Senior forward Pierre Brooks had 14 points in the loss against Xavier. Photo by Jonathan Wang.
CALEB DENORME | MANAGING EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu
The men’s basketball team continues its road trip with a visit up north to take on DePaul. The Bulldogs took down the Blue Demons earlier this season 86-69 in Hinkle Fieldhouse. Senior forward Pierre Brooks went ballistic in that matchup, going for 29 points, 13 rebounds and two assists.
In their last game, the Dawgs fell to Xavier on the road 76-63. Butler stayed level with the Musketeers for much of the first half, but then the home side pulled away when the Bulldogs’ offense went quiet. The Bulldogs made a few small runs later in the game, but none big enough to mount a comeback.
Here is what you need to know as the Dawgs prepare to battle the Blue Demons:
Who: Butler vs. DePaul
When: Feb. 22, 8 p.m.
Where: Chicago, Ill.
How to watch: FS1
Opportunity to rebound
If there was ever a team Butler wanted to see after a loss, it would be DePaul. The Blue Demons are in the basement of the conference with a 2-14 Big East record, with their only town wins coming against Georgetown and Seton Hall.
Before the Xavier game, the Bulldogs were riding a three-game win streak and building momentum as the postseason nears. Then, Butler’s bubble burst when the Musketeers handled them soundly in Cincinnati.
This game against DePaul offers an opportunity to get back to winning ways against an inferior opponent before the Dawgs come back home to face No. 10 St. John’s. Losing to DePaul would be catastrophic, from both a record and morale standpoint.
Although the Blue Demons are still at the bottom of the Big East, DePaul has shown more fight than in recent years. If Butler wants to grab the victory in this game, its two stars – Brooks and fifth-year forward Jahmyl Telfort – need to step up alongside the rest of the supporting cast. The Bulldogs had Telfort, Brooks and sophomore guard Finley Bizjack clicking, but the rest of the team combined for only 15 points.
This is the ultimate bounce-back game for the Bulldogs, but it will not be a walk in the park. Going into an away environment in the Big East is never a simple task, so Butler will need to play clean basketball to stack another win.
DePaul scouting report
The Blue Demons currently sit at 11-16 on the year, but sit dead last in the Big East with a conference record of 2-14. DePaul is starved for a victory after losing four straight, so it will be hungry for a win in front of a home crowd.
The Blue Demons are led by junior guard CJ Gunn and sophomore guard Jacob Meyer. The backcourt tandem are the only two players on DePaul to average double digits in scoring, with 12.3 and 10.7 points-per-game respectively.
In Butler’s last matchup against the Blue Demons, junior forward NJ Benson was the main scoring threat. Benson went off on the Bulldogs for 20 points and nine rebounds, paired with Gunn’s 16 points and four rebounds.
For Butler to come away from this game with a win, the Bulldogs will have to shut down DePaul’s guards and avoid scoring droughts on offense. The Dawgs face problems in games when their offense goes missing for minutes at a time, so they cannot afford a slip-up against the Blue Demons.
This weekend offers Butler a chance to inch closer to a .500 record, and it starts against DePaul in Chicago.
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