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How to Watch
Game Time: 12 p.m. ET
TV: Fox Sports 1
Radio: 1070 AM / 93.5 FM (Butler), 540 AM ESPN (Marquette)
Stream: Fox Sports Go
Bettin' Info
Line: Butler -3.5
Over/Under: 147
Spin
Butler: Can the Bulldogs pull one out in the heart of the Big East schedule?
For the Bulldogs, the last few weeks have been a bit of a roller coaster in terms of overall performance relative to the team's schedule. Overall, Butler came out of conference play with one of the most favorable records in the country; a loss against an extremely talented Miami (FL) team stood out as the only blemish on the Bulldogs' record heading into the new year. Since then, the Dawgs have lost five of their last eight, with all games coming in conference play. Two of those three Big East wins came against DePaul, who is, quite frankly, a team that Butler should be beating handily, and the other comes against St. John's, and well, you already know where I'm going with that one. Losses to ranked teams such as Xavier, Villanova and Providence are a bit more understandable, but teams like Creighton (whom the team lost to late last week), Georgetown and Marquette may just make or break the Butler season depending on how these mid-season contests play out. The Golden Eagles are another team that is hanging to the fringes of a potential (note: I mean potential) tournament birth, so this where the Bulldogs will have to go to work in order to boost their conference record.
Marquette: Can Butler contain a frontcourt boasting this much size?
By now, it's no secret that the Bulldogs lack a massive frontcourt option to match up with larger big men. However, in contests with teams such as Purdue (who boast two, or maybe even three dominant players down low), Butler has proved capable, with sophomore Tyler Wideman leading the charge as the undersized center tasked with guarding post players that are as much as four or five inches taller. Purdue stands out as Butler's most impressive defensive performance, but the Bulldogs haven't seen a frontcourt as diverse on both ends as Marquette's Henry Ellenson and Luke Fischer. If there's a matchup to exploit, it's that one, and considering Butler's defensive issues all season long, a surprise attack from Marquette may be all the team needs to seal the home victory.