Butler has not made the NCAA Tournament since 2018. Photo by Drew Kosmak.

SAWYER GOLDWEIN | MANAGING EDITOR | sgoldwein@butler.edu

Coming off back-to-back poor showings, the men’s basketball team heads east to face off with Providence on Feb. 4.

Here is what you need to know before the Bulldogs take on the Friars:

Who: Providence vs Butler

When: Feb. 4, 7 p.m.

Where: Amica Mutual Pavilion

How to watch: Peacock

Bubble popped

Butler was building momentum heading into a big-time road tilt with a ranked St. John’s team. With a win, the Dawgs may have found themselves on the right side of the March Madness bubble. Instead, it was a beatdown of the Bulldogs, followed by a home loss to an uninspiring Georgetown squad.

All of a sudden, Butler’s tournament hopes are exactly what they have been for the entirety of Thad Matta’s second tenure as head coach: almost zero.

Now, the Dawgs would essentially need to win out — including their upcoming game against No. 3 UConn — to sneak into the Big Dance. For now, Butler fans will just have to hope for some sense of life from the team, starting in Providence.

Scouting the Friars

Graduate guards Jason Edwards and Jaylin Sellers put up big numbers in Providence’s double-overtime loss at Hinkle in the Big East opener, combining for 10 made threes and 58 points. Both Edwards and Sellers can score at all three levels, presenting a challenge for opposing defense.

The rest of the Friars’ roster lacks consistent shooting ability, but first-year guard Stefan Vaaks is dangerous as both a scorer and facilitator. His length makes switching ball-screens a dangerous proposition for Butler.

Matta will need to find a way to get Finley Bizjack going if Butler is going to win this game. The junior guard shot just 2-of-10 from deep in the previous matchup against Providence, and will likely have to work through a variety of stunts and double-teams.