Senior guard Posh Alexander scored 21 points against California. Photo by Elle Rotter.
CALEB DENORME | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu
The men’s basketball team returns to Hinkle Fieldhouse on Dec. 15 to matchup against Saginaw Valley State (SVSU). The Dawgs look to improve their record to 9-2 on the season before opening up their Big East schedule against Georgetown.
The Bulldogs are coming off of a double overtime victory over California 97-90. The Dawgs were led by seniors Posh Alexander and Jahmyl Telfort who combined for 41 points. This was Butler’s fifth straight victory.
The Dawgs now set their sights on the Cardinals of Saginaw Valley State, a NCAA Division II school out of Michigan.
Here is what you need to know as Butler takes on Saginaw Valley State.
Who: Butler vs. Saginaw Valley State
When: Dec. 15, 7 p.m.
Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse
How to watch/listen: FS1, WXNT 1430 AM
Preparing to head into the Big East schedule
Butler’s matchup with SVSU is the final non-conference matchup of the season before the Dawgs will head into the Big East slate. This game will prove to be useful for Thad Matta and the Bulldogs to work out some of the mishaps Butler has been committing.
After the overtime victory against Texas Tech, the Dawgs did not put in convincing performances against Buffalo and California. Against the Bulls, Butler allowed Buffalo to cut into the Bulldogs’ 24 point lead to bring the game within five points with three minutes to go. Against California, it took Butler two overtimes to stave off the 3-5 Bears.
While both games resulted in victories, those games did not showcase the performance that the Bulldogs wanted to have. In a tough conference like the Big East, playing at that level will not yield many positive results. That is why this game against the Cardinals will be important in the long run, to work out some issues that the Dawgs have.
This matchup against SVSU will more than likely end up as a huge victory for Butler, but it also will allow rotation players to get more gametime under their belt. Depth will be a huge component heading into conference play, so the Bulldogs will always look for opportunities to get their depth pieces in the game.
Saginaw Valley State scouting report
The Cardinals are a NCAA Division II school that competes in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC). SVSU is 6-3 on the year and was on a six game winning streak before they lost their last game to Northern Michigan. Their banner win this season came against a no. 5 ranked University of Indianapolis squad.
The player to watch for SVSU is redshirt junior guard Toodles Seal. Seal is averaging 17 points per game and shooting 51.5% from the field. From downtown Seal is only hitting on 25% of his attempts, so the Bulldogs will have to limit his ability to get into the paint if they want him to have a quiet night.
Another player to look out for is junior guard Freddie McIntosh. McIntosh averages 14.7 points and 31.9 minutes per game. He will be the long range threat for the Cardinals, as he hits on 38.2% of his shots from beyond the arc.
This Saginaw Valley State team is led by their guards, which has been a problem for the Butler defense so far this season. These are the games where we need to see improvement from the Bulldogs, especially against competition from a lower division.
