Butler (7-3) vs. #3/4 Purdue (9-1) -- Crossroads Classic
Saturday, Dec. 18;  12PM 
Gainbridge Fieldhouse; Indianapolis, Ind.
TV:  FOX - @TimBrando & @JimJackson419
Radio:  1430AM - @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner)
Varsity Network Radio App, XM390, SiriusXM App 980
 
Full Notes (PDF) à https://bit.ly/3F4viOr
 
The Bulldogs, winners of four straight, make the short drive to downtown Indianapolis for the Crossroads Classic at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Butler and No. 3/4 Purdue will meet in the final edition of the Crossroads Classic, which began in 2011. The tip is set for Noon on FOX; Indiana and Notre Dame will play in the event's second game of the afternoon.
 
THE SERIES: This will be the 60th meeting between Butler and Purdue. In Crossroads Classic match-ups, the Bulldogs own a 4-1 advantage and are 5-1 against the Boilermakers in Gainbridge Fieldhouse (which includes a 2006 Wooden Tradition contest). Overall, Purdue owns a 39-20 advantage in the all-time series that dates back to 1901.
 
The teams last met in the 2019 Crossroads Classic, a 70-61 Butler win. The Bulldogs limited Purdue to 33-percent shooting. The leading scorer for each team in that game return for the 2021 match-up (Bryce Golden for Butler and Trevion Williams for Purdue).
 
Both LaVall Jordan (Milwaukee) and Matt Painter (Southern Illinois) served as head coach for a single season at another institution before returning to their alma mater to lead the program.
 
Purdue Leads, 39-20
Streak: Butler, W1
At Crossroads Classic:  Butler Leads, 4-1
LaVall Jordan (at BU) vs. Purdue: 1-2
First Meeting: Purdue, 41-12 (3/20/1901)
Last Meeting: Butler, 70-61 (12/21/2019)
 
• Butler is 6-4 in the Crossroads Classic; the Bulldogs are 3-0 against Top 10 teams in the event.
• Butler is 12-6 all-time at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
• Butler is allowing only 58.3 points per game so far this season, a mark that is 20th nationally.
• Bryce Golden tied his career-high with 20 points vs. Eastern Illinois Saturday.
• Ty Groce scored his 1,000th career point in the win over Eastern Illinois.
• Aaron Thompson posted the fourth double-double of his career in the win over EIU.
• Thompson is third on Butler's career assists list (484).
• Butler owned a 43-30 rebounding advantage in the win at Oklahoma Dec. 7.
• Chuck Harris scored a season-high 26 points in the win at Oklahoma.
• Myles Tate (torn ACL 3/11) saw his first game action of the 2021-22 season in Saturday's game vs. EIU.
• Butler committed a season-low eight turnovers against EIU Saturday.
• Freshman DJ Hughes had career-highs of six points and six rebounds at Oklahoma in a career-best 23 minutes.
• Jair Bolden is shooting 41.9 percent from three-point range this season, a mark that is 66th nationally.
• Jayden Taylor scored a career-best 21 points in Nov. 24 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.
 
QUITE THE BATTLE: As part of the annual BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle, the Bulldogs picked up a 66-62 overtime road win Dec. 7 at Oklahoma. Chuck Harris led the Bulldogs with 26 points. Butler trailed by 10 points at the half and by 13 early in the second half before clawing all the way back. After Oklahoma forced overtime with a three-pointer with two seconds remaining in regulation, the Sooners took a 62-58 lead in overtime before Butler scored the game's final eight points.
 
ON THE DEFENSIVE: Butler is allowing its opponents only 58.3 points per game so far this season, a mark that is 20th nationally. The Bulldogs' opponents have combined to shoot only 28.4 percent from three-point range, which is 41st nationally.
 
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 and a road game at Oklahoma Dec. 7 in the annual BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle. The Maui Invitational (in Las Vegas) featured an opening-round match-up with 2021 Final Four team Houston. Butler and Purdue, which is No. 3 in this week's AP poll, meet Dec. 18 in the Crossroads Classic. 
 
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.
 
HOME SWEET HINKLE: Butler is 53-15 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in LaVall Jordan's five seasons as head coach of the Bulldogs.
 
The Bulldogs have won 64 of their last 66 games at Hinkle Fieldhouse against non-conference opponents.
 
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.
 
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.