Butler welcomes Illinois Wesleyan to Hinkle Fieldhouse Wednesday night for the Bulldogs' only exhibition in preparation for the 2024-25 season. The tip is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. 

Fans not in attendance Wednesday night can listen to Mark Minner and Nick Gardner call the action with the audio stream available via The Varsity Network and other outlets. 

Butler was picked to finish eighth by the conference's head coaches in the 2024-25 BIG EAST preseason poll. Pierre Brooks II and Jahmyl Telfort were selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team by the league's head coaches. Butler is the only team in the BIG EAST to return its top two scorers from a season ago.

The Bulldogs posted an 18-15 record last season, earning a berth in the 2024 NIT. Butler's regular season opener is set for Monday at Hinkle Fieldhouse when Missouri State visits Indianapolis. 

Illinois Wesleyan, ranked 16th in the NCAA Division III preseason national poll, is coming off a 76-60 exhibition loss to DePaul Sunday night. IWU went 19-8 a season ago, allowing only 64.3 points per game, which ranked 22nd nationally in Division III.

• The Bulldogs' 2024-25 schedule includes seven games against teams ranked in the AP preseason Top 25 poll and an additional eight against teams receiving votes in the preseason poll. 
• Brooks led the Bulldogs with a scoring average of 14.8 points per game during the 2023-24 season; he ranks fifth among scorers returning to the BIG EAST this season. 
• Brooks scored in double figures in 29 of the Bulldogs' 33 games last season, including seven 20-point performances. 
• Brooks finished seventh in the BIG EAST last season in three-pointers made (2.42 per game) and 11th in field goal percentage (.456). 
• Telfort led the Bulldogs in scoring nine times and in rebounding eight times during the 2023-24 season.
• Thad Matta has averaged 24.8 wins per season in his 19 seasons as a head coach.  
• At the conclusion of the 2023-24 regular season, Butler's NCAA NET strength of schedule was No. 15 nationally, while KenPom ranked the Bulldogs' schedule as the nation's 17th-toughest slate.
• In 2023-24, Butler played a total of 10 games against teams who are part of the 2024 NCAA Tournament field; the Bulldogs also played nine games against teams that earned 2024 NIT berths (not including an additional two games against St. John's, who declined a bid to the NIT). 
• Butler ranked seventh nationally in free throw shooting at 79.1 percent during the 2023-24 season. Butler shot 70 percent or better from the line in all but one game. 
• Butler's balanced scoring attack in 2023-24 included eight games when five players reached 10+ points in the same game. 
• The Bulldogs were 9-1 when shooting 50 percent or better from the field and 16-1 when shooting a better percentage than their opponent during the 2023-24 season.
• Butler was 13-2 when out-rebounding its opponent during the 2023-24 season. 
• Butler had 13 games in 2023-24 scoring 80 points or more (including seven games of 90 or more). 
• Kolby King transferred to Butler for the upcoming 2024-25 season after averaging 10.4 points per game for Tulane a season ago; King had 14 games scoring in double figures, including four 20-point games. 
• Patrick McCaffery transferred to Butler after scoring 1,044 points at Iowa. He averaged 8.9 points per game during the 2023-24 season. During his time at Iowa, he started 61 of his 123 games played. 
• Jamie Kaiser Jr. played in all 33 games as a freshman last season at Maryland before transferring to Butler over the summer; he finished second on the Terrapins in steals and third on the team in both three-pointers made and free throw percentage. 
• Kaiser had a successful procedure performed Oct. 25 to address an impingement in his right ankle. He is out indefinitely. A more specific timeline for his return will be determined as he continues to be evaluated and rehabs over the coming weeks.
• Finley Bizjack capped his first season at Butler by being named to the 2023-24 BIG EAST All-Freshman Team. 
• Bizjack had three games scoring in double figures during his freshman campaign, including a season-best 19 points against Marquette Feb. 13. 
• Landon Moore saw action in all 33 games for the Bulldogs a season ago; he matched his season-high with 14 points in the Jan. 10 road win at Marquette. 
• Andre Screen led the Bulldogs with a .580 shooting percentage last season; his season-high of 14 points came in the overtime win over Texas Tech Nov. 30.