Butler (4-3) vs. Saginaw Valley State (4-2)
Tuesday, Nov. 30;  5PM ET 
Hinkle Fieldhouse; Indianapolis, Ind.
TV:  FS1 - Matt Schumacker & Dickey Simpkins
Radio:  1430AM - @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner)
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Full Notes (PDF)
 
The Bulldogs return to Hinkle Fieldhouse for a Tuesday afternoon match-up with Saginaw Valley State. The game tips at 5 p.m.
 
Butler is 4-3 on the young season and Tuesday's game serves as the Bulldogs' lone home game in a span of almost a month (between the Nov. 17 Michigan State game and the Dec. 11 Eastern Illinois game).
 
THE SERIES: This will be the first meeting between Butler and Saginaw Valley State during the regular season. The teams last met in an exhibition contest Nov. 5, 2016; Butler won that match-up, 77-50.
 
• Butler is allowing only 58.6 points per game so far this season, a mark that is 31st nationally.
• Butler's opponents are shooting only 27.1 percent from three-point range this season, which is 44th nationally.
• 49.7 percent of Butler's attempts from the field this season have been from behind the arc.
• Chuck Harris (foot) is questionable for Tuesday's game. He missed Butler's most recent game vs. Chaminade. Bryce Nze (left shoulder), Bo Hodges (knee) and Myles Tate (knee) will miss Tuesday's game due to injury.
• Butler's nine blocks vs. Chaminade Wednesday were the most by the Bulldogs since a Dec. 21, 2017 win over Western Illinois (nine).
• Jair Bolden's 20 made three-pointers are second in the BIG EAST and 37th nationally.
• Jayden Taylor scored a career-best 21 points in Wednesday's win over Chaminade.
• Taylor is averaging 5.4 free throw attempts per game so far during his freshman campaign.
• Ty Groce scored 18 points on 8-of-9 shooting in the win over Chaminade; the eight made field goals tied a career-high.
• Bryce Golden set season-highs with 16 points and seven rebounds in the win over Chaminade.
• Butler made 12 three-pointers Nov. 13 vs. Troy, the most by the team since hitting 12 against Nebraska in the 2019 NIT.
• 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.
 
END ON A HIGH NOTE: After two losses to open the Maui Invitational in Las Vegas, Butler cruised to an 84-51 win over Chaminade in the final game of the event. Butler shot 63 percent from the field, the Bulldogs' first shooting performance better than 60 percent since a win over Northern Illinois Dec. 8, 2018.
 
Butler went 9-of-18 from three-point range against Chaminade; the Bulldogs have made nine or more three-pointers in five of their seven games this season.
 
ON THE DEFENSIVE: Butler is allowing its opponents only 58.6 points per game so far this season, a mark that is 31st nationally. The Bulldogs' opponents have combined to shoot only 27 percent from three-point range, which is 44th nationally.
 
BEHIND THE LINE: Butler is shooting 37 percent from three-point range, averaging 8.7 makes per game. Butler shot only 32 percent from behind the arc a season ago.
 
HOME SWEET HINKLE: Butler is 51-15 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in LaVall Jordan's five seasons as head coach of the Bulldogs.
 
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.
 
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 challenged themselves significantly with this season's non-conference schedule. The slate included Michigan State Nov. 17 in the annual Gavitt Games. The Maui Invitational (in Las Vegas) featured 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. 2 in this week's AP 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.
 
TOP 10 WINS: The Bulldogs posted a pair of wins last season over Top 10 opponents. Butler defeated No. 8 Villanova, 73-61, Feb. 28 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in the Bulldogs' Senior Day. The Bulldogs also defeated No. 8/6 Creighton on Jan. 16.
 
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.
 
BULLDOGS ANNOUNCED AS PART OF 2022 BATTLE 4 ATLANTIS FIELD: The Bulldogs will participate in the Bad Boy Mowers Battle 4 Atlantis for the third time as the 2022 bracket has been announced. Celebrating its 11th year of elite collegiate tournament play, the 2022 field will include Butler, BYU, Dayton, Kansas, North Carolina State, USC, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. Butler was previously part of the Battle 4 Atlantis field in both 2014 and 2018. The Bulldogs went 2-1 in each event.