Butler makes the short drive to downtown Indianapolis to meet Wisconsin at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in the 2024 Indy Classic. The Bulldogs are in the midst of a five-game stretch that includes four Top 25 opponents (having played Houston, and with Wisconsin, Marquette and Connecticut upcoming).
 
THE SPECIFICS:
Butler (7-3) vs. #20/22 Wisconsin (8-3)
Saturday, Dec. 14 • 2:30PM
Indy Classic
Gainbridge Fieldhouse • Indianapolis, Ind.
 
FOLLOW ALONG:
TV: Big Ten Network • Dave Revsine & Brian Butch
Audio: Varsity Network App, SiriusXM 389, XM App 979 & TuneIn • @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner)
 
TEXT TO SCROLL THROUGH AT YOUR LEISURE:
• The Bulldogs are 12-7 all-time at Gainbridge, most recently playing in the 2021 and final Crossroads Classic.
• Butler enters Saturday's game with Wisconsin off a loss to North Dakota State; the Bulldogs used a 45-point second half to fully erase a 23-point second half deficit (taking a five-point lead) before falling in the final minutes.
• Pierre Brooks II matched his career-high with 26 points against NDSU; he made four three-pointers for the third time this season.
• Jahmyl Telfort added 23 points for the Bulldogs; Telfort has scored 20 or more points in four of the last five games.
• Brooks and Telfort each scored 20 or more points in the same game for just the second time in their 43 career Butler games played together (also vs. Mississippi State in the 2024 Arizona Tip-Off championship game).
• Butler committed a season-low four turnovers in Tuesday's loss to NDSU; it marked the first time this season that the Bulldogs had fewer turnovers than their opponent.
• The Bulldogs rank 17th nationally in three-point percentage, making 40.1 percent of their attempts on the season.
• Butler ranks 21st nationally, averaging 18.9 made free throws per game. Butler has made 15 or more free throws in each game this season.
• Butler is shooting 76.5 percent from the free throw line this season, which ranks among the Top 50 nationally. The Bulldogs have shot at least 70 percent from the free throw line in each game so far this season.
• Butler's last two opponents (Houston, NDSU) combined for 22 made three-pointers; the Bulldogs only allowed a total of 44 3FGM in the eight games to open the season.
• Telfort leads the BIG EAST in both free throws made (54) and attempted (66), while his 81.8-percent accuracy is eighth in the conference.
• Patrick McCaffery is 37th nationally, making 45.9 percent of his three-point attempts on the season. He has hit multiple three-pointers in eight of the team's 10 games, including five twice.
• Telfort, Brooks and McCaffery rank 1-2-5 in the BIG EAST in minutes played per game.
• Telfort's scoring average of 17.0 points per game is fourth in the BIG EAST.
• Andre Screen is tenth in the BIG EAST at 6.2 rebounds per game, while his 1.1 blocks per game rank eighth.
• Butler's Big 3 of Telfort, Brooks and McCaffery have scored 444 of the team's 732 points this season (60.7 percent of the team's output).
• The Bulldogs defeated Northwestern and No. 25 Mississippi State in taking the Arizona Tip-Off title over Thanksgiving. Butler is 3-1 against power conference opponents so far this season (also defeating SMU) with a non-conference match-up with Wisconsin looming.
• The Arizona Tip-Off title was Butler's first in-season, multi-team event championship since the 2019 Hall of Fame Classic in Kansas City.
• Telfort earned Tournament MVP honors at the Arizona Tip-Off, averaging 23.5 points per game in the team's two contests. Telfort scored 23 in the win over Northwestern and then followed that with 24 in the championship game win over Mississippi State.
 
Wisdom on Wisconsin
• The Badgers are ranked No. 20 and 22, respectively, in the national polls.
• After winning their first eight games of the season, Wisconsin has dropped three straight, which includes a pair of Big Ten games (Michigan, at Illinois) and one to in-state rival Marquette.
• John Tonje leads Wisconsin at 20.8 points per game.
• The Badgers lead the country in free throw shooting (83.9 percent) and make 19.0 free throws per game (19th nationally).
 
The Series with Wisconsin
• Butler and Wisconsin first met in the 1921-22 season.
• Only one of the 31 previous meetings between the two programs came on a neutral court, which was also the most recent match-up: a 61-54 Butler win in the 2011 NCAA Sweet 16 as the Bulldogs ultimately advanced to the second of back-to-back national championship games.
• Butler won at No. 10 Wisconsin (58-44) on Jan. 30, 2001; Thad Matta was the Bulldogs' head coach in that match-up, which came during his first stint leading the Bulldogs (the 2000-01 season). Prior to the 2011 NCAA Tournament match-up, the 2001 game was the last time the two teams met.
• In his 13 seasons leading the Ohio State program, Matta faced Wisconsin a total of 25 times as Big Ten foes; the Badgers held a slim 14-11 advantage during that span.
 
Series:  Wisconsin Leads, 17-14
Streak: Butler, W3
Neutral Court: Butler Leads, 1-0
First Meeting: 1921-22 season; Butler, 26-20
Last Meeting: March 24, 2011; Butler, 61-54 (NCAA Sweet 16)
 
Success Downtown
• Butler's 12-7 record at Gainbridge Fieldhouse over the years includes a 6-5 mark in the Crossroads Classic, which ran through 2021.
• Butler also defeated Notre Dame and Indiana at the Fieldhouse in the 2006 Preseason NIT, ultimately advancing to Madison Square Garden and winning the event.
• Joel Cornette's tip dunk gave the Bulldogs a 66-64 win over Indiana Dec. 29, 2001 in the Hoosier Classic played at the venue. That was the second game Butler ever played at the Fieldhouse, following a win over Samford the night before.