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INDIANAPOLIS – The start of the 2020-21 season will feature Butler hosting Providence and Creighton this weekend at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The season opener will land on Saturday, Dec. 5 with the Bulldogs hosting the Friars at 4 PM. Sunday's tip vs. the Bluejays will also go up at 4 PM.
 
Bulldog Bits
- The Bulldogs have reached 11 conference wins in back-to-back seasons.
- Butler went 13-4 at Hinkle Fieldhouse last year.
- BU is now 27-8 when playing at home over the last two seasons.
- Butler led the BIG EAST in free throw attempts (649) and free throws made (445) in 2019-20.
- Butler ranked second in the BIG EAST in steals per game (11.1) last year.
- Okako Adika was a First Team NJCAA All-American at Odessa College last year.
- Oumou Toure led the BIG EAST and ranked 45th in the NCAA averaging 2.3 steals per game in 2019-20.
- Toure, was a unanimous pick for the 2019-20 BIG EAST All-Freshman team.
- Nyamer Diew was a three-star recruit (ESPN) ranked 39th in her wing position group.
- Abby Stoddard was also a three-star recruit ranked as the 41st best wing in the 2020 class.
 
All-Time Series vs. Providence                                                            
Butler leads the way in the all-time series vs. Providence 11-4. The Bulldogs swept the Friars last year with a 50-47 win on the road followed by a 51-42 win at Hinkle.
 
All-Time Series vs. Creighton                                                              
The all-time series between Creighton and Butler is close with the Bluejays ahead 9-8. BU swept the series a year ago with a 73-67 win at DJ Sokol Arena and a 76-61 win at home.
 
Home Openers                                                                                       
Butler has won three-straight season-openers and is 4-2 all-time in their first game of the season under the direction of Head Coach Kurt Godlevske.
 
2020-21 Roster Breakdown                                                                 
Eight returners will mix with six newcomers this season. Godlevske has been able to work with this group since July, and couldn't be more excited about the upcoming season. "We have more depth on this team than any other team I have coached," Godlevske stated. "Trying to pick a starting five unit this year has been very challenging."
 
Caceres Cashes In From Distance                                                       
Naira Caceres became just the 12th player in Butler women's basketball history to make at least four 3-pointers in a game without a single miss from behind the arc. She went 4-for-4 from distance in a 73-67 win at Creighton on Jan. 26, 2020. Caceres and Kristen Spolyar combined to score all 16 fourth quarter points for the Bulldogs to help pull out the road win.
 
Jaia Ready to Join Bulldogs                                                                 
Redshirt-senior Jaia Alexander is ready to make her Bulldog debut at the start of the 2020-21 season. Alexander joined the program in 2018 after transferring to Butler from Clemson. She missed the 2018-19 season due to the NCAA transfer rule and was out of action in 2019-20 due to an injury. A four-star prospect coming out of Baltimore, Md., Alexander was ranked as the 25th best guard in the 2016 recruiting class (ESPN Hoopgurlz).
 
Happy Anniversary                                                                                              
Former Bulldog point guard Whitney Jennings returned to campus on December 5, 2019 to join the Butler coaching staff. Jennings was brought in as an interim assistant coach, but is now ready to turn the page as the Bulldogs prep for the upcoming 2020-21 schedule.
 
Neal Returns to the BIG EAST                                                             
Brian Neal joined the Butler women's basketball program as an interim assistant coach on Dec. 1, 2020. The former Xavier head coach spent six seasons on the sideline for the Musketeers from 2013-2019.
 
Top Returning Scorers                                                                          
Oumou Toure and Genesis Parker are the top returning scorers for the Bulldogs in 2020-21, but neither student-athlete is expected to play this weekend. Eight BU returners account for 49 percent of last year's overall scoring total.
 
Fill The Void                                                                                                          
Head Coach Kurt Godlevske will have to replace three starters from last year's unit. Kristen Spolyar and Shae Brey each ended their careers ranked among BU greats on the minute's played top-ten list. Spolyar ranks eighth in the record book after playing 3,324 minutes and Brey was close behind in 10th with 3,225 minutes of playing time. Spolyar used her Butler resume to extend her playing career as a professional in Geneva, Switzerland. She is now a member of Geneve Elite Basket.
 
Robinson Opts Out of 2020-21 Season                                             
Junior guard Jamilyn Robinson has opted out of the upcoming 2020-21 season due to COVID-19 concerns.
 
11 Conference Wins                                                                                            
Butler has reached 11 BIG EAST wins in back-to-back seasons. Since joining the conference in 2013, the Bulldogs have recorded 10 or more conference wins four times. 11 conference wins for Butler is the highest since conference realignment.
 
Projections vs. Reality                                                                          
Butler was projected to finish seventh in both the 2018-19 and 2019-20 Preseason Coaches' Poll. Now with UConn in the mix, the Bulldogs have been pushed back to eighth in 2020-21. The preseason votes don't seem to faze the players in the locker room. BU finished alone in third place in the conference standings in 2018-19 and in the midst of a five-way tie for third last year.
 
Lucky #13                                                                                                               
Kurt Godlevske has recorded 87 wins at Butler over the last six years. He is now tied for fourth on the BU all-time coaching win's list alongside Paulette Stein (1988-1993). Godlevske needs 13 wins to reach 100 and 28 to move into third all-time.
 
Toure Earns Spot on BIG EAST All-Freshman Team                       
Oumou Toure averaged 9.1 points and 6.1 rebounds last year while leading the BIG EAST in steals per game (2.3). Toure ranked ninth in the conference in blocked shots (1.0), 14th in rebounding and 29th in scoring. She appeared in 27 of Butler's 30 games and started in 20 contests. The season came to a close with Toure scoring a career-high 22 points in Butler's quarterfinal loss to Seton Hall in the BIG EAST Tournament.
 
Injury Report                                                                                          
Genesis Parker (shoulder) is planned to start progressing into game play beginning in January 2021 with limited minutes. Tenley Dowell (knee) will likely play limited minutes until the first of the year as she progresses back to full game participation. Nyamer Diew (knee) will be on a similar schedule as Dowell for game minute progression.
 
2021 Recruiting Class
Zoe Jackson (5-7, Guard from McKinney, Texas), Sydney Jaynes (6-3, Forward from Brownstown, Indiana), Alex Richard (6-1, Forward from Avon, Indiana), Trinity White (5-9, Guard from McKinney, Texas) and Madison Royal-Davis (5-11, Guard from Toledo, Ohio) will all continue their basketball careers at Butler.
 
Up Next
The Bulldogs will play three nationally-ranked opponents on the road during mid-December. This stretch of games will start with a trip to Ann Arbor to play #24 Michigan on Dec. 9. The 'Dawgs will then travel to Assembly Hall to face #13 Indiana on Dec. 13. The first BIG EAST road test will come at #3 UConn on Dec. 15.