Butler (9-7, 2-3 BIG EAST) at #25/25 UCONN (11-4, 2-2 BIG EAST)
Tuesday, Jan. 18;  7PM 
XL Center; Hartford, Conn.
TV:  FS1 - @TimBrando & @SteveLavin64
Radio:  1430AM - @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner)
Varsity Network Radio App, XM384, SiriusXM App 974
 
Full Notes (PDF)
 
The Bulldogs conclude their three-game East coast road trip with a Tuesday game at No. 25 UConn, a match-up that was rescheduled from New Year's Day due to COVID issues within the Huskies' program at the time.
 
Following Tuesday's game in Hartford, the teams will turn around and play again on Thursday in Indianapolis.
 
THE SERIES: UConn is 3-0 in the all-time series with Butler. The teams met in the 2011 national championship game in Houston and then twice during the 2020-21 campaign as the Huskies returned to the BIG EAST.
 
UConn Leads, 3-0
Streak: UConn, W3
At UConn: UConn Leads, 1-0
LaVall Jordan (at BU) vs. UConn: 0-2
First Meeting: UConn, 53-41; 4/4/11 (NCAA)
Last Meeting: UConn, 63-51, 1/26/21 (at UConn)
 
• This is the first of back-to-back games between Butler and UConn as the teams will also meet Thursday at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
• The most notable match-up between Butler and UConn came in the 2011 national championship game, which the Huskies won in Houston.
• Butler's Gordon Hayward and UConn's James Bouknight are teammates on the Charlotte Hornets.
• According to KenPom, Butler has played the 18th-toughest schedule in the nation so far this season; six of Butler's seven losses have come to teams currently ranked among the Top 30 in the NCAA NET metric.
• In last season's game at UConn, Bryce Golden scored a (then) career-high 19 points on a personal-best five three-pointers.
• Chuck Harris led the Bulldogs with 15 points at Villanova Sunday, his highest output since scoring a season-best a season-high 26 points in the Dec. 7 win at Oklahoma.
• Jair Bolden's 23 points Thursday at Georgetown were a new high for him in a Butler uniform.
• Butler went 17-of-19 at the free throw line vs. Georgetown; the .895 percentage matched the Bulldogs' season-high.
• Bo Hodges (left knee) returned to action vs. Georgetown Thursday; he had missed the team's first 14 games of the season.
• Golden is shooting 60.6 percent from the field this season, which is second in the BIG EAST.
• Aaron Thompson is the second Bulldog to register 500 career assists (505).
• Thompson's 20 points vs. Xavier Jan. 7 were one shy of his career-high.
• Thompson is eighth in the BIG EAST at 4.1 assists per game.
• Bryce Nze has led the Bulldogs in rebounding in eight of the nine games he has played.
• Jayden Taylor has scored in double figures eight times during his freshman campaign; Butler is 6-2 in those games.
• Taylor is third among freshmen in the BIG EAST in scoring.
 
LAST TIME OUT: No. 14 Villanova shot 60 percent from the field in taking an 82-42 win over Butler Sunday afternoon at Wells Fargo Arena in Philadelphia. The Wildcats made nine of their first 11 three-point attempts and finished 12-for-19 from behind the arc on the afternoon.
 
STARTING THE TRIP: In Butler's first outing on its current three-game road trip, the Bulldogs took a 72-58 win at Georgetown Thursday. Jair Bolden led the Bulldogs with 23 points, which included five three-pointers. That marked a new high for Bolden in his two seasons at Butler. Butler opened the second half by scoring 18 of the first 22 points to take a 50-31 lead with 13:52 remaining in the game.
 
Georgetown entered the game making 38.0 percent of their three-point attempts, which is Top 30 in the NCAA. Butler limited the Hoyas to a 3-of-16 performance from behind the arc Thursday night. Butler's defense held Aminu Mohammed and Kaiden Rice to combined 3-for-25 shooting from the field. Rice entered the game averaging 4.1 three-pointers per game.
 
WEEKLY HONOR: Simas Lukosius was selected as the BIG EAST Freshman of the Week as announced Jan. 3. This is the first weekly honor of Lukosius's career. Lukosius led the Bulldogs to a 63-59 win over DePaul Dec. 29 in the team's only action of the week. The 6-6 guard scored a team-best (and career-high) 15 points. He hit two free throws with four seconds remaining to ice the game after scoring 13 points in the first half. He added four rebounds.
 
Both Jayden Taylor and Simas Lukosius got the start in the regular season opener against IUPUI Nov. 9. 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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
Butler's non-conference opponents include three of the top 14 teams in this week's AP poll (No. 4 Purdue -- Crossroads Classic, No. 14 Michigan State -- Gavitt Games, and No. 10 Houston -- Maui Invitational in Las Vegas). Oklahoma, Butler's BIG EAST-Big 12 Battle opponent, is receiving votes in the poll. Texas A&M, another Maui Invitational opponent, is 15-2.