Butler beat Providence in the opening round of last season’s Big East tournament. Photo by Alyson Swearingen.
SAWYER GOLDWEIN | SPORTS EDITOR | sgoldwein@butler.edu
After a surprising home loss to Boise State, the men’s basketball team is ready for its next opportunity to get in the win column. The Bulldogs jump into Big East play with a clash against Providence on Dec. 12.
Here is what you need to know before the Dawgs take on the Friars:
Who: Butler vs. Providence
When: Dec. 12, 2 p.m.
Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse
How to watch: TNT and TruTV
Avoiding déjà vu
After eight games last season the Bulldogs were 7-1. Then they marched into Houston for their toughest matchup to date and got trounced by 28 points. Butler never recovered, as the loss was the first of nine straight. That plummeted the Dawgs below .500, where they remained for the rest of the season.
After eight games this season the Bulldogs were 7-1. Then Boise State cruised into Hinkle Fieldhouse and beat Butler by nine. Now, it is up to the Dawgs to respond accordingly and avoid an all-too-familiar fate.
That starts with getting off on the right foot by picking up a win against Providence.
Scouting the Friars
Picked to finish fourth in the Big East’s preseason Coaches’ Poll, it has been a disappointing season for head coach Kim English and Providence.
The Friars are 7-4, with their only power-conference win coming against lowly Penn State. Providence’s most recent result was a seven-point home win against Brown.
Graduate guard Jason Edwards is the Friars’ catalyst, averaging 18 points per game. He forms a dangerous, experienced backcourt in tandem with fellow graduate guard Jaylin Sellers, who is fresh off an appearance on the weekly Big East Honor Roll.
Providence sports a high-powered offense, but that is counteracted by a porous defense. The Friars are especially vulnerable from behind the three-point arc, giving up triples at a 37.8% clip. Junior guard Finley Bizjack and Butler will look to exploit that. The Dawgs enter the contest shooting 39% from deep, No. 21 in the nation.
If the Bulldogs can knock down their shots and prevent an offensive explosion from the Providence backcourt they should pass their first conference test with flying colors.
