The Bulldogs huddle up during a game. They face DePaul at home on Feb. 3. Collegian file photo.
JOSH MULLENIX | STAFF REPORTER | jmulleni@butler.edu
Who: Butler vs. DePaul
When: Feb. 3, 12 p.m.
Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
How to Watch: FS1
Coming off a big road win at Marquette, the Butler men’s basketball team returns home to Hinkle Fieldhouse to face the DePaul Blue Demons. The first matchup between these two teams saw the Bulldogs escape Chicago with a win despite a strong second half surge from DePaul. The Bulldogs are in search of their fourth straight win and look to sweep the season series against the Blue Demons.
Continue to prevent teams from clawing back into games.
During this three-game win streak, the Bulldogs have been able to stand strong in the second half and prevent deep runs that get teams back into the game. Despite a 10-point swing in the second half of the first meeting, Butler never allowed the lead to slip into single digits and they kept the pressure on DePaul until the final buzzer. The same was true against Marquette when Butler extended their 15-point first half lead to 20 by the end of the game. Capitalizing on strong first half performances has been a strength of Butler’s during their three-game win streak.
Contain Max Strus.
Max Strus, the junior guard, put up 27 points on 8-of-17 shooting and 5-of-10 from beyond the arc in the first meeting. Strus played all 40 minutes for the Blue Demons and was the only good thing about the DePaul offense. Team defense was good as Butler held DePaul to 35 percent shooting. Containing Strus will force the Blue Demons to find offense elsewhere, something they struggled to do in their first meeting.
The Bulldogs are in great position in the Big East. Don’t mess it up by losing a game they shouldn’t.
Say what you will about the ups and downs of the season, but Butler has done a fine job all year of winning the games they should. After a big road win at Marquette, the Bulldogs sit at 6-4 in conference play and only two games back of the second place Xavier Musketeers (who they happen to be playing on Tuesday). Taking care of business against DePaul will be crucial for maintaining momentum, but it will also create a situation where the Bulldogs could pull within half a game of Xavier.
