The first roadtrip of 2025 takes the Bulldogs to Queens for a Saturday tip against St. John's.
 
Butler (7-7, 0-3 BIG EAST) at rv/rv St. John's (11-3, 2-1)
Saturday, Jan. 4 • 2PM
Carnesecca Arena • Queens, N.Y.
 
TV: FS1 • Dave Sims & Tarik Turner
Audio: Varsity Network App, SiriusXM 383, XM App 973 & TuneIn • @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner)
 
• Jahmyl Telfort registered a 25-point, 10-rebound double-double in Wednesday's loss to Villanova. It marked Telfort's second double-double of the season and the third of his career.
• Telfort's season average of 16.1 points per game ranks ninth in the BIG EAST.
• Telfort's six assists against Villanova were a game-high. Telfort has led the Bulldogs in assists in three straight games, in six of the team's most recent seven games, and eight times this season.
• Villanova closed Wednesday's game on a 22-1 run in taking the 73-65 decision.
• The Bulldogs are currently on a six-game losing skid. 
• Andre Screen enters Saturday's game just shy of a milestone with 991 career points. 
• Butler's Kolby King, who transferred into the program from Tulane during the most recent offseason, played his freshman season at St. John's (2022-23).
• Over the last five games, Butler has committed only 38 total turnovers (7.6 per game).
• Butler shot only 52 percent from the free throw line (12-23) in the loss to Villanova; the Bulldogs entered the game shooting 76.7 percent at the line on the season.
• Butler's average of 18.5 made free throws per game ranks 20th nationally. The Bulldogs attempt 24.6 free throws per game, which is 24th nationally.
• Telfort leads the BIG EAST in both free throws made (66) and is second in free throws attempted (84). Telfort is tenth in the BIG EAST in free throw accuracy at 78.6 percent; teammate Pierre Brooks II is sixth at 82.7 percent.  
• Butler had four different players hit multiple three-pointers as the team went 9-for-28 from behind the arc vs. Villanova Wednesday; for the season, Butler's 38.4-percent accuracy from three-point range ranks 28th in the country.
• Screen had the best game of his Butler career in the Dec. 21 loss to UConn. Screen's 17 points and 10 rebounds were his respective highs in a Butler uniform (his career-highs came while at Bucknell).
• The double-double was his first in a Butler uniform, while Screen also matched his career-high with four blocks and set a new career-best with nine made free throws (going a perfect 9-for-9).
• Screen is sixth in the BIG EAST at 1.6 blocks per game, while his 6.0 rebounds per game rank tenth.
• Patrick McCaffery's 42.2-percent accuracy from three-point range is 60th nationally. He has hit multiple three-pointers in 10 of the team's games, including five twice.  
• Telfort's seven assists against UConn tied for the most handed out by a Butler player this season.
• King pulled down eight rebounds against UConn; he has six or more rebounds in six of Butler's last nine games.
• Telfort leads the BIG EAST in minutes played at 35:15 per game; McCaffery (fifth) and Brooks (eighth) are also among the conference leaders.
• Despite committing only 11.7 turnovers per game, Butler ranks 347th nationally in turnover margin (-4.1 per game) due to forcing opponents into only 7.6 per game (which is 352nd nationally).
• The Bulldogs defeated Northwestern and No. 25 Mississippi State in taking the Arizona Tip-Off title over Thanksgiving.
• The Bulldogs closed the 2024 portion of the schedule with a five-game stretch that included four Top 25 opponents (Houston, Wisconsin, Marquette, Connecticut).
 
Read About the Red Storm
• St. John's is receiving votes in both national polls this week.
• The Red Storm had won six games in a row prior to a New Year's Eve road loss to Creighton (57-56).
• St. John's is fourth nationally, averaging 6.1 blocks per game. The Red Storm force 15.9 turnovers per game, which is also among the Top 30 nationally; the team's 9.6 steals per game rank 24th.
• The Red Storm's 14.6 offensive rebounds per game rank 16th nationally. Zuby Ejiofor leads the nation at 4.5 offensive rebounds per game.
• Four players average double figures for St. John's, led by RJ Luis Jr. at 16.3 points per game.
 
The Series with St. John's
• All but one meeting in the series has come since Butler joined the BIG EAST prior to the 2013-14 season.
• That first meeting came in the 1958 NIT (a 78-68 St. John's win). Tony Hinkle coached Butler in that game. Lou Carnesecca would join the St. John's staff as an assistant coach the next season.
 
Series:  St. John's Leads, 13-11
Streak: St. John's, W3
At SJU: St. John's Leads, 8-3
First Meeting: March 13, 1958; SJU, 78-68 (NIT)
Last Meeting: Feb. 28, 2024; SJU, 82-59 (at BU)