Butler (3-0) vs. rv Michigan State (1-1)  -- Gavitt Tipoff Games
Wednesday, Nov. 17;  7PM 
Hinkle Fieldhouse;  Indianapolis, Ind.
TV:  FS1 & FOX Sports App - @Joe_Davis & @JimJackson419
Radio:  1430AM - @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner)
Varsity Network Radio App, XM 381, SiriusXM App 971

Full Notes (PDF)
 
THE SERIES: Michigan State holds a slim 13-11 record in the all-time series between the two programs, one that stretches back to 1927. The most notable match-up is also the most recent, a 52-50 Butler win over the Spartans in the 2010 Final Four played in Indianapolis. Gordon Hayward led the Bulldogs with 19 points and nine rebounds in that game, a win that put Butler in the national championship game vs. Duke. Prior to the 2010 game, the two teams had not met since 1971.
 
• Butler and Michigan State last met in the 2010 Final Four.
• Butler is 2-1 in the Gavitt Games, the annual series between the BIG EAST and Big Ten.
• Butler is 62-1 over its last 63 non-conference home games.
• Butler is 25th nationally, allowing only 53.0 points per game.
• Fifteen of Chuck Harris's 23 points Saturday against Troy came in the second half as he made six of his seven attempts.
• Butler made 12 three-pointers Saturday vs. Troy, the most by the team since hitting 12 against Nebraska in the 2019 NIT.
• Jair Bolden's 21 points vs. Troy matched the most points he has scored in a Butler uniform.
• Bolden is 10-of-17 (59 percent) from three-point range this season.
• Freshman Jayden Taylor has scored in double figures in each of his first three collegiate games.
• The 32-point win over Central Arkansas Friday was Butler's first 30-point win since beating Louisiana-Monroe, 67-36, on Dec. 28, 2019.
• Seven different Bulldogs hit three-pointers against Central Arkansas Friday.
• Ty Groce (knee) made his Butler debut vs. Central Arkansas, posting eight points and six rebounds in 18 minutes.
• Butler limited IUPUI to 47 points and 13-percent three-point shooting in the Bulldogs' season-opening Nov. 9 win.
• Freshmen Jayden Taylor and Simas Lukosius got starts in their first collegiate game (vs. IUPUI Nov. 9).
• Butler was picked to finish sixth in the BIG EAST Preseason Poll by the conference's head coaches.
• Sophomore Chuck Harris was an honorable mention selection to the Preseason All-BIG EAST team by the conference's head coaches.
• Butler's 2021-22 roster includes six players who are entering their fifth or sixth season of college basketball.
• The Bulldogs return 10 of their 11 top scorers from a season ago.
• Butler's roster returns 97.2 percent of its scoring and 96.2 percent of its minutes played from last season.
 
The Bulldogs host Michigan State Wednesday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The match-up is part of the annual Gavitt Tipoff Games, which pairs teams from the BIG EAST against the Big Ten. Butler is 3-0 on the young season, while Michigan State is receiving votes in this week's AP poll.
 
NOT PLAYING GAMES: Butler is 2-1 in the Gavitt Games, including a 2-0 mark at Hinkle Fieldhouse with wins over Minnesota (2019) and Northwestern (2016). The Bulldogs lost at Maryland in 2017.
 
ON THE DEFENSIVE: Butler is allowing its opponents only 53.0 points per game so far this season, a mark which is 25th nationally. The Bulldogs' three opponents have combined to shoot only 23 percent (16-70) from three-point range.
 
BEHIND THE LINE: Through three games, Butler is shooting 40 percent from three-point range, averaging 9.7 makes per game. Jair Bolden is 10-of-17 (59 percent) in 2021-22. Butler shot only 32 percent from behind the arc a season ago.
 
YOUNG GUNS: Both Jayden Taylor and Simas Lukosius got the start in the regular season opener against IUPUI Tuesday night. Freshmen starting in their first Butler game is a rarity. Multiple freshmen starting their first collegiate game at Butler was last done in 2008 (Gordon Hayward, Shelvin Mack, Ron Nored). The only other freshman to start his first Butler game between 2008 and 2021 was Myles Tate in 2020.
 
SHOTS FIRED: The Bulldogs improved to 3-0 on the young season with a 70-59 win over Troy Saturday night at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Chuck Harris and Jair Bolden combined for 44 points. Twenty-eight of the duo's 44 points came in the second half as Butler turned a tied game at halftime into a win.
 
Butler was able to overcome 21 turnovers, including 12 in the first 12 minutes. At that point in the contest, Butler trailed 17-7. The Bulldogs continued to trim the lead and Bryce Nze's 80-foot heave at the end of the first half found the bottom of the net, sending the teams into the locker rooms tied at 23-23.
 
A Harris three-pointer with 6:44 left to play capped a 9-0 run and gave the Bulldogs a 55-44 lead. At that point, Butler had hit 12 of 16 their attempts from the field in the second half.
 
TOUGH SLATE: In addition to a true round-robin format that has Butler playing all 10 BIG EAST foes both on the road and at home, the Bulldogs will challenge themselves significantly with this season's non-conference schedule. Butler will host Michigan State Nov. 17 in the annual Gavitt Games. The Maui Invitational (now being played in Las Vegas) features an opening-round match-up with 2021 Final Four team Houston. The Bulldogs travel to Oklahoma Dec. 7 in the annual BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle. Butler and Purdue, which is No. 7 in the AP preseason poll, will meet Dec. 18 in the Crossroads Classic. 
 
HAPPY RETURNS: Butler returns 10 of its top 11 scorers from last season. In all, Butler's roster returns 97.2 percent of its scoring and 96.2 percent of minutes played from the 2020-21 season. Butler returns five double-digit scorers from a season ago and adds Ty Groce, a graduate transfer from Eastern Michigan. Groce led the Eagles in scoring last season, the sixth player on the Butler roster to average double figures in 2020-21. Butler has six players who will play their fifth season of college basketball during the upcoming campaign -- Aaron Thompson, Bryce Nze, Jair Bolden, Christian David, Bo Hodges, and Ty Groce. Of that group, Nze, Bolden and Groce are in their sixth year of college after previously redshirting and now taking advantage of the additional season of eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
PRESEASON PICKS: The BIG EAST head coaches picked the Bulldogs to finish sixth in the league standings in the preseason poll that was announced as part of BIG EAST Media Day in New York City in October.
 
WHAT WILL HE DO FOR AN ENCORE?: Butler's Chuck Harris was recognized as an honorable mention selection to the 2021-22 All-BIG EAST preseason team. Harris was one of three unanimous picks on the 2020-21 All-BIG EAST Freshman Team, joining Posh Alexander of St. John's and Marquette's Dawson Garcia (Garcia has since transferred to North Carolina). Harris led the Bulldogs in scoring during the 2020-21 season, becoming the first freshman to lead the team in scoring since the 1979-80 season (Tony Warren). Harris led the team in scoring in 17 of his 24 games played, scoring 20 or more points six times.
 
Harris became the third Bulldog to earn a spot on the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team since Butler joined the BIG EAST prior to the 2013-14 season. Kamar Baldwin was also a unanimous selection in 2016-17 and Andrew Chrabascz earned a spot on the 2013-14 team.
 
HOME SWEET HINKLE: Butler is 51-14 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in LaVall Jordan's five seasons as head coach of the Bulldogs.
 
ON THE WAY: Connor Turnbull, a 6-10 forward/center from Missouri, has signed a national letter of intent to join the Bulldogs beginning with the 2022-23 season.
 
Turnbull, from Saint Paul, Mo., stars for Fort Zumwalt North High School, where he earned Missouri Basketball Coaches Association All-State honors for Class 6. As a junior, Turnbull averaged 14.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 5.0 blocks per game, leading the team to a 27-4 record and the Class 6 state semifinals. He shot 34 percent from three-point range. Turnbull helped Brad Beal Elite to a runner-up finish at the 2021 Peach Jam as part of the Nike EYBL circuit.