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INDIANAPOLIS – The Bulldogs will face the Cyclones in the 2023-24 season opener! Tip-off in Ames is scheduled for 12 PM due to Education Day being held at Hilton Coliseum. Butler will try to knock off an Iowa State program has not lost a season opener since 1994!
 
GameDay
Date: Monday, Nov. 6
Time: 12 PM
Location: Ames, Iowa - Hilton Coliseum
Live Stats: Cyclones.com – Statbroadcast
Watch: ESPN+
 
Bulldog Bits
- Butler defeated Franklin 108-41 in an exhibition game on Oct. 30.
- The Bulldogs forced 31 Grizzly turnovers which resulted in 49 points.
- BU limited Franklin to single digit scoring in the first and third quarters.
- Butler dished out 23 assists on 43 made field goals.
- The Bulldogs shot over 50% from the field in every quarter vs. Franklin.
- All 12 student-athletes that played vs. Franklin made a field goal.
- Butler only missed two shots from the charity stripe (15-17).
- Iowa State defeated Truman State 88-68 in their lone exhibition game.
- Emily Ryan and Nyamer Diew did not play against Truman State.
- Audi Crooks and Jalynn Bristow each had a double-double in the win and Kelsey Joens scored 20 points.
- Sydney Jaynes ranked third among all BIG EAST players in field goal percentage last season (52.6).
- Butler had five players shoot 40% or higher from 3-point range last year and three more shot over 35%.
- BU made 14 3-pointers in their win at Xavier last year, just two shy of tying the school record.
- Caroline Strande was the 10th-best free throw shooter in the BIG EAST last year (77.6%).
 
BIG EAST Preseason Coaches Poll
1) UConn (10) 100
2) Creighton (1) 90
3) Marquette 79
4) Villanova 76
5) Seton Hall 58
6) St. John's 52
7) DePaul 49
8) Butler 37
9) Providence 32
10) Georgetown 20
11) Xavier 12
 
Scouting (RV) Iowa State                                                                                   
The Cyclones are coming off a 22-10 season that ended with a trip to the NCAA Tournament. Iowa State defeated Baylor, #14 Oklahoma and #15 Texas to win the Big 12 Tournament and punch their ticket into the postseason. Head Coach Bill Fennelly enters his 29th season at the helm of a program that is celebrating it's 50th anniversary. The Cyclones have made 21 NCAA Tournament appearances, six trips to the Sweet Sixteen and two runs to the Elite Eight while recording over 800 wins. This year's team was picked to finish sixth in the 2023-24 Big 12 Preseason Coaches Poll. Nancy Lieberman Award Watch List Candidate Emily Ryan is the top returning player on the roster. Ryan averaged 10.6 points per game last season shooting 43 percent from the field and 92.9 percent from the charity stripe.
 
How Do You Diew                                                                                                
Iowa State senior Nyamer Diew began her collegiate career at Butler (2020-21). With the Bulldogs, Diew played in 16 games, making 10 starts. She averaged 5.3 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.
 
All-Time Series                                                                                       
Butler is 0-2 all-time against Iowa State. The first-ever meeting came in game one of the Central Michigan Comfort Inn Chippewa Classic on Dec. 28, 1995. Iowa State recorded an 80-61 victory over a talented Bulldog team that would reach the NCAA Tournament after winning the MCC Tournament. The 1995-96 team was recently inducted (2022) into the Butler Athletics Hall of Fame. The second meeting between the two programs was played on Nov. 26, 2011 with Iowa State posting a 64-44 win over BU.
 
Reunited                                                                                                                
Anna Mortag and Rachel Kent are reunited at Butler after playing together at IUPUI during a historic 2021-22 season. Under the direction of Parkinson, the Jags went 24-5, won the Horizon League Tournament and punched their ticket to the NCAA Tournament. IUPUI took #11 Michigan into overtime at the start of the year and moved forward to defeat #15 Iowa with Mortag and Kent in the mix. New Coordinator of Recruiting and Creative Content Director Madison Wise was also a graduate transfer (Iowa State) on that team.
 
Season Opener
Butler beat Chicago State 84-57 inside Hinkle Fieldhouse last year in the 2022-23 season opener. It marked the first win at the start of the season for the Bulldogs since 2019.
 
Big Ten Transfers                                                                                                 
Ari Wiggins and Lilly Stoddard each left Big Ten programs to join the Bulldogs in 2023. Wiggins was runner-up for Indiana Miss Basketball in 2021 and was a four-star recruit heading to Michigan where she appeared in 37 games before transferring out. Stoddard was also a four-star recruit heading to Purdue for her freshman season. After playing sparingly, she was able to join Butler to play with her sister Abby.
 
Tallest Team in Years                                                                            
The Bulldogs have eight players on the roster standing 6-0 or taller, the most of any team at Butler over the last 15 years! Four of the eight are 6-3 or taller making this one of the tallest teams in program history.
 
Even Split                                                                                                               
The Bulldogs return half of their scoring from last season with eight returners back in the locker room. Of the 14 players that saw court time from the 2022-23 campaign, the eight returners provided BU with 921 points and the seven players that departed accounted for 911 points.
 
3-Point Threat                                                                                        
The Bulldogs led the BIG EAST Conference and ranked eighth in the NCAA in 3-point field goal percentage during the 2022-23 season by making 37.6 percent of their shots from distance. Butler made 227 3-pointers, the fourth-most in the league. They averaged 7.6 made 3-pointers per game, tying DePaul for the second-best mark in the conference.
 
Bulldogs Behind the Arc                                                                                     
Anna Mortag and Caroline Strande placed their names in the Butler record book after their first season with the program. Mortag made 30 of her 69 attempts from 3-point range to shoot 43.5 percent from distance and Strande connected on 23 of her 54 attempts to shoot 42.6 percent from long range. Mortag posted the sixth-best 3-point shooting season at BU and Strande was close behind in eighth.
 
Kendall Coming Up on Career Milestones                                        
The 2023-24 season opener will mark the 75th game of Kendall Wingler's collegiate career. The guard from Ekron, Ky. needs to make just five more 3-pointers to hit 100 in her career. Wingler is also 10 points shy of 500 and nine rebounds shy of 200.
 
Indiana All-Stars                                                                                                   
The Bulldogs have six Indiana All-Stars on the 2023-24 roster. All three incoming freshmen (Norman, Makalusky, Carter) earned the recognition in 2023 and Lilly Stoddard was honored in 2022. Sydney Jaynes and Ari Wiggins round out the group from the 2021 class.
 
Jaynes Made the Jump                                                                         
Sydney Jaynes nearly doubled her production from year one to year two at Butler. In 2021-22 she made 62 field goals, resulting in 143 points. The next year she stepped up with 121 made field goals, helping her score 295 points. Jaynes made 30 more free throws in year two, grabbed 44 more rebounds and dished out 31 more assists.
 
Up Next                                                                                                                  
The 2023-24 home opener will feature Butler hosting Detroit on Sunday, Nov. 12. The 5 PM tip between the Bulldogs and the Titans will stream on FloHoops.com.