GAME 3: Butler (2-0) vs. Minnesota (1-1) - GAVITT TIPOFF GAMES
Tuesday, Nov. 12; 8:30PM
Hinkle Fieldhouse; Indianapolis, Ind.
TV: FS1 - @VinceWelch & @NickBahe
RADIO: 1430AM - @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner)
TuneIn Radio App, XM 382, SiriusXM Internet 972
@ButlerMBB | ButlerSports.com
THE SERIES
Minnesota Leads, 3-0
Streak: Minnesota, W3
First Meeting: Minnesota, 77-56, 12/9/71 (Minneapolis)
Last Meeting: Minnesota, 82-73, 11/26/09 (76 Classic; Anaheim, Calif.)
Notes (PDF)
• Butler has won 52 consecutive non-conference home games (second-longest active streak nationally behind Duke)
• Hall of Fame coach Tony Dungy had two points for Minnesota in a Dec. 22, 1973 70-68 (3OT) win for the Golden Gophers vs. Butler, Minnesota's only previous game at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
• Butler is 1-1 in two previous appearances in the Gavitt Tipoff Games. Kamar Baldwin hit the game-winner against Northwestern in the 2016 Gavitt Tipoff Games, his second career game.
• Butler is sixth nationally with a 2.6 assist/turnover ratio and seventh nationally committing only 7.5 turnovers per game.
• With 9.5 assists per game, Aaron Thompson is fourth nationally.
• Bryce Nze has double-doubles in his two career games as a Bulldog.
• Sean McDermott is in the Top 20 nationally in both field goal percentage and three-point percentage.
• McDermott led Butler with 26 points (10-11 FG; 4-5 3FG) in Wednesday's win over IUPUI, one point shy of his career-high.
• In Bryce Golden's first career start, he posted career-highs of 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists vs. IUPUI.
• Butler assisted on 39 of its 64 made field goals this season (61 percent).
• Butler finished the game against IUPUI with only six available players.
• Butler has limited its first two opponents to an average of 50 points per game on 40-percent shooting.
• The Bulldogs return four of their top six scorers from 2018-19.
• Butler posted a 12-4 record at Hinkle Fieldhouse in 2018-19.
• Twenty-five of Butler's 31 regular season games in 2019-20 are scheduled against power conference opponents.
• Butler has made the postseason in 13 of the last 14 seasons.
• Kamar Baldwin is No. 16 on Butler's all-time scoring list with 1,460 career points.
• Aaron Thompson's 142 assists in 2018-19 are 10th on Butler's single-season list.
DOUBLE THE DOUBLE: Both Bryce Nze and Aaron Thompson posted double-doubles in Saturday's win over New Orleans. Nze led the Bulldogs with 18 points to go along with his 10 rebounds. Thompson scored 12 points – all in the first half – and added 10 assists. For Thompson, it was his second career double-double, with his first coming in the 2019 NIT at Nebraska.
Nze has played two games as a Bulldog, and has posted double-doubles in both. He had 11 points and 11 rebounds in the season-opening win over IUPUI Wednesday night.
DEFINITION OF EFFICIENCY: Senior Sean McDermott made 10 of his 11 attempts from the field, including 4-of-5 from behind the arc, on his way to 26 points in Wednesday's win over IUPUI. He followed that with a 4-of-6 performance in the win over New Orleans Saturday.
On the season, McDermott is shooting 83 percent from the field, and is 7-of-9 (78 percent) from three-point range. He earned a spot on the five-member BIG EAST weekly honor roll for his efforts.
Butler's opponents have made a total of eight three-pointers in 80 minutes of play, which is only one more than McDermott has made at this point in the season.
BIG ASSIST, LITTLE TURNOVER: Aaron Thompson has 19 assists through the team's first two games. Conversely, he has only committed three turnovers in his 75 minutes of play. His 6.33 assist/turnover ratio is second in the BIG EAST and 25th nationally at this early stage of the season.
THAT'S GOLD, BRYCE. GOLD.: Sophomore Bryce Golden logged his first career start in Wednesday's win over IUPUI, posting career-highs of 17 points, eight rebounds and four assists. He had 25 points and 11 rebounds total in 15 contests as a freshman.
BULLDOG DEBUTS: In their respective Butler debuts, transfer forward Bryce Nze posted a double-double with 11 points and 11 rebounds, while freshman Khalif Battle added 11 points. John-Michael Mulloy had four points and four rebounds.
MY TEAM IS ON THE FLOOR: Butler began its regular season opener vs. IUPUI with eight available players (but hoping to keep John-Michael Mulloy's redshirt opportunity available). After Kamar Baldwin and Campbell Donovan were injured within the first five minutes of the contest, the Bulldogs utilized Mulloy and played six players for the final 35 minutes.
Baldwin has been limited to a total of 19 minutes over the team's first two games. Henry Baddley (illness) and Jordan Tucker (one-game NCAA suspension) were able to return to active duty for Saturday's game with New Orleans. Donovan is out for the season with a torn ACL in his right knee, sustained in the IUPUI game Nov. 6.
WATCH OUT FOR HIM: Senior guard Kamar Baldwin has found his way onto the watch lists for several national awards: the Naismith Trophy Men's Player of the Year, the Wooden Award, and the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award.
The conference's head coaches also selected Baldwin to the 2019-20 Preseason All-BIG EAST First Team.
NOT MESSING AROUND: Eighteen of Butler's 31 regular season games are against teams ranked or receiving votes in the preseason AP Top 25 poll. Of the remaining 13 games, five (potentially six) are against teams that made the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
A season ago, Butler played 13 games against 2019 NCAA Tournament teams and another 11 against teams in the 2019 NIT field.
