Butler opens the 2026-27 regular season and the Ronald Nored Era officially Monday night, hosting Lafayette at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Butler is 88-6 in their last 94 home games against non-conference teams. 
 
Butler Bulldogs (0-0, 0-0 BIG EAST) vs. Lafayette Leopards (0-0, 0-0 Patriot)
Monday, Nov. 2 • 7PM
Hinkle Fieldhouse • Indianapolis, Ind.
TV/Stream: ESPN+ • Anthony Mazzini & Joey Brunk
Radio/Audio: Fuego 92.7FM, Butler Sports App, SiriusXM App 985 & ButlerSports.com • @MarkMinner & Nick Gardner (@n_gardner)
 
The Series: First Meeting
• When Butler won the 2006 NIT Season Tip-Off, the Bulldogs and Lafayette were both assigned to the Indianapolis pod. Butler defeated Notre Dame and Indiana to advance to the semifinals at Madison Square Garden without playing the Leopards.
• Monday will be Butler's first match-up against Lafayette but the Bulldogs are 7-2 all-time against current members of the Patriot League. That dates back to a win over Boston U during the 1937-38 season and the most recent tip came against Bucknell in 2016 (a win at Hinkle Fieldhouse).
 
Not to be 'Ig-NORED'
• Butler's preseason included three exhibitions, a win over Indiana State and losses to Indiana and Ohio State.
• Jalen Jackson scored a total of 63 points in 82 combined minutes during the preseason, making 23 of his 42 attempts from the field (55 percent).
• Jackson scored a game-high 27 points at Ohio State Oct. 25 in the team's final exhibition tip. The graduate student scored at least 17 points in each of the three preseason games.
• Jackson was one of five Bulldogs to reach double figures in at least one of the exhibitions, joining Jordan Ellerbee (twice), Drayton Jones, Treyson Anderson, and Eduardo Klafke.
• Utilizing 19 offensive rebounds, Butler held a 42-33 advantage on the boards over Ohio State Oct. 25; seven Bulldogs had four or more rebounds, led by Jones with seven.
• Jones had a game-high nine rebounds in the Oct. 18 exhibition win over Indiana State; he averaged 6.3 rebounds per game during the three preseason games. Anderson and Klafke also averaged more than 5.0 rebounds per game during exhibition play.
• The Bulldogs held a 46-20 advantage in points in the paint and out-rebounded visiting Indiana State, 44-29, in the Oct. 18 win.
• Samu Adler missed four weeks (and the team's first two exhibitions) with a broken finger on his left hand. He made his Butler debut in the Oct. 25 exhibition at Ohio State, handing out a game-high five assists to go along with four rebounds.
• Ellerbee scored 16 points in the exhibition opener against Indiana Oct. 11 and followed that with 14 points in the Oct. 18 exhibition win over Indiana State.
• Nored was hired in March at his alma mater after spending the last decade on NBA coaching staffs.
• Butler's roster has four players from Indiana, five players from five other states, and a total of six international players from five different countries.
• The Bulldogs return five players from last season's roster, headlined by Jones and Jackson.
• Jones was one of two Bulldogs to start all 32 games during the 2025-26 season. He led the team by shooting 59 percent from the field last season.
• Jackson led the Bulldogs to a 5-1 start in 2025-26 before his season was ended due to surgery on his left ankle.
• Butler's 10 newcomers include five NCAA transfers, three international players who have yet to play NCAA basketball, and two domestic freshmen.
• Butler's non-conference regular season schedule includes five power conference opponents: on the road at North Carolina and Boise State, on a neutral court against Nebraska and Georgia Tech, and at home against Pittsburgh.
• Butler's regular season schedule currently includes 10 games against teams in the AP Top 25 or receiving votes in the preseason poll (in addition to exhibition opponents Ohio State and Indiana, who are both receiving votes)
• Butler will play 20 BIG EAST games, facing all 10 conference opponents both at Hinkle Fieldhouse and on the road.
• Asim Djulovic starred for Mega Superbet in the AdmiralBet ABA and KLS leagues in his native Serbia. He averaged 12.7 points and 4.8 rebounds per game.
• Adler led his Salon Vilpas team to the Korisliiga league title in his native Finland, earning Player of the Year honors while also being named Finals MVP. He averaged 16.3 points per game during the season.
• Adler played on the Finland National Team in both Feb./March and July, 2026 in qualifying rounds for the 2027 FIBA World Cup.
• Three of the team's incoming transfers averaged double figures last season: Treyson Anderson at North Dakota State, Jordan Ellerbee at Florida Gulf Coast, and Christian Moore at The Citadel; the other two transfers arrive from power conference programs: Eduardo Klafke (Ole Miss) and Samis Calderon (Kansas).
• Anderson shot 36 percent from three-point range and was third in the Summit League in blocked shots during the 2025-26 campaign at NDSU.
• Ellerbee set the freshman season scoring record at FGCU (446 points), which included a 42-point game against Kennesaw State Nov. 26, 2025.