Senior center Andre Screen had 10 points in the win over Seton Hall. Photo by Andrew Buckley.
CALEB DENORME | MANAGING EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu
The men’s basketball team returns home on Saturday for a matchup against the Providence Friars. The Bulldogs fell to the Friars earlier this season in Rhode Island 84-65. Butler went 3-4 since that meeting, and now sits at 10-13 overall and 3-9 in conference play.
The Dawgs seek to add to their win total in this showdown with Providence. Here is what you need to know as Hinkle Fieldhouse prepares to welcome the 11-12 Friars:
Who: Butler vs. Providence
When: February 7, 3 p.m.
Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse
How to watch: Peacock
Starting a win streak
This game is becoming increasingly significant for the Bulldogs as they attempt to win back-to-back games for the first time since early December. Those two victories came against Mississippi State in the Arizona Tip-Off and Eastern Illinois.
Including this game against Providence, Butler only has eight games remaining before the Big East Tournament. If this squad wants to build momentum heading into Madison Square Garden, winning at home against the Friars would be a good start.
Last time out against Providence, the Dawgs were demolished on the boards. The Friars grabbed 17 more total rebounds and eight more offensive boards than the Bulldogs. Poor rebounding paired with shooting 40.4% from the field and 25% from beyond the arc spelled doom for the visiting Dawgs.
Luckily for Butler, the team has a chance to rectify the dismal loss at home in front of a packed Hinkle Fieldhouse. The late-season push in pursuit of better seeding in the Big East Tournament will be on everyone’s minds as the Dawgs take the court. If the Bulldogs want to make noise in the postseason, they need to begin by grabbing victories in these tightly contested conference matchups.
Providence scouting report
The Friars currently sit at 11-12 overall and 5-7 in conference play. Providence lost its last two games against No. 12 St. John’s and Creighton, so it will be looking for revenge on the road against Butler.
The Friars are led by a guard tandem of junior Jayden Pierre and senior Bensley Joseph. Both guards average over 12 points per game and have taken the most shots of anyone on Providence this year. Senior guard Bryce Hopkins returned for three games this season after suffering a torn ACL last year, but has since been sidelined with a bone bruise in his knee and has been ruled out for the remainder of the season.
When it comes to stopping the Friars, the game plan must start with limiting their backcourt. The duo of Pierre and Joseph can carve teams up if the defense is too soft. Butler will need its guards to play tight and tough defense if it wants to have a chance of winning in front of a home crowd.
Saturday afternoons in Hinkle Fieldhouse are a staple in college basketball. The Bulldogs will be hoping they can ride the wave of support to a victory and send Providence back home unhappy.
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