#rv/rv Butler (1-0) vs. Detroit Mercy (0-2)
Monday, Nov. 12; 6:30PM
Hinkle Fieldhouse; Indianapolis, Ind.
TV: FS1 - @WayneRandazzo & @JordanCornette
RADIO: 107.5 FM, 1070 AM, TuneIn Radio App, XM 380, SiriusXM Internet 961 - @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner)
Full Notes (PDF)
The Bulldogs have their second tip in less than 48 hours, hosting Detroit Mercy Monday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The 6:30 p.m. tip will air on FS1. The Butler duo of Mark Minner and Nick Gardner will have the radio call on 107.5FM, 1070AM, and the TuneIn Radio app.Â
2018-19…HELLO: Butler opened up the 2018-19 season officially on Saturday night, taking a 90-68 decision over visiting Miami (Ohio). The Bulldogs shot 60 percent in the contest and had four players in double figures. It was Butler's first time shooting 60 percent or better in a game since a win at Marquette, Jan. 31, 2018 (.600; 33-55).
The win marked the 20th consecutive season that the Bulldogs have won their home opener. That dates back to 1998 when Southwest Missouri State (now referred to as Missouri State) won a 72-57 decision at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Steve Alford was the coach of that team, which included Brandon Miller on the roster. Miller would later transfer to Butler and also spend time at his alma mater as both an assistant coach and head coach.
THROWBACK GAME: Butler and Detroit Mercy were conference rivals in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference, which later became the Horizon League. Butler joined the MCC as a charter member in 1979 and Detroit joined in 1980. The teams last played in the 2011-12 season (twice), which was Butler's final year in the Horizon League before joining the Atlantic 10 and eventually the BIG EAST. Butler and Detroit met three consecutive seasons in the championship game of the MCC/Horizon League Tournament (1999, 2000, 2001), with Detroit taking the 1999 title before Butler won both the 2000 and 2001 match-ups and the conference's automatic berth in the NCAA Tournament.
NOT A WELCOMING ENVIRONMENT: Including Saturday's win over Miami (Ohio), Butler has now won 44 consecutive home games against non-conference foes. The streak dates back to a loss to Pittsburgh in the 2012 College Basketball Invitational (CBI). That current streak trails only Duke and Arizona.
PICKING UP WHERE HE LEFT OFF: Junior Kamar Baldwin led the Bulldogs with 21 points in the team's season-opening win Saturday against Miami (Ohio). Baldwin made nine of his 14 attempts from the field, and added a team-best six assists. It marked the 10th time in his Butler career that Baldwin had led the team in scoring.
PAINT BY NUMBERS: The Bulldogs posted a 48-22 advantage in points in the paint against Miami (Ohio) Saturday night. More than half of the Bulldogs' 90 points came in the paint. Butler's post tandem of Nate Fowler and Joey Brunk combined to shoot 10-of-11 from the field.
BRUNK-THROUGH PERFORMANCE: Redshirt sophomore Joey Brunk went a perfect 7-of-7 from the field against Miami (Ohio), registering a career-best 17 points in the win. It topped his previous career-high of 10. Brunk scored a total of 47 points in his first 27 games as a Bulldog.
Brunk helped Butler to a 26-12 advantage in bench points Saturday.
SECOND HALF SPARK: Redshirt senior Paul Jorgensen netted 17 points, including 15 in the second half, in Saturday's win. Jorgensen and Nate Fowler each had a team-high seven rebounds. Jorgensen scored in double figures 20 times a season ago.
MANAGING THE MISCUES: Butler committed 11 turnovers Saturday night, right at their average (11.2) from last season that saw the Bulldogs rank second in the BIG EAST in the statistics. The Bulldogs only forced Miami (Ohio) into eight errors; however, Butler converted those eight turnovers into 15 points.
BOARD OUT OF THEIR MINDS: Butler had a 38-22 (+16) rebounding advantage in the season opener. No Miami (Ohio) player had more than four caroms. Nate Fowler and Joey Brunk each had four offensive rebounds, posting total numbers of seven and six, respectively.
HIGH EXPECTATIONS: Kamar Baldwin's standout 2017-18 campaign propelled the 6-1 guard to a unanimous selection on the preseason All-BIG EAST team by the conference's head coaches. As a sophomore, he averaged 15.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.5 steals. He was even more productive in BIG EAST play as his averages increased to 16.6 points and 5.2 rebounds per conference contest. Baldwin also earned a spot on the 2018 BIG EAST All-Tournament Team thanks in large part to a career-high 32-point outburst against Seton Hall in the quarterfinals. His 893 points through his first two seasons at Butler are the fourth-most in program history.
PRESEASON PICK: The Bulldogs were picked fifth in the BIG EAST preseason poll, as voted on by the league's head coaches. Butler received one first-place vote in the poll, which saw Villanova, Marquette and Providence take the top three spots. Butler is receiving votes in both the preseason AP and coaches polls.
WATCH OUT: Junior Kamar Baldwin has been named to the preseason watch lists for both the Naismith Trophy and the Wooden Award, two of the most prestigious national player of the year awards. Each list included 50 players.
VETERAN MOVES: The Bulldogs return six players who averaged 15 or more minutes a season ago. While the team will need to fill the void left by graduated players Kelan Martin and Tyler Wideman, Butler does return 62 percent of its scoring from a season ago.
