Butler, coming off its most complete performance of the season with Sunday's win over Georgetown, returns to Hinkle Fieldhouse for a Wednesday night tip against DePaul. 

Butler (9-6, 1-3 BIG EAST) vs. DePaul (7-8, 1-3)
Wednesday, Jan. 4;  9PM
Hinkle Fieldhouse; Indianapolis, Ind.

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THE SERIES: Butler Leads, 17-7
Streak: Butler, W5
At Hinkle: Butler Leads, 8-3
First Meeting: BU, 39-29, 1939
Last Meeting: Butler, 73-71, 2/15/22

Bulldogs vs. Blue Demons
• Butler owns a 16-2 advantage in the series with DePaul since joining the BIG EAST prior to the 2013-14 season. 
• Butler is 8-1 against DePaul at Hinkle Fieldhouse since joining the BIG EAST, including eight consecutive wins. 
• Butler has won five straight in the series. 
• The teams first played in 1939, one of six match-ups prior to becoming BIG EAST foes.

The Bulldogs swept the season series with DePaul during the 2021-22 season as (then) freshman Simas Lukosius led Butler in scoring in both contests. Lukosius hit his final six shots, including a banked-in three-pointer with six seconds remaining, to net 19 at DePaul Feb. 15, 2022 in the Bulldogs' 73-71 victory. It has since been topped, but the 19 points at the time served as Lukosius's career-high. He scored 15 in the 63-59 win at Hinkle Fieldhouse Dec. 29, 2021. Chuck Harris and Jayden Taylor also posted double figures in both wins last season. 

• The 80-51 win over Georgetown was the third-most lopsided win by Butler over a BIG EAST opponent since joining the conference in 2013-14 (89-56, at St. John's, 2/6/16; and 79-46, at DePaul, 3/6/14).
• Butler held Georgetown to 28.8-percent shooting in Sunday's win; it's the third time since joining the BIG EAST that Butler has held a conference opponent under 30-percent shooting (vs. St. John's, 1/27/18 and at Seton Hall, 1/25/17). 
• It was the Bulldogs' best defensive performance against any opponent since limiting Louisiana-Monroe to 23.3-percent shooting Dec. 28, 2019. 
• Jayden Taylor led the Bulldogs with a career-high 24 points at Georgetown, featuring a career-best six three-pointers. Taylor had hit only three combined three-pointers in the team's six December games. 
• Butler's 12 three-pointers at Georgetown were the second-best output of the season for the Bulldogs. Butler was a combined 7-for-42 from behind the arc in the previous three games. 
• The Bulldogs are shooting 50 percent from the field and 38 percent from three-point range in home games this season.
• Butler is 9-0 this season when leading at halftime. 
• Butler is 9-0 this season when scoring 70 or more points.
• Butler is 6-0 when out-rebounding its opponent. 
• Butler has shot 50 percent or better from the field nine times already this season; the Bulldogs hit the 50-percent mark six times all of last season (31 games). In a similar fashion, Butler already has seven games this season shooting 40 percent or better from three-point range, which was only done four times during the 2021-22 season.
• Butler is committing only 12.4 fouls per game, which is third in the nation.
• Manny Bates has 35 blocks already this season, moving him just two away from tenth on Butler's single-season list. 
• Bates is 12th nationally with a 63.8 field goal percentage.
• Bates is 21st nationally in blocks per game at 2.3 per game.
• Bates, Taylor and Chuck Harris have each led the Bulldogs in scoring in at least four games so far this season (includes ties). 
• Butler has placed all five starters in double figures three times this season, with the most recent coming at Cal Dec. 10.
• Butler's 4.8 blocks per game are 39th nationally. 
• After missing the first 11 games of the season, the duo of Jalen Thomas (pulmonary embolism) and Ali Ali (nasal surgery/concussion symptoms) is contributing a combined 13.0 points per game over the four games they have played.  
• Harris ranks third in the BIG EAST in free throw shooting (.867). 
• Harris is now tied with Brandon Crone for 21st in Butler history in career three-pointers (118). 
• Harris posted career-highs of 32 points and six three-pointers in the Dec. 3 win over Tennessee Tech. 
• Bates led the Bulldogs with 22 points and 10 rebounds against Kansas State Nov. 30, his third double-double of the season. 
• Bates is shooting 65.7 percent in BIG EAST play (23-for-35 in four games), good for fourth in the conference.
• Eric Hunter Jr. posted the first double-double of his collegiate career in the Dec. 10 win at Cal; he scored 13 points to go along with a career-high 11 rebounds. 
• Hunter's eight rebounds Sunday at Georgetown led the Bulldogs, his second time leading the team in boards this season. 
• Hunter scored 11 points at Georgetown after registering only four combined points in the team's three previous games. 
• Including his seasons at Purdue, Hunter has 995 career points. 
• Simas Lukosius has yet to commit a turnover in BIG EAST play (four games).
• Among active coaches with at least 10 seasons of NCAA Division I experience, Thad Matta's .737 winning percentage ranks fourth (Few, Self, Calipari). 
• Matta is 19-3 at Hinkle Fieldhouse as the head coach at Butler (2000-01 and the current 2021-22 seasons).