Butler Bulldogs (10-6, 1-4 BIG EAST) at Xavier (10-7, 2-4)
Wednesday, Jan. 14 • 6:30PM
Cintas Center • Cincinnati, Ohio
 
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Reading to Distract You from Contemplating if Chili and Spaghetti are Interchangeable
• After a weekend off from competition, the Bulldogs return to action Wednesday night in Cincinnati against Xavier.
• Butler lost to St. John's, 84-70, in the team's most recent outing Jan. 6.
• Butler shot 50 percent against the Red Storm -- the team's sixth game this season making at least half their attempts from the field.
• The Bulldogs were done in by 21 turnovers against the Red Storm. Butler entered the game having committed 10 or fewer turnovers in six of the last eight games.
• Butler will face head coaches from the Pitino family in back-to-back games as Rick coaches St. John's and his son, Richard, is in his first season leading the Xavier program.
• Thad Matta served as the head coach at Xavier for three seasons (2001-04) following his initial season as the head coach at Butler.
• Butler assistant coach Mike Pegues was on Chris Mack's Xavier staff for six seasons (2012-18).
• Finley Bizjack scored a game-high 21 points against St. John's, his best output since scoring 26 in the Dec. 13 win over Providence. Bizjack is second in the BIG EAST in scoring at 16.3 points per game and ranks third in the conference with 2.38 made three-pointers per game.
• Michael Ajayi narrowly missed another double-double with 14 points and nine rebounds against St. John's. His 12 double-doubles are second nationally.
• Ajayi also ranks second nationally in rebounding, averaging 12.1 caroms per game.
• Drayton Jones has made 19 consecutive free throws dating back to the Dec. 13 win against Providence. On the season, Jones is shooting 80 percent at the line.
• Evan Haywood has scored in double figures in six of the last seven games. Haywood's average of 2.19 made three-pointers per game is sixth in the BIG EAST. 
• Butler has out-rebounded 14 of its 16 opponents this season. The Bulldogs rank 25th nationally at 41.4 rebounds per game and have a +7.9 rebounding margin (33rd nationally).
• Butler ranks 18th nationally in offensive rebounding percentage according to KenPom, collecting 38.2 percent of their misses.
• Butler has out-rebounded their opponent by at least 10 in seven games this season (after having only six games of +10 or greater rebounding margin all of last season).
• Over the last seven games, Butler is shooting 77.4 percent at the free throw line. The Bulldogs opened the season by shooting only 65.6 percent at the line over the first nine games, shooting 70 percent or better only twice in that stretch.
• On the season, the Bulldogs average 25.6 free throw attempts per game, a mark that is 34th nationally.
• In addition to leading the league in rebounding, Ajayi ranks third in the BIG EAST at 16.1 points per game. His is also among the conference Top 15 in field goal percentage (third), minutes played (fourth), blocked shots (eighth), and assists (13th).
• Including most recently at Creighton Dec. 30, Butler has scored 85 or more points in eight games this season; the Bulldogs average 84.1 points per game, which is 62nd nationally.
• Thad Matta enters Wednesday's game with 496 career wins as a head coach.
• Eight different Bulldogs have at least four double-figure scoring games this season.
 
More on the Musketeers
• Xavier is 10-7 overall and 2-4 in BIG EAST play with wins at Georgetown and at home against Providence Saturday.
• Tre Carroll leads four Musketeers averaging double figures at 15.9 points per game.
• Xavier's assist/turnover ratio of 1.91 is fifth nationally. The Musketeers make 9.8 three-pointers per game, which is second in the BIG EAST.
 
Previously with Xavier
• The first meeting between Butler and Xavier came in 1937; of current BIG EAST teams, only Butler's series with Creighton dates back earlier (1933).
• The two programs have been rivals in three different conferences: the Midwestern Collegiate Conference, the Atlantic 10 for a single season in 2012-13, and in the BIG EAST since the 2013-14 campaign when both programs (and Creighton) joined the league.
 
The Series: Xavier leads, 50-27
Streak: Xavier, W3
In Cincinnati: Xavier leads, 28-5
First Meeting: Jan. 16, 1937; Xavier, 28-26 (at XU)
Last Meeting: March 5, 2025; Xavier, 91-78 (at BU)
 
Up Next
Butler continues a week on the road with a Saturday noon tip at Seton Hall. The Bulldogs return to Hinkle Tuesday (Jan. 20), hosting DePaul.