Tipping Off
• Butler will make its tenth appearance in the NIT; the Bulldogs first played in the NIT in 1958 and the most recent appearance was in 2019. 
• Butler coach Thad Matta won the 2008 NIT title while leading the Ohio State program; his Buckeyes were also part of the field in 2016.
• The winner of the Butler-Minnesota game will meet the winner of Indiana State-SMU.
 
Butler (18-14) vs. Minnesota (18-14)
NIT First Round
Tuesday, March 19;  9PM
Hinkle Fieldhouse; Indianapolis, Ind.
 
TV: ESPNU - Myron Medcalf & Tom Crean
Radio: WXNT 1430AM, Varsity Network Radio App, SiriusXM 389, SXM App 979 - @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner)
 
The Series with the Golden Gophers
• Butler and Minnesota have met four times previously, including twice at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
• Hall of Fame football coach Tony Dungy had two points for Minnesota in a 70-68 (3OT) win for the Golden Gophers vs. Butler Dec. 22, 1973, in a game that served as Minnesota's first trip to Hinkle Fieldhouse.
• Minnesota took an 82-73 win over Butler in the opening round of the 2009 76 Classic in Anaheim; it was one of only five losses that season for the Bulldogs as the team advanced to the 2010 NCAA national championship game.
• As part of the Gavitt Tip-Off Games, Butler defeated Minnesota, 64-56, Nov. 12, 2019 in the most recent meeting between the two programs.
 
Connection Points
• Butler coach Thad Matta posted a 15-7 record against Minnesota during his time leading the Ohio State program.
• Butler assistant coach Mike Pegues and Minnesota guard Elijah Hawkins are both graduates of powerhouse program DeMatha Catholic High School in the Washington, D.C. area.
• Butler freshman Boden Kapke was a finalist for 2023 Mr. Basketball in Minnesota.
• Both Hinkle Fieldhouse and Minnesota's Williams Arena opened in 1928, making them two of the most historic venues still utilized by college basketball programs today.
 
Series:  Minnesota Leads, 3-1
Streak: Butler, W1
At Hinkle: Series Tied, 1-1
First Meeting: Minn., 77-56; 12/9/71 (at Minnesota)
Last Meeting: BU, 64-56; 11/12/19 (at BU)
 
Of Note
• Butler is one of five BIG EAST teams in the 2024 NIT field, joining No. 1 seeds Villanova and Seton Hall, as well as Providence and Xavier. Three BIG EAST teams - UConn, Creighton and Marquette - are part of the 2024 NCAA Tournament field.
• Butler's NCAA NET strength of schedule is No. 15 nationally, while KenPom ranks the Bulldogs' schedule as the nation's 17th-toughest slate.
• Butler played a total of 10 games this season 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 is 1-1 this season against teams from the Big Ten: a win over Penn State as part of the ESPN Events Invitational in Orlando and a road loss at Michigan State.
• Butler made eight of its 10 attempts from the free throw line in the BIG EAST Tournament game against Xavier. On the season, Butler ranks seventh nationally in free throw shooting at 79.2 percent. Butler has shot 70 percent or better from the line in all but one game.
• DJ Davis ranks No. 1 nationally in free throw percentage at 96.9 percent; he has made 60 of 61 free throw attempts since BIG EAST play began Dec. 19.
• Butler matched its season-high with 18 turnovers in the BIG EAST Tournament loss to Xavier. The Bulldogs average only 10.8 turnovers per game and have 16 games this season with 10 or fewer turnovers; the Bulldogs are also 13-5 this season when committing fewer turnovers than their opponent.
• Posh Alexander now has 67 steals this season, which is tied for fourth on Butler's single-season list. Alexander leads the BIG EAST and is 26th nationally at 2.16 steals per game.
• Pierre Brooks II led the Bulldogs with 21 points in the BIG EAST Tournament loss to Xavier. It marked his seventh 20-point game of the season. Brooks leads the team with a 15.0 points per game average, which is 13th in the BIG EAST.
• Brooks led five Bulldogs in double figures against Xavier, marking the eighth time this season that Butler has had five players reach 10+ points in the same game.
• The Bulldogs are 9-1 when shooting 50 percent or better from the field and a perfect 16-0 when shooting a better percentage than their opponent.
• Butler has 13 games this season scoring 80 points or more (including seven games of 90 or more).
• The Bulldogs commit just 13.8 fouls per game, which ranks 12th nationally.
• Alexander is fourth in the conference and 53rd nationally at 4.9 assists per game.
• Jalen Thomas ranks sixth in the BIG EAST in blocks (1.25 per game) and 16th in rebounding (6.2 per game). Thomas has matched his season-high with three blocks in each of the last two games.
• Butler's typical starting five has each led the team in both scoring and rebounding in the same game at least once this season (Davis, Thomas and Jahmyl Telfort have each done it twice).
• Telfort is fifth in the BIG EAST in minutes per game (34:46).
 
Home, Sweet Hinkle
• Butler is 12-5 at Hinkle Fieldhouse so far this season.
• Thad Matta is 35-12 at Hinkle Fieldhouse as the head coach at Butler (2000-01 and his current stint that began prior to the 2022-23 season).
• Butler has scored at least 80 points in eight of its home games this season (going over the 90-point mark five times).
• Butler is 77-2 over its last 79 non-conference home games, winning 15 straight.
 
Hinkle Fieldhouse to Host NIT and WBIT Semifinals and Championship Game
• The NCAA has announced that Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis will be the host for the semifinals and championship game of both the 2024 NIT  and the 32-team Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament, which will be played for the first time in 2024.
• WBIT semifinal and final games will be played April 1 and 3.
• NIT semifinals and the final will be played April 2 and 4.
 
TBT Coming to Hinkle Fieldhouse
• The Basketball Tournament (TBT), the 64-team, $1 million winner-take-all event, announced that Butler University and Hinkle Fieldhouse will host a TBT regional for the first time in 2024.
• The regional will be headlined by Butler alumni team All Good Dawgs, whose roster will feature former Bulldogs great and eight-year NBA veteran Shelvin Mack.
• Butler Regional games will be played at Hinkle Fieldhouse from July 19-24.
 
Freshman Recognition
• Butler guard Finley Bizjack has been selected to the 2023-24 BIG EAST All-Freshman Team.
• Bizjack is the fourth Bulldog to be voted to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team since Butler joined the conference prior to the 2013-14 season: Andrew Chrabascz (2013-14), Kamar Baldwin (2016-17), and Chuck Harris (2020-21).
 
Balancing Act
• Four different Bulldogs (Brooks, Alexander, Davis, Telfort) have multiple 20-point scoring performances this season.
• Butler has had multiple players post 20 or more in the same game four times this season.
• Ten different Bulldogs have scored in double figures in at least one game so far this season.
• Butler's balanced attack has seen at least five players score in double figures in the same game eight times this season, including most recently in the first round of the BIG EAST Tournament against Xavier March 13.