Sophomore center Boden Kapke had 13 points in the Bulldogs’ loss against Creighton. Photo by Jonathan Wang.
CALEB DENORME | MANAGING EDITOR | cdenorme@butler.edu
The men’s basketball team continues its Big East march with a home matchup against Seton Hall. The Dawgs are in the middle of a dismal nine-game losing streak, with their last win coming on Dec. 3 against Eastern Illinois.
The Bulldogs seek to defend Hinkle Fieldhouse and earn their first win of 2025 against the Seton Hall Pirates.
Here is what you need to know as Butler prepares to battle the Pirates:
Who: Butler vs. Seton Hall
When: January 15, 7 p.m.
Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse
How to watch: FS1
Toughness and a strong mentality
A main catalyst of Butler’s losing streak has been the way opponents have out-muscled the Dawgs. The Bulldogs have been pushed around by every single opponent during this nine-game streak, so Butler will need to play tougher to get a much-needed victory.
Rebounding and turnovers are a consistent struggle for the Dawgs, with both problems showing up at different times. There will be games where the Bulldogs rebound well, but turn the ball over 20 times. Other times Butler will limit its giveaways, but get blitzed on the boards.
For the Dawgs to become a complete team that can finish games, they must learn to be tougher on the glass and be smart with the ball. When the giveaways and missed rebounds happen, Butler needs to keep a good mentality as well. The Bulldogs are too often dropping their heads after a bad play instead of moving on to the next. This allows opponents to attack in those lapses of concentration and get easy opportunities at the rim.
If there was ever a game to get a win, this matchup with Seton Hall is extremely promising. The Pirates have been dismal this season, so Butler will be looking to end the streak at home in front of a noisy Hinkle crowd.
Seton Hall scouting report
The Pirates come into this game with a 6-10 overall and a 1-4 conference record and their lone Big East win came in overtime against basement-dwellers DePaul. Seton Hall finished last season with a 25-12 record, crashing out in the first round of the Big East tournament before winning the NIT with wins over North Texas, UNLV, Georgia and Indiana State.
The Pirates are led by a pair of guards, sophomore Isaiah Coleman and graduate Chaunce Jenkins. Coleman leads the team in points and rebounding, averaging 15.7 points and five rebounds per game. Also adding production out of the backcourt, Jenkins averages 11.3 points per game and is the Pirates’ main three-point threat, taking a team-high 66 shots from long range this season.
This is a depleted Seton Hall team compared to the squad that conquered the NIT last season. Losing guard Kadary Richmond in the transfer portal to St. John’s and guard Al-Amir Dawes’ graduation hurt this team significantly. Both guards averaged over 15 points per game last season, leaving a sizable scoring gap for the new squad to fill.
This is a winnable game for Butler. Seton Hall has struggled this season and has found it hard to get wins in Big East play. If there was ever a time for the Bulldogs to stand up and grab a victory in front of their home crowd, it’s this game against the Pirates. Fans of the Dawgs will be hoping the Hinkle crowd will spur their team to a win for the first time in 43 days.
