Senior guard Posh Alexander had 21 points in a loss to Xavier on Jan. 16. Photo by Jonathan Wang.
CALEB DENORME | ASSISTANT SPORTS EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu
The men’s basketball team returns to Hinkle Fieldhouse on Jan. 20 to take on DePaul in a Big East matchup. Butler looks to improve their record to 12-7 after back-to-back losses to Seton Hall and Xavier.
The Bulldogs sit at ninth in the conference with a conference record of 2-5, only ahead of Georgetown and DePaul. Butler grabbed a statement win on the road against no.12 Marquette but have struggled to gain consistency to stack wins together.
The Dawgs now turn their focus to the Blue Demons of DePaul, who sit at the bottom of the Big East standings.
Here is what you need to know as Butler takes on DePaul.
Who: Butler vs. DePaul
When: Jan. 20, 4 p.m.
Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse
How to watch/listen: FS1, WXNT 1430 AM
Getting back on track
This matchup against DePaul could not come at a better time for this Butler squad. After knocking off Marquette on the road, the Bulldogs dropped two games to Seton Hall and Xavier, both of which were winnable games. For a team with NCAA Tournament hopes, they need a win desperately to stay in the race.
Pierre Brooks and Posh Alexander have been the consistent performers on offense so far. Since the beginning of the conference schedule, Brooks has averaged 15.9 points per game, with Alexander pouring in 11.6 points per game. DJ Davis has also contributed on the offensive end with 13 points per game, but has been hot or cold in recent contests.
The defensive side is where Butler has struggled the most. In four of their five conference losses, the Dawgs have given up 80 or more points. They rank 222nd in total scoring defense this season. Rebounding on the defensive end has also remained an issue. Butler has been outrebounded in every conference game this season except against Georgetown.
The good news for Bulldogs fans is that most of the games Butler lost they were close in. It came down to a few scoring runs, defensive lapses or lack of fouling that led to the Dawgs losing those games. This is an “almost” team right now, but they have the opportunity to take a step in the right direction against DePaul.
DePaul scouting report
The Blue Demons have a 3-14 record and are 0-6 in conference play. They are currently on a five game losing streak heading back to late December. In that span, DePaul’s offense has not eclipsed 70 points once.
The Blue Demons’ main offensive threat is graduate student Chico Carter Jr.. The 6’2 guard is averaging 11.8 points per game on 43.6% shooting from the field. Carter Jr. also has the second best three point shooting percentage on the team, hitting on 37.5% of his shots from beyond the arc. Butler has struggled this season to contain guards, so they need to make sure they do not let Carter Jr. get going.
Another contributor for DePaul is senior Jeremiah Oden. The 6’6 forward averages 9.8 points per game and grabs 4.1 rebounds a game as well. Oden is a dual threat who can get to the rim but also hurt you from deep. He shoots 37.9% from three and is also second on the team in blocks. He will match up well with Jahmyl Telfort and Brooks, so watch out for those battles.
DePaul will be looking to grab their first conference win of the season, so expect a hungry Blue Demons team to show up to Hinkle.
