--/rv Butler Bulldogs (5-1) vs. Wright State (4-3)
Friday, Nov. 28 • 2PM
Hinkle Fieldhouse; Indianapolis, Ind.

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TV/Stream: ESPN+ • Greg Rakestraw & Joey Brunk
Radio/Audio: 92.7FM, Sirius XM App, Butler Sports App & ButlerSports.com • @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner)

Read This To Counteract the Tryptophan
• The Bulldogs picked up wins over South Carolina and Virginia to win the 2025 Greenbrier Tip-Off over the weekend.
• Butler is receiving votes in the national coaches poll for the first time this season. 
• Michael Ajayi earned both BIG EAST Player of the Week and USBWA Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week honors after averaging 16.0 points, 14.0 rebounds and 2.5 blocks per game in Butler's two wins at the Greenbrier. 
• Ajayi has opened the season (and his Butler career) with six consecutive double-doubles. 
• Ajayi ranks fourth in the nation, averaging 12.5 rebounds per game. His average of 9.5 defensive rebounds per game leads the country. 
• Finley Bizjack led the Bulldogs in scoring in both games at the Greenbrier Tip-Off with 18 points in the win over South Carolina and 25 points in Sunday's triumph over Virginia. Bizjack is averaging 20.8 points per game over Butler's last four outings. Two of Bizjack's three career 20-point games have come during this four-game stretch.
• In Butler's two wins at the Greenbrier Tip-Off, Jamie Kaiser Jr. registered more steals (seven over two games) than misses (four over two games - combined 6-for-8 from the field and 6-for-8 from the free throw line).
• Butler out-rebounded Virginia, 43-39, Sunday. Both teams entered the contest among the nation's Top 10 in rebounding margin. Butler dominated the glass with a 48-29 rebounding advantage in Friday's win over South Carolina. 
• Butler has out-rebounded all six of its opponents on the young season. The Bulldogs rank 11th in the NCAA in rebounding margin (+13.8 per game). The Bulldogs only had six games last season with a rebounding margin of +10 or better but have accomplished the feat in four games so far this season. 
• The Bulldogs are among the national leaders in total rebounds per game (46.0; seventh) and offensive rebounds per game (16.0; ninth). 
• Butler's offensive rebounding percentage of 43.8 percent is sixth nationally according to KenPom. 
• The Bulldogs went to the free throw line 34 times against South Carolina Friday and followed that with 29 free throw attempts against Virginia Sunday. On the season, Butler is averaging 31.3 free throw attempts per game, which is seventh in the country. 
• Butler's season free throw percentage of 66.0 percent ranks only 307th nationally. However, due to the volume of attempts, the Bulldogs still average 20.7 makes per game (which is 30th nationally). 
• Butler is shooting 40.3 percent from three-point range as a team on the season, which is 20th in the country. 
• The 79 points scored by Butler in Friday's win over South Carolina were a season-low for the Bulldog offense. Butler is averaging 90.3 points per game (36th in the country).
• Butler's defense has guarded the arc well this season; only one of the Bulldogs' six opponents has shot better than 31 percent from three-point range. 
• In addition to Ajayi's 14 rebounds Sunday against Virginia (which tied his season-high), Kaiser matched his career-high with 10 rebounds and Drayton Jones set a new season-high with nine boards. 
• Six different Bulldogs have at least two double-figure scoring games for Butler through five contests; that includes both Yohan Traore and Azavier Robinson off the Butler bench. Evan Haywood has one double-figure scoring performance this season, which also came off the bench. 
• Butler has 10 players averaging at least 10 minutes per game.
• Kaiser finished with a career-high 16 points against Chicago State Nov. 11. 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. 

Hello, Old Friend
• Butler and Wright State have played 43 times previously.
• All 43 of those tips came as conference opponents in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference/Horizon League from the 1994-95 through 2011-12 seasons prior to Butler departing for the Atlantic 10 (and ultimately the BIG EAST Conference). 
• Wright State has a pair of Associate Head Coaches in Travis Trice and Dan Bere... and both have connections to Butler.
• Trice started his playing career at Purdue before transferring to Butler for the 1993-94 and 1994-95 seasons. Trice led the Bulldogs in assists both seasons and was the 1994-95 Team MVP. He was in a Bulldog uniform for the first match-up in program history against Wright State (Feb. 23, 1995). 
• Bere was a member of Butler's coaching staff during the 2013-14 season. 

The Series: Butler leads, 27-16
Streak: Butler, W4
First Meeting: Feb. 23, 1995; Wright State, 83-79 (at WSU)
Last Meeting: Feb. 28, 2012; Butler, 70-52 (Horizon League Tournament; Hinkle Fieldhouse)

What's 'Wright' with State
• Wright State has won three of its last four games (with its only loss during that stretch in overtime) to post a 4-3 record so far this season. 
• Michael Cooper leads the Raiders in scoring at 14.3 points per game. Michael Imariagbe is the other WSU averaging double figures (11.3). TJ Burch averages 3.17 steals per game, which is among the Top 10 nationally. 
• Wright State enters Friday's game allowing only 62.7 points per game (21st nationally). 
• The Raiders have been effective both shooting the three (39.0 percent; 34th nationally) and defending the arc (26.3 percent; 28th). 

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 continue the homestand at Hinkle, hosting Eastern Michigan Tuesday night (Dec. 2).