GAME 29:  rv/rv Butler (19-9, 7-8 BIG EAST) vs. DePaul (14-14, 2-13)
 
The Bulldogs are coming off a much-needed week off as Butler returns to action Saturday night, hosting DePaul at a sold-out Hinkle Fieldhouse. The tip is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
 
Butler enters the match-up with a record of 19-9 overall and 7-8 in BIG EAST play. All 10 BIG EAST teams have three conference games remaining. The Bulldogs are currently tied for sixth in the conference standings. The top six teams in the standings get a bye into the quarterfinals of the BIG EAST Tournament.
 
DePaul enters Saturday's game at 14-14 overall and 2-13 in conference play.
 
Saturday, Feb. 29;  6:30PM
Hinkle Fieldhouse; Indianapolis, Ind.
TV:  FS1 - @BrandonGaudin & @NickBahe
RADIO:  1430AM - @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner)
TuneIn Radio App, Sirius 136, XM 203, SiriusXM Internet 966
 
Full PDF Notes
 
THE SERIES: Butler Leads, 12-7
Streak: DePaul, W1
In Indianapolis: Butler Leads, 5-3
First Meeting: Butler, 39-29; 1939 (Chicago)
Last Meeting: DePaul, 79-66, 1/18/20 (Chicago)
 
• Prior to DePaul's win in Chicago Jan. 18, Butler had won 11 straight match-ups in the series.
• Aaron Thompson has been named one of 10 semifinalists for the Naismith Men's Defensive Player of the Year Award.
• Kamar Baldwin has led the Bulldogs in scoring in 11 of the last 15 games.
• Baldwin is averaging 17.7 points per game in BIG EAST play, which is third in the conference.
• Bryce Nze is second in the BIG EAST in field goal percentage (.627); Bryce Golden (tenth, .508) and Sean McDermott (11th, .484) are also among the conference leaders.
• Thompson has 24 assists against only five turnovers in his last six games; he is second the BIG EAST in assist/turnover ratio (2.6).
• Nze posted his fifth double-figure rebounding game of the season Feb. 19 at Seton Hall.
• The Bulldogs are 25th in the nation, allowing only 62.8 points per game.
• Butler's field goal percentage defense (.397) is 34th nationally.
• Butler is 27th nationally, committing only 11.3 turnovers per game.
• Henry Baddley scored a season-high 13 points in the team's last game (at Creighton Sunday).
• Through Wednesday's games, Butler's eight NET Quad 1 wins are tied for fifth nationally.
• Butler is one win away from its 20th 20-win campaign over the past 24 seasons.
• Coach LaVall Jordan is among 15 coaches on the late season watch list for the 2020 Naismith Men's Coach of the Year Award.
• Butler has out-rebounded 20 of its 28 opponents this season after out-rebounding only 10 of 33 in 2018-19.
• Baldwin has been selected as one of the Top 10 candidates for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award, and as one of 30 for the Naismith Trophy Watch List.
• Butler is 15-2 this season when leading at halftime (both losses to Seton Hall).
 
BUILDING THE RESUME: Through Wednesday's games, KenPom considers Butler's schedule the 15th-most difficult in the country. The Bulldogs' 19-9 record includes eight NET Quad 1 wins and a combined 13 NET Quad 1 and 2 wins. The eight NET Quad 1 wins are tied for fifth nationally, while the 13 NET Quad 1 and 2 wins are tied for sixth in the nation.
 
CLIMBING THE CHARTS: Kamar Baldwin continues his assault on the Butler record book. With 1,899 career points, he is sixth in Butler program history. Baldwin is looking to pass Matt Howard (1,939) and Kellen Dunham (1,946) in upcoming games. The top three scorers in Butler history each have more than 2,000 points.
 
Baldwin is also third in career steals (190) and career field goals made (724). His 355 career assists are ninth in Butler history; junior point guard Aaron Thompson is seventh on that list with 375 assists.
 
Senior Sean McDermott is seventh on Butler's career three-pointers made list with 194. McDermott is also approaching 1,000 career points, currently standing at 945.
 
ON THE BOARDS: What was one of Butler's most glaring weaknesses a season ago has become a strength in 2019-20. The Bulldogs have out-rebounded 20 of its 28 opponents this season after out-rebounding only 10 of 33 in 2018-19. Butler held a 46-24 rebounding advantage at St. John's in the BIG EAST opener on New Year's Eve, its largest margin since 63-28 vs. The Citadel Nov. 14, 2015. The Bulldogs also out-rebounded Providence, 44-26, in the Jan. 10 win in Rhode Island.
 
The Bulldogs are second among BIG EAST schools in rebounding margin in both all games (+4.2) and in conference games (+3.3).
 
AN IMPORTANT LINE: Butler is 10-1 when attempting more free throws than its opponent; the Bulldogs are 6-7 when the opponent gets to the line more than Butler. (Butler and its opponent have attempted the same number of free throws four times.)
 
COMING UP CLUTCH: Kamar Baldwin scored 13 second-half points at Seton Hall Feb. 19. It was the 14th time (out of 21) he scored double figures in the second half against a power conference opponent this season. In those 21 games, he is averaging 12.3 points per game after halftime. (Due to an ankle injury, Baldwin did not play in the second half of the Feb. 23 game at Creighton and that 22nd game is not factored into the average.)
 
All 20 of his points in the Jan. 4 win over Creighton came in the second half. His second-half performances include 18 vs. Minnesota, 17 vs. Stanford, 19 at Ole Miss, and 16 at Villanova, in addition to the 19 points in the second half vs. Marquette (followed by an additional 10 in overtime).
 
With 5:42 remaining in regulation vs. Marquette Jan. 24, Baldwin stepped to the line with eight points and Butler trailing by five. He scored 23 points over the next 10:42 of play. His defense also helped to hold Marquette's Markus Howard scoreless over the final 7:30 of play.
 
HANDLE WITH CARE: Butler has 13 games this season with 10 or fewer turnovers. The Bulldogs committed a season-low five turnovers at Villanova Jan. 21.
 
ARC ENEMY: After allowing its opponent to make nine or more three-pointers only twice in its first 16 games, Butler's opponents have accomplished the feat in eight of the last 12 games. On several occasions, Butler has been able to weather the storm in several of these games (the Bulldogs are 4-6 when opponents have made nine or more from behind the arc, including a home overtime over Marquette when the Golden Eagles hit 16), but one of the losses was when DePaul went 10-of-17 from behind the arc in Chicago Jan. 18.
 
FIRST TIME AROUND: Behind 10-of-17 shooting from behind the arc and 32 free throw attempts, DePaul was able to knock off fifth-ranked Butler, 79-66, Jan. 18 at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.
 
Paul Reed and Jalen Coleman-Lands combined for 43 points for the Blue Demons.
 
DePaul's tenth three-pointer of the game came with 7:11 remaining and gave the Blue Demons their largest lead of the game at 70-49. DePaul kept Butler at arm's length throughout the second half, thanks in large part to a strong effort at the free throw line.
 
DePaul went to the line 32 times and made 25 of those attempts.
 
DePaul took a 44-34 advantage into the halftime locker room after leading by as much as 16 in the first half. A 10-2 run by the Bulldogs had cut the lead to four points (35-31) with 2:14 to play before a strong closing stretch by the host Blue Demons. Reed had 18 in the first half, including 13 of DePaul's first 22 as they built an early 22-6 edge.
 
Reed went 8-of-9 from the field and added a game-high nine rebounds to his 23 points. Coleman-Lands had 20 points on just seven attempts from the field.
 
Kamar Baldwin led Butler with 16 points, while Jordan Tucker scored 13. Sean McDermott added 10 points and eight rebounds.
 
Nine of Butler's 17 turnovers came in the first half as DePaul mounted their initial lead. The Bulldogs shot only 42 percent from the field, including 7-of-21 from three-point range.