Following back-to-back road games, the Bulldogs return to Hinkle Fieldhouse to host Creighton Saturday afternoon. The tip serves as the second annual Checker Out game, which is a promotion in partnership with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Fans will wear either white or dark shirts based on seating sections to create a checkered flag look to the arena, while an INDYCAR show car, the Borg-Warner Trophy, and the Astor Cup will be on-site. Saturday also is the annual Butler Men's Basketball Alumni Day as a number of Bulldog alumni and their families will be at the game.
 
Butler (7-9, 0-5 BIG EAST) vs. Creighton (9-6, 2-2)
Saturday, Jan. 11 • 12PM
Hinkle Fieldhouse • Indianapolis, Ind.
 
TV: FOX • Jason Benetti & Robbie Hummel
Audio: Varsity Network App, SiriusXM 383, XM App 973 & TuneIn • @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner)
 
• Butler enters the contest following a road loss at Providence Wednesday night.
• Butler has lost eight straight games, which is the program's longest skid since the 1989-90 season. Butler's schedule is currently ranked as the 15th-toughest nationally by KenPom.
• The Bulldogs committed only six turnovers Wednesday night at Providence; Butler has single-digit turnover outputs in five of the last seven games.
• Andre Screen scored the 1,000th point of his collegiate career in Wednesday's game.
• Butler went 15-for-19 from the free throw line (79 percent) at Providence; the Bulldogs have shot 75 percent or better from the charity line in 10 of the team's 16 games this season.
• Butler's average of 17.7 made free throws per game ranks 26th nationally. The Bulldogs attempt 24.0 free throws per game, which is 32nd nationally.
• Butler's 4-for-16 performance from three-point range (25 percent) at Providence was the team's worst mark from behind the arc this season. Butler is 43rd nationally, averaging 37.6-percent accuracy from three-point range on the season.
• Butler has had a player record a double-double in four out of the last five games (Patrick McCaffery, Jahmyl Telfort twice, Screen); four different Bulldogs have posted at least one double-double this season (Pierre Brooks II had one against Merrimack Nov. 22).
• Providence went 10-for-24 from three-point range Wednesday night, as the 41.7-percent mark was the third-best by a Butler opponent this season. It came just one game after the Bulldogs' defense limited St. John's to 1-for-21 shooting from three-point range (5 percent); Butler has eight games this season holding an opponent to less than 30-percent shooting from behind the arc.
• Butler's defense is holding opponents to 40.4-percent shooting from the field and 29.9-percent shooting from three-point range on the season; both of those marks are Top 60 nationally.
• Despite the recent success taking care of the ball, Butler ranks 347th nationally in turnover margin (-4.2 per game) as the team generates only 3.6 steals per game (353rd nationally) and forces opponents into only 7.8 per game (which is 352nd nationally). 
• Telfort's season average of 15.9 points per game ranks seventh in the BIG EAST.
• McCaffery's 41.2-percent accuracy from three-point range is fourth in the BIG EAST and 63rd nationally. He has hit multiple three-pointers in 12 of the team's games, including five twice.  
• Brooks is shooting 39 percent from three-point range on the season, but his accuracy increases to 46 percent from behind the arc in Butler's nine home games. 
• Screen is sixth in the BIG EAST at 1.6 blocks per game.
• The Bulldogs defeated Northwestern and No. 25 Mississippi State in taking the Arizona Tip-Off title over Thanksgiving.
 
'Bout the Bluejays
• Creighton is 9-6 overall, including a 2-2 mark in BIG EAST play with home wins over Villanova and St. John's.
• Eight of the Bluejays' wins have come at home as the team is 0-3 in true road games and 1-2 in neutral site contests.
• BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year Ryan Kalkbrenner leads Creighton at 17.1 points and 8.1 rebounds per game; Steven Ashworth averages 16.8 points and 6.5 assists per game. He has made 56 of his 57 free throw attempts this season.
• The Bluejays make 9.9 three-pointers per game on 34.2-percent shooting.
 
The Series with Creighton
• While a majority of the meetings in the series have come since both programs joined the BIG EAST prior to the 2013-14 season, the teams first met in 1933.
• The two meetings during the 2023-24 season were somewhat of an anomaly as each team won on the road. Overall, Butler is 9-5 at Hinkle Fieldhouse in the series, while Creighton holds an 11-3 advantage in Omaha.
 
Series: Creighton Leads, 18-12
Streak: Creighton, W1
At Hinkle: Butler Leads, 9-5
First Meeting: Jan. 30, 1933; Creighton, 27-22 (at CU)
Last Meeting: Feb. 17, 2024; Creighton, 79-57 (at BU)
 
Tough Slate
• KenPom ranks Butler's schedule as the 15th most difficult nationally (as of Jan. 9).
• The Bulldogs' 2024-25 schedule includes six games against teams ranked in the Top 15 of this week's AP poll (Jan. 6) and an additional seven against teams receiving votes in this week's poll. (Butler has already played four of the six games against those current Top 15 teams.)