Michael Ajayi scored 17 points in the first match-up against DePaul on Jan. 20. Photo by Andrew Buckley.
DAVID JACOBS | MANAGING EDITOR | drjacobs@butler.edu
Following arguably its worst showing of the season against Creighton, the men’s basketball team is looking to salvage any sort of positive momentum for New York City on the road against DePaul on March 7.
Here is what you need to know:
Who: DePaul vs. Butler
When: March 7, Noon
Where: Wintrust Arena
How to watch: FS1
What is at stake?
Spoiler alert: not much is at stake for Butler heading into this matinee bout against the Blue Demons.
The Dawgs are currently knotted up with Xavier and Marquette in a three-way tie for the eighth-seed, all but ensuring a return trip to the 8 vs. 9 match-up that commences the conference tourney each year.
However, a loss to DePaul paired with wins by Xavier and Marquette would drop the Bulldogs to the 10th-seed, where they would likely take on Providence.
For DePaul, a win against Butler puts the Demons in a tie for the fifth-seed, where they hold the tie-breaker against Creighton, securing a first-round bye.
Scouting the Blue Demons
In year two under head coach Chris Holtmann, DePaul is sitting at its highest win total since the 2019-20 season, with a chance to reach 20 wins for the first time since 2007.
A former Big East coach of the year with Butler, Holtmann brought the Dawgs to three consecutive tournament berths — including a 2017 Sweet 16 run — before making the Big Dance four more times at Ohio State.
Holtmann leans heaviest on senior guard CJ Gunn, an Indy native and high school teammate of first-year point guard Stink Robinson. Gunn pours in nearly 14 points per game and scored 16 in Hinkle earlier this season in a losing effort.
Outside of Gunn, the Demons have three additional double-digit scorers who can create havoc for opposing defenses. In the first match-up, it was junior guard Layden Blocker who led the charge with an efficient season-high 20 points off the bench against the Dawgs.
To secure the season sweep, Butler will need its continued dominance from graduate forward Michael Ajayi, as well as two other efficient games from anyone else on the roster. Whether it be graduate guard Yame Butler off the bench or a usual suspect like junior guard Finley Bizjack, the Dawgs simply need to get more than one guy going for the win.
