Opponent: Providence
Specifics: Saturday, Feb. 11 | 4 p.m. ET | Dunkin' Donuts Arena | Providence, R.I.
TV: CBS Sports Network | Andrew Catalon, Steve Lappas & Jamie Erdahl
Radio: 107.5 FM (also streamed through
TuneIn Radio App) | Mark Minner (play-by-play) & Nick Gardner (analyst)
Follow Along: @ButlerMBB
Full Notes (PDF)
FLYING OUT TO THE FRIARS: Butler continues a two-game stretch away from Hinkle Fieldhouse by heading to Rhode Island for a Saturday game with Providence. It is the second meeting of the season between the two teams as the Bulldogs took a New Year's Day contest in Indianapolis. Butler, ranked No. 22 and No. 21 in this week's national polls, enters with a record of 19-5, including 8-4 in BIG EAST play. Providence is 14-11 (4-8 BIG EAST).
Saturday's game will air nationally on CBS Sports Network. Tip-off is set for 4 p.m. at the Dunkin' Donuts Arena.
THE SERIES: Butler and Providence will meet for the ninth time with Saturday's match-up. Providence holds a 6-2 advantage in the all-time series with all of those contests occurring since Butler joined the BIG EAST prior to the 2013-14 season.
FIRST TIME AROUND: Butler used a large first-half cushion and 62-percent shooting to post a 78-61 win over Providence Jan. 1 at Hinkle Fieldhouse. At the end of the first half, Butler led 45-26, was shooting 73 percent, and had already received 19 points off its bench. Kelan Martin led Butler with 15 points and eight rebounds. His first free throw of the day was his 1,000th career point, becoming the 39th Bulldog to reach the feat. Martin led a balanced effort that saw four Bulldogs in double figures, including Andrew Chrabascz (11), Avery Woodson (11), and Savage (10). Tyler Wideman had nine points and six rebounds, while Tyler Lewis and Nate Fowler each had eight points. Butler shot 26-of-42 for the game, including 8-of-14 from behind the arc.
MAGIC NUMBER: The Bulldogs held Marquette to 65 points in Tuesday's road win. Butler is now 15-0 on the season when holding its opponent to less than 70 points. The Bulldogs are 4-5 on the season when their opponent scores 70 or more. Butler is allowing an average of 67.5 points per game through the first 24 games of the season. That is third in the BIG EAST. That average increases to 71.1 points per game in league play, but that is actually the second-best mark in the BIG EAST.
ELDER STATESMEN: Butler's seniors scored 51 of the team's 68 points in the 68-65 win over Marquette Tuesday night in Milwaukee. Andrew Chrabascz led the Bulldogs with 21 points, while Avery Woodson added 17. Butler shot 49 percent in the game.
NOT TOO CHRABBY: Andrew Chrabascz's game-high 21 points Tuesday night came via an 8-of-11 shooting performance from the field. In one of the most well-rounded games by a Bulldog this season, Chrabascz added five rebounds, a career-high five steals, and four assists to his 21 points. It was Chrabascz's second 20-point game of the season and the sixth of his career. Including Tuesday, Chrabascz has led the Bulldogs in scoring five times this season and 13 times in his career.
Chrabascz ranks second on the team in scoring, assists and steals this season, and third in rebounding.
BUTLER HIGHS: In his first season with the Bulldogs, graduate student Avery Woodson has played a pivotal role for Butler. In Tuesday's win at Marquette, Woodson posted a season-best 17 points with 15 of those points coming in the first half as Butler built an early lead. Woodson is fourth on the team in scoring, posting double figures on seven occasions. Woodson got the start Tuesday night and played a season-best 36 minutes.
Woodson tied his season-high with six rebounds at Marquette. It marked the third time this season that Woodson had pulled down six rebounds, with each coming in a hard-fought road win (at Georgetown in overtime, at DePaul in overtime, and Tuesday's three-point win at Marquette).
FRESH START: Kethan Savage, in his first season at Butler, picked up his first start in a Bulldog uniform Tuesday night at Marquette. The senior had last started a game on Feb. 14, 2015 (for George Washington). In the win Tuesday, Savage posted five points and three assists in 19 minutes of action.
STRONG RESUME: In Thursday's RPI rankings released by the NCAA, the Bulldogs come in at No. 8. Butler has a record of 15-3 against teams currently ranked in the RPI Top 100. Those 15 wins against the Top 100 are tied with Villanova for the most in the nation (through the games of Wednesday, Feb. 8).
Butler is now 5-2 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 this season against five teams that are currently leading their respective league standings: Villanova (BIG EAST), Vermont (America East), Cincinnati (American), Arizona (Pac-12), and Bucknell (Patriot).
IN THE POLLS: The Bulldogs are ranked No. 22 in the AP poll and No. 21 the USA Today coaches poll this week. Butler has been ranked each week since the Nov. 28, 2016 polls.
TWO IS PLENTY: With Tuesday's win at Marquette, Butler avoided the first three-game losing streak in Chris Holtmann's three seasons as head coach at Butler. Following a loss, the Bulldogs are now 21-4 under Holtmann.
PROTECTING THE ROCK: On the season, the Bulldogs are averaging only 10.1 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 12 games this season, including only six in the overtime game at DePaul Jan. 21.
Butler's turnover margin of +3.7 leads the BIG EAST and is 13th nationally. Butler is 10-2 this season when committing 10 or fewer turnovers.
WINNING THE CLOSE ONES: The Bulldogs are 6-3 this season in games decided by five points or less. Butler is also 2-0 in overtime games.
HANDING THEM OUT: Tyler Lewis had a game-high five assists Tuesday at Marquette, coming off the bench to lead the team in assists for the 14th time this season. Lewis is fifth in the BIG EAST with 3.8 assists per game. His 30 minutes at Marquette tied a season-high.
Lewis leads the BIG EAST and is ninth in the nation with a 3.41 assist/turnover ratio.
EXTRA POSSESSIONS: Tyler Wideman pulled down a team-best seven rebounds in the win over Marquette. It included his 400th career board. Four of his seven rebounds were offensive. Wideman is fourth in the BIG EAST in offensive rebounding as 2.3 of his 5.4 caroms per game are on the offensive glass.
