Butler vs. Franklin game recap: Bulldogs route visiting Franklin 98-43

INDIANAPOLIS -- Wrapping up this season’s exhibition schedule, the Butler men’s basketball team scored early and often en route to a 98-43 victory over the visiting Franklin Grizzlies at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday.

After streamrolling Chicago last weekend, the Bulldogs picked up where they left off as five Butler players scored in double digits for the second straight game. Senior Kameron Woods dominated an undersized Franklin lineup in the post, finishing with 18 points, five rebounds, three steals and a block.

Freshman guard Kelan Martin shook off a poor shooting performance against Chicago to tie with Woods for a game-high 18 points on 5-9 shooting. Martin, who has shown the ability to hit threes with deadly accuracy in practice, shot 50% from deep as he sunk three of his six attempts beyond the arc.

As a team, the Bulldogs shot an impressive 63.6 percent from the field, including a 41.2 percent mark from three. Butler capitalized on the Grizzlies’ inability to take care of the ball, scoring 41 points off of 30 Franklin turnovers.

Butler coach Chris Holtmann said after the game that exhibition tune-ups help the team to practice good habits for the regular season. "It’s a lot of what we talk about doing our job on each possession," Holtmann said. "We know the competition, come here on Saturday, will be much different and it’s our job to have a great week of preparation."

Freshman forward Tyler Wideman, who missed last week’s game due to a concussion, made his Butler debut count as he added 17 points on 7-8 shooting off of the bench. Junior guard Kellen Dunham finished with 14 points and added four rebounds and two assists to the Butler total.

As the team looks ahead, Holtmann said that they’ve learned some valuable lessons for the regular season. "I think coming out of today, we need to take care of the ball better," Holtmann said. "We were a little bit loose with the ball at times offensively, and I think defensively that our guys understand that we have a lot to prove."

The Grizzlies failed to have a single player score in double-digits, and were led by guard Trae Washington, who finished with seven points and three assists. Franklin often appeared overmatched, especially down low, as the Bulldogs outscored the Grizzlies 57-12 in the paint.

Butler will kick off their regular season schedule at home next weekend against Maine on Saturday, November 15. The game will begin at 4:30 p.m. and can be seen on Fox Sports 2.

NOTES

• For the second straight game, Kameron Woods dominated opposing defenders beneath the hoop, scoring most of his points on dunks and looks at the rim. Woods credited the presence of redshirt junior Roosevelt Jones in the lineup for helping open up looks for him to get to the basket. "You get a guy like [Jones] in there who can get in the paint and draw so many defenders, playing inside there’s going to be a lot of space," Woods said.
• Freshman forward Jackson Davis, who struggled in his Butler debut last weekend, appears to have fallen behind Wideman on the depth chart heading into the start of the regular season. Davis finished the game with four points, four rebounds and three blocks in mostly garbage time minutes, but was absent for most of the first half as Holtmann stuck with Wideman for his smaller rotation. While Davis may have the higher ceiling based on his athleticism and frame, Wideman appears to be more ready to play now and certainly had the hotter hand today.
• As Woods, Martin and Dunham filled up the scoring column, the Bulldogs relied less on senior guard Alex Barlow to space the floor tonight as he finished with just two points. Barlow, who is more known for his defensive tenacity and passing, did add six assists and five steals in 18 minutes before sitting most of the second half after the Bulldogs pulled way ahead.
• Sophomore forward Andrew Chrabascz gave fans a scare in the first half after struggling to get up after a collision between his head and a Franklin defender’s leg. Chrabascz returned quickly after going to the locker room for a short while, and Holtmann made it clear after the game that Chrabascz was cleared to enter to game. "I think there was kind of a pile up there and he got knocked in the head, but he was fine," Holtmann said. "I think everybody is well aware of the precautions we take when anybody bangs their head right now, so he’s in good shape. He came back, he’s fine."