GAME 23:  #19/19 Butler (17-5, 5-4 BIG EAST) vs. #10/12 Villanova (17-4, 7-2)
 
Wednesday, Feb. 5;  6:30PM
Hinkle Fieldhouse; Indianapolis, Ind.
TV:  FS1 - Gus Johnson & Bill Raftery
RADIO:  93.1FM - @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner)
TuneIn Radio App, Sirius 138, XM 203, SiriusXM Internet 966
 
Full Notes (PDF)
 
The Bulldogs host Villanova Wednesday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse in a Top 20 match-up. Butler, ranked 19th in both of this week's national polls, is 17-5 overall and 5-4 in BIG EAST play. Villanova, ranked 10th and 12th respectively nationally, enters at 17-4 overall and is second in the BIG EAST at 7-2 in conference play.
 
• Butler and Villanova will meet for the second time in a 16-day span.
• Kamar Baldwin has led the Bulldogs in scoring in eight of the last nine games.
• Baldwin has been selected as one of the Top 10 candidates for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Award.
• Butler and Seton Hall each have 11 NET Quad 1 and Quad 2 victories; Kansas (14) and Baylor (13) are the only teams with more.
• The Bulldogs are eighth in the nation, allowing only 59.9 points per game.
• Three of Butler's next four games will be played at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
• Butler is 10-2 at Hinkle Fieldhouse this season.
• Five Bulldogs scored in double figures vs. Providence Saturday, the first time that happened for Butler since Dec. 8, 2018 (vs. Northern Illinois).
• Butler's 24 made free throws and 31 free throw attempts vs. Providence Saturday were both the second-highest marks of the season.
• Sean McDermott tied his career-high with seven three-pointers in the Jan. 28 win at Georgetown; in doing so, he moved into tenth on Butler's career list (182).
• Butler's field goal percentage defense (.378) is 13th nationally.
• Butler overcame a 14-point deficit to defeat Georgetown on the road Jan. 28; Butler limited Georgetown to 21 points (7-of-33 shooting) in the second half.
• Over his last four games, Baldwin has scored a total of 69 points in the second half/overtime, compared to 10 total first-half points. 
• Butler has out-rebounded 17 of its 22 opponents this season after out-rebounding only 10 of 33 in 2018-19.
• Baldwin is averaging 18.9 points per game in BIG EAST play, which is third in the conference.
• Butler leads the BIG EAST in rebounding margin in conference games (+5.1).
• Baldwin is seventh on Butler's career scoring list with 1,804 points; that is 18th nationally among active players.
• Aaron Thompson (eighth) and Baldwin (ninth) hold two of the Top 10 spots on Butler's career assists list.
 
THE SERIES: Villanova Leads, 12-3
Streak: Villanova, W5
In Indianapolis: Villanova Leads, 4-2
First Meeting: Villanova, 62-54; 11/30/96 (Puerto Rico Shootout)
Last Meeting: Villanova, 76-61, 1/21/20 (at Villanova)
 
LAST TIME OUT: Luwane Pipkins led Providence with 22 points as the Friars upset 16th-ranked Butler, 65-61, Saturday afternoon at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. Pipkins sealed the victory by hitting six free throws over the closing 27 seconds.
 
Butler, playing without injured starting point guard Aaron Thompson for the third consecutive game, made only one of its 14 attempts from three-point range due to a strong defensive effort by the Friars. Behind Pipkins, the Friars had a 27-1 advantage in bench points.
 
After Butler briefly re-took the lead at 43-41 with a Bryce Nze slam at the 12:01 mark, Providence responded with the next eight points, highlighted by a pair of Pipkins' three-pointers, to re-gain control. Butler would never lead again, but did find itself tied at 51-51 with 6:40 remaining.
 
Kamar Baldwin led five Bulldogs in double figures with 14 points, five assists and five rebounds. Nze, Jordan Tucker (eight rebounds) and Bryce Golden each had 12 points, while Sean McDermott added 10.
 
Both teams shot 40 percent from the field, but Providence was able to make six three-pointers compared to just one for Butler. The Bulldogs were helped by a 24-of-31 performance at the free throw line.
 
Butler last made only one three-pointer on Dec. 6, 2014, taking only five attempts in a game vs. Northwestern.
 
CAPITAL OFFENSE: Senior Sean McDermott helped Butler erase an 11-point halftime deficit, matching his career-high with seven three-pointers in a 69-64 road win over Georgetown Jan. 28 in the nation's capital. McDermott finished with 25 points on 9-of-12 shooting.
 
Georgetown led by as many as 14 in the first half, but the halftime speech in the Butler locker room worked as the Bulldogs opened the second stanza by scoring 18 of the first 21 points. Eleven straight from McDermott gave the Bulldogs a 50-46 lead with 14:05 remaining.
 
With the game tied 64-64 with just over a minute remaining, it was McDermott's final three-pointer of the game that gave Butler the win.
 
The Bulldogs limited Georgetown to 21 points in the second half on 7-of-33 shooting (21 percent). Georgetown's top two leading scorers Mac McClung and Omer Yurtseven were a combined 8-for-30 on the night for the Hoyas.
 
McDermott has showcased his versatility in BIG EAST games as he is fifth in rebounding (7.8 per game) and tenth in three-pointers made (2.0 per game).
 
FRIDAY NIGHT HIGHLIGHTS: Kamar Baldwin scored 29 of his 31 points after halftime in an 89-85 overtime win over Marquette Friday, Jan. 24 at Hinkle. For his efforts, Baldwin earned the first BIG EAST Player of the Week honors of his career. Playing a career-high 31 minutes to help overcome the absence of injured Aaron Thompson, senior Henry Baddley scored a season-high 10 points to go along with a career-high three steals. Fellow senior Sean McDermott added 16 points and nine rebounds.
 
Thirty-eight of Marquette's 69 attempts from the field came from behind the arc; Butler won despite the Golden Eagles hitting 16 three-pointers.
 
COMING UP CLUTCH: In 16 games against power conference opponents (which includes Butler's nine BIG EAST games), Baldwin is averaging 12.9 points after halftime. 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.
 
FIRST TIME OUT: No. 9 Villanova came away with a 76-61 win over visiting Butler Jan. 21 at the Finneran Pavilion.
 
The Wildcats put five players in double figures as they hit 21 of 23 from the free throw line. Butler attempted only eight free throws on the night.
 
Kamar Baldwin led Butler with 21 points. Bryce Nze and Bryce Golden each scored 11 points, with Nze adding 12 rebounds for his third double-double of the season.
 
The free throw truly was the difference as Butler out-shot Villanova from the field, holding the Wildcats to 38-percent shooting. Nine of Villanova's 23 makes came from behind the arc. Jermaine Samuels led Villanova with 20 points, including 9-of-10 from the free throw line.
 
HANDLE WITH CARE: Butler committed only three turnovers in the second half of the Jan. 28 win at Georgetown, cleaning up a performance that saw the team give the ball away 12 times over the first 20 minutes. The Bulldogs committed a season-low five turnovers at Villanova Jan. 21. For Butler, it was the team's ninth game this season with 10 or fewer turnovers. The Bulldogs followed that by committing only 11 turnovers in 45 minutes of action in the win over Marquette Friday.
 
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 17 of its 22 opponents this season after out-rebounding only 10 of 33 in 2018-19. Butler has taken that up a level in BIG EAST play, out-rebounding opponents by an average margin of +5.1. 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.
 
ON THE DEFENSIVE:
• Only 10 Butler opponents have scored 60 or more points; Butler has also limited four opponents to 50 or fewer points. 
• Only eight of Butler's opponents have registered more assists than turnovers.
• Only three of Butler's opponents have shot better than 44 percent from the field; 12 have been held to less than 40 percent shooting.