The Dawgs retooled with 11 new players on this year’s roster. Photo by Jonathan Wang.  

DAVID JACOBS | MANAGING EDITOR | drjacobs@butler.edu 

The Bulldogs return to the court for the 2025-26 season with a premier exhibition match against Notre Dame on Oct. 17 in Hinkle Fieldhouse.

This exhibition will give head coach Thad Matta a good sense of how he wants to handle the rotations for the season with a roster consisting of 11 new faces. 

Here is what you need to know as the Bulldogs tip off the season against the Fighting Irish: 

Who: Butler vs. Notre Dame 

When: Oct. 17, 7:00 p.m. 

Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse

How to listen: Fuego 92.7 FM 

No need to overreact 

While there will be plenty of new faces playing competitively for the first time in Hinkle, it is crucial not to overreact to a game that ultimately means nothing. The exhibition does not affect either team’s record and will be treated as such. 

“First and foremost, as the head coach, I’ve got to keep the big picture,” Matta said. “I tell these guys every day that I’m coaching for March. So, October 17, yeah, it’s a big night, but do we get better in that game? That’s all I’m concerned about.” 

There will be a balance of first-years playing extended minutes, and just about every healthy player should see the court for both teams. Per Matta, graduate guard Jalen Jackson — who has been dealing with an ankle injury — is expected to play limited minutes while junior center Kevin Ndzie — who has been dealing with a hurt back —  is the only player for the Dawgs who could miss the exhibition. 

“With these games, it’s a bit like an NBA-type exhibition,” Matta said. “We want to play our best minutes, but we want to get the new guys out there too. We got to get them acclimated to the college games. It’s a different game than high school. But also we got to look at the rotations and playing deep, who’s playing well together and who’s doing their job, and who’s not doing their job. So having it as early as it is, I think, will be good for us.” 

Scouting the Fighting Irish 

As for Notre Dame, the Irish are coming off a similarly disappointing season as the Dawgs, going 15-18. 

With the Irish coming to Hinkle, it will be a homecoming for head coach Micah Shrewsberry, who was an assistant under former Butler head coach Brad Stevens from 2007-11. Additionally, Stevens’ son, Brady, a redshirt first-year guard under Shrewsberry, will be playing in the house his dad built for the first time. 

Notre Dame returns an impressive eight players from last year’s team, including leading scorer junior guard Markus Burton — who poured in an ACC-best 21 points per game last season — as well as Shrewsberry’s son, Braeden, a junior guard who averaged nearly 15 per game last year.  

The Irish will also be debuting an impressive first-year class headlined by the 2025 nationally-ranked No. 18 recruit Jalen Haralson. 

Expect a competitive game, with the combined nine first-years from both teams receiving plenty of playing time.