than the Bulldogs' BIG EAST opponents.
AGAINST THE PIRATES: Kelan Martin averaged 18 points and 9.5 rebounds in two games against Seton Hall last season. That included a double-double performance of 23 points and 10 rebounds in Newark Feb. 10.
SHOOTERS SHOOT: The Bulldogs shot 53 percent from the field against Marquette Jan. 16. It as the team's seventh time shooting 50 percent or better from the field. Butler is 7-0 in those games this season and 25-0 under coach Holtmann when making at least 50 percent of its shots. When Butler shoots a better percentage from the field than its opponents, the Bulldogs are 12-0 this season.
Butler overcame a season-low .359 shooting afternoon at DePaul Saturday to take the win. Despite the Bulldogs' 6-2 mark in BIG EAST play, conference opponents are out-shooting Butler from both the field (.454 to .451) and behind the arc (.326 to .325).
