GAME 18: Butler (10-7, 1-3 BIG EAST) at DePaul (10-5, 2-2 BIG EAST)
Wednesday, Jan. 16; 8:30PM (Eastern; 7:30PM Central/Chicago)
Wintrust Arena; Chicago, Ill.
TV: FS1 - @LisaByington and Stephen Howard (@Stephen_Speaks)
RADIO: 107.5FM, 1070AM, TuneIn Radio App, Sirius 137, XM 210, SiriusXM Internet 969

Notes (PDF)

The Bulldogs conclude a three-game road stretch Wednesday night at DePaul, traveling to Chicago for an 8:30 p.m. (Eastern; 7:30 p.m. Central/Chicago) tip with the Blue Demons.    
 
The game will air nationally 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. 
 
Butler enters the game with a 10-7 (1-3 BIG EAST) record after dropping a 70-69 decision at Xavier Sunday afternoon in the team's most recent outing. DePaul is 10-5 overall and has a level BIG EAST mark at 2-2. The Bulldogs will host DePaul at Hinkle Fieldhouse Feb. 16 in the back end of the season series.
 
THE SERIES: Butler is 9-1 against the Blue Demons since the Bulldogs joined the BIG EAST prior to the 2013-14 season. The series, which Butler leads 10-6 overall, dates back to the 1938-39 season. Two of the match-ups came with DePaul ranked in the top five nationally as the #1 Blue Demons won in 1979-80 and the #3 Blue Demons won during the 1980-81 season.
 
LAST SEASON: Butler won both match-ups with DePaul a season ago. The Bulldogs posted a 79-67 win in Chicago Jan. 20, shooting 40 percent (10-25) from three-point range. Kelan Martin scored 24 points and Kamar Baldwin added 18. Max Strus led DePaul with 27. On Feb. 3 at Hinkle Fieldhouse, Butler took an 80-57 win as Martin led four Bulldogs in double figures with 26 points. Butler again hit 10 three-pointers. 
 
In four career games against the Blue Demons, Kamar Baldwin leads the Bulldogs with a scoring average of 13.0 points per game. Nate Fowler registered 15 points against DePaul Feb. 19, 2017, which ties the third-best scoring output of his Butler career.
 
ON THE CUSP: Butler has lost two straight road contests, each by a single point (at Seton Hall, 76-75, Jan. 9, followed by at Xavier, 70-69, Sunday). The Bulldogs last opened the BIG EAST schedule at 1-3 during the 2015-16 season. That Butler team finished 10-8 in BIG EAST play and advanced to the NCAA Round of 32.
 
DOING A LOT OF EVERYTHING: Kamar Baldwin scored a team-best 18 points Sunday at Xavier. However, he also added seven assists, which tied his career-high. On the season, Baldwin leads the team in points, rebounds and steals. In the team's four BIG EAST games, Baldwin is averaging 21.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game, while shooting 47 percent from the field.
 
GRAB AND GO: Jordan Tucker led the Bulldogs and tied his career-high with eight rebounds Sunday at Xavier. In his eight career games since becoming eligible as a midyear transfer Dec. 15, Tucker is averaging 5.1 rebounds per game. That mark ties Baldwin for the team lead this season.
 
Tucker scored 12 points Sunday, his third double-figure scoring game in his eight outings. Fourteen of his 17 made field goals have been three-pointers.
 
SECOND UNIT: In addition to Tucker's 12 points Sunday, senior Paul Jorgensen came off the bench to score 14 for the Bulldogs. He went 4-of-7 from behind the arc, his fifth time this season with four or more three-pointers. The 14 points were Jorgensen's first double-figure scoring game since he scored 19 against UC Irvine Dec. 21. Tucker and Jorgensen contributed to a 30-3 advantage in bench points for the Bulldogs Sunday against Xavier.
 
SMALL MARGINS: Two key statistics that have stood out in Butler's last two losses are rebounding and free throw attempts. In those two games, which Butler has dropped by a single point in each contest, the Bulldogs' opponents are averaging a +8.5 rebounding advantage and getting to the free throw line an average of 14 more times per game.
 
TIGHT GRIP: The Bulldogs have committed only 10.6 turnovers per game, a mark that leads the BIG EAST and is Top 15 nationally. Butler is also Top 50 nationally in turnover margin and assist/turnover ratio. The Seton Hall game Jan. 9 marked the fifth time this season that Butler has committed single-digit turnovers. In two separate games this season, Butler has posted a season-low seven miscues.
 
20/10 VISION: Redshirt sophomore Joey Brunk registered the first double-double of his Butler career in the team's game at Seton Hall Jan. 9. Brunk posted career-highs of 20 points and 10 rebounds.
 
2 FOR 20: In addition to 20 points from Brunk, Baldwin led the Bulldogs with 23 points Jan. 9 at Seton Hall. It was the third time this season that two Bulldogs had scored 20 or more in the same game (also Nov. 16 vs. Ole Miss and No. 22 vs. Middle Tennessee).
 
ACCEPTING YOUR CHARITY: Butler stepped to the free throw line and made 18 of 22 attempts Jan. 9 at Seton Hall (82 percent). On the season, Butler is shooting 75 percent at the charity stripe, which is second in the BIG EAST. There have been seven games this season when Butler has shot 80 percent or better from the free throw line. Butler used a 20-of-23 performance at the free throw line (87 percent) Dec. 21 to beat UC Irvine. Butler made all 18 of its second-half free throw attempts in solidifying the win over Ole Miss Nov. 16. In the Ole Miss game, Butler went 23-of-27 (85 percent) overall. Baldwin was a perfect 12-of-12 on the night.
 
TAKEN: Sophomore Aaron Thompson had a career-high four steals Jan. 9 against Seton Hall. In the previous game, Butler tied a season-high with 12 steals in the Jan. 5 win over Creighton. Baldwin leads the team (and is seventh in the BIG EAST) at 1.4 steals per game. Thompson is averaging 1.2 swipes per game. Baldwin's 137 career steals are ninth on Butler's all-time list.  
 
KAMAR-VELOUS AFTERNOON: Behind a season-best 28 points from junior guard Kamar Baldwin, the Bulldogs posted an 84-69 win over Creighton Jan. 5 at Hinkle Fieldhouse. He tied his career-high with seven assists, adding five rebounds and two steals. Baldwin made 11 of his 18 attempts from the field. Baldwin earned a spot on the five-member BIG EAST honor roll for his performances last week.  
 
Baldwin has climbed to No. 29 on Butler's career scoring list with 1,182 points. The last two Bulldogs he passed are two of the program's Academic All-Americans, Chris Miskel (1,170) and the late Andrew Smith (1,147).