Sophomore guard Finley Bizjack had 17 points in Butler’s loss vs. UConn. Photo by Andrew Buckley.
CALEB DENORME | MANAGING EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu
The men’s basketball team returns home after a loss against UConn to face the DePaul Blue Demons. The Dawgs have an 8-11 record, and are 1-7 in Big East play so far this season. Butler has only won two games since early December.
The Bulldogs seek to grab their second Big East win of the season and inch closer to .500 with this matchup against DePaul.
Here’s what you need to know as the Dawgs prepare to scrap with the Blue Demons:
Who: Butler vs. DePaul
When: January 25, 4 p.m.
Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse
How to watch: CBS Sports Network
Building momentum
Although Butler lost its previous game against the No. 19 UConn Huskies, the Bulldogs have some positives to take away from that contest.
The Huskies led the way for most of the game and even opened up a 15-point lead in the first half, but the Dawgs fought back and even took the lead as time wound down in the second half. Unfortunately for Butler fans, the Bulldogs could not finish the job on the road and ultimately lost.
In the loss though, the Dawgs showed an intensity and toughness that fans had not seen very much, if at all this season. Butler played hard defense, dove on the floor after loose balls and got physical with the Huskies. After going down by a sizable margin in the first half, the Bulldogs easily could have quit. Instead, Butler battled back into the game and gave UConn a run for its money.
If the Dawgs can look past the result and see how their high-octane play almost gave them a win against a ranked opponent, this season could take a turn for the better. Butler will need to keep up that high-energy spirit, because the Big East slate is merciless.
DePaul scouting report
The Blue Demons currently have a 10-10 record, but are just 1-8 in Big East conference play. DePaul’s lone conference win came against Georgetown, but since then the Blue Demons got blown out at home by Creighton. DePaul’s record is already vastly improved from last season, when the Blue Demons went an abysmal 3-29 overall and 0-20 against the Big East.
DePaul is led by a guard tandem of sophomore Jacob Meyer and junior CJ Gunn. Meyer averages 13 points per game on 41.4% shooting from the field, and 37.7% from beyond the arc. The sophomore has also attempted the most three-pointers on the team so far this season. Gunn averages 11.5 points per game on 41.7% shooting and is second on the team in shots attempted.
With most of the Blue Demons’ scoring output coming from the backcourt, the emphasis will be on Butler’s guards to limit those scoring chances. If the Bulldogs can contest shots and rebound, they will be in good shape to win this game.
Commentaires