Butler Bulldogs (3-0) at SMU (3-0)
Saturday, Nov. 15 • 1PM CT
Moody Coliseum • Dallas, Texas
 
TV/Stream: The CW • Evan Lepler & Seth Davis
Radio/Audio: 92.7FM, Sirius XM App, Butler Sports App & ButlerSports.com • @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner)
 
The Series: Butler leads, 2-0
Streak: Butler, W2
In Dallas: First Meeting
First Meeting: 1939-40 Season; Butler won, 42-37 (at Hinkle)
Last Meeting: Nov. 15, 2024; Butler won, 81-70 (at Hinkle)
 
What the Bulldogs Have Been Up To
• Saturday's tip in Dallas completes a home-and-home series between the two programs that began exactly one year ago (Nov. 15, 2024) in Indianapolis.
• Butler won last year's match-up, 81-70. Of the 19 players who saw minutes in that contest, only five are part of this year's rosters. That includes Yohan Traore, who played for SMU in the 2024 game and will suit up for Butler in Saturday's contest.
• Butler's Finley Bizjack is from Trophy Club, Texas, which is approximately 30 miles from the SMU campus.
• The Bulldogs have opened the season with three straight 30-point wins. Butler also opened the 2023-24 season with three consecutive wins of 30+ points. Butler's scoring margin of +31.3 points per game is 25th nationally.
• Michael Ajayi has opened the season (and his Butler career) with three consecutive double-doubles. Through Wednesday's games, Ajayi is one of only five players nationally to already have three double-doubles on the season.
• Ajayi ranks tenth nationally at 12.3 rebounds per game; his 9.0 defensive rebounds per game are fifth in the NCAA.
• The Bulldogs rank eighth in the NCAA in rebounding margin (+20.0 per game). The Bulldogs only had six games last season with a rebounding margin of +10 or better but have accomplished the feat in all three games so far this season. Averaging 50.3 rebounds per game, Butler ranks 11th nationally.
• Butler hit 17 three-pointers in Tuesday's 98-66 win over Chicago State. That was just three shy of the program record and the most by the Bulldogs since Butler hit 17 against Northern Illinois in a 95-68 win Dec. 8, 2018.
• Bizjack hit five three-pointers against Chicago State (one shy of his career-high). Both Jamie Kaiser Jr. (matching his career-high) and Evan Haywood (setting a new career-high) hit four three-pointers.
• Kaiser finished with a career-high 16 points against Chicago State. He registered the first double-double of his career with 12 points and a career-best 10 rebounds against USI in the season opener Nov. 5.
• Butler is averaging 34.0 free throw attempts per game, a number that is tenth in the NCAA.
• The Bulldogs are averaging 99.3 points per game on the young season; that ranks 18th nationally.
• Six different Bulldogs have at least two double-figure scoring games for Butler through three contests; that includes both Traore and Azavier Robinson off the Butler bench. The Bulldogs are averaging 43.3 bench points per game, which is 23rd nationally.
• Butler has 11 players averaging at least 12 minutes per game; nine Bulldogs are averaging at least 6.7 points per game. 
• Butler handed out 24 assists on 30 made field goals Tuesday night against Chicago State. The team is averaging 20.0 assists per game (30th nationally).
• Butler had 11 blocks in the Nov. 8 win over IU Indy, the most by the Bulldogs since they also had 11 in a Nov. 19, 2022 win over The Citadel. The Bulldogs are averaging 6.7 blocks per game, which is 21st nationally.
• Butler's 112 points Nov. 8 against IU Indy are the most by the Bulldogs since scoring 144 in a win over The Citadel Nov. 14, 2015.
• Butler's 61 points in the second half of the Nov. 8 win against IU Indy is the first 60-point half for the Bulldogs since Nov. 6, 2023 against Eastern Michigan.
• In the season-opener vs. USI Nov. 5, Ajayi and Kaiser became the first Butler duo to post double-doubles in the same game since Aaron Thompson and Bryce Nze accomplished the feat Feb. 9, 2021 against St. John's.
• Butler opened the season Nov. 5 against USI by scoring the first 17 points of the contest.
• Butler limited USI to 29-percent shooting Nov. 5; the Bulldogs last held an opponent to less than 30-percent shooting Nov. 22, 2024 (against Merrimack).
 
Musing on the Mustangs
• SMU is 3-0 on the season with wins over Tarleton State, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, and Murray State.
• The Mustangs do a lot of damage at the free throw line as they lead the NCAA in makes per game (27.0), are 13th in attempts per game (33.3), and 21st in free throw percentage (.810).
• SMU is scoring 89.0 points per game while surrendering 75.0 per game to opponents.
• Boopie Miller, at 20.7 points per game, leads five Mustangs averaging double figures. Miller ranks in the Top 10 nationally in free throws made and attempted so far this season.
 
One Year Ago
• Six Bulldogs scored in double figures as Butler used a strong performance down the stretch to post an 81-70 win over SMU Nov. 15 at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
• Jahmyl Telfort led the Bulldogs with 19 points, adding six rebounds and five assists.
• After seven straight points gave SMU its first lead of the second half at 50-48 with 13:11 remaining in the game, Butler responded with a 16-2 run to make it 64-52 in favor of the home team.
• Butler went 19-for-24 from the free throw line (79 percent).
• The Bulldogs made 12 three-pointers (on 26 attempts) compared to only five for SMU.
 
There's No Place Like Hinkle
• Butler is 85-5 in their last 90 home games against non-conference teams.
• Thad Matta is 27-4 at Hinkle Fieldhouse against non-conference opponents as Butler's head coach (which includes the 2000-01 season and since his return in 2022).
 
Up Next
The Bulldogs will play South Carolina and Virginia in the Greenbrier Tip-Off Nov. 21 and 23, respectively, before returning to Hinkle for a Nov. 28 tip against Wright State.