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With three games remaining in the season, the Butler Bulldogs find themselves on the bubble. Their chances didn't exactly go up or down in their last game however, having played a solid game against Villanova. Though they fell to the No. 1 team in the nation, it wasn't a bad loss, as they were expected to lose to 'Nova, and it didn't exactly hurt their bubble position.
Butler fell to 18-9 overall with a 7-8 conference record, good for fifth in the BIG EAST Tournament. The Bulldogs are now stuck in a logjam. They are now tied with Providence, Marquette, and Georgetown, and a loss could drop Butler as low as eighth place. Not only could it potentially burst their bubble, it will give them a tough outing in the BIG EAST Tournament. It's crunch time for Butler.
Meanwhile, the Georgetown Hoyas are just trying to maintain damage control. Ever since their win over St. John's, the Hoyas have lost their last three games with their most recent loss coming to the Xavier Musketeers. After being handed a rough loss by the Musketeers, Georgetown is now 14-14 with a conference record of 7-8, also finding themselves in that same logjam.
An NCAA tournament at-large bid is out of the picture. Georgetown's hope is that they catch fire in the BIG EAST Tournament and wreak havoc.
How to watch, listen, or stream
Game Time: Noon ET
TV: CBS
Radio: WFNI ESPN 1070 AM or The Fan 93.5 FM (Butler) || WJFK 106.7 FM The Fan (Georgetown)
Gamblin' Info
Odds: Butler enters this game as a 2-point favorite (via OddsShark.com).
Record ATS: Butler (13-13-1) || Georgetown (13-15)
O/U: The O/U opened at 143.
3 things to watch for
1. Better shooting from Butler: The Bulldogs struggled from the field as a team as they shot 38.7 percent from the field. While the percentage may not be terrible, for a team like Butler that relies on shooting so much, it was rough. Kellen Dunham, one of the best shooters on the team, had a decent shooting night and it should continue against Georgetown. Also, expect the obvious dose of Kelan Martin in this Butler offense.
2. Who can guard Kelan Martin right now?: Speaking of which, Martin has been Butler's best player and will look to continue his hot streak of play on Saturday in Washington, D.C. Now getting starter minutes, he has became Butler's top scoring option. He will be facing a Georgetown team that is okay at best on defense, as they allow an average of 70 points per game. The 'Dawgs goes as far as Martin goes for the rest of the way from here, like it has been for the past couple of months.
3. Senior night motivation for Georgetown: Senior Day is an emotional time for everyone and expect a lot of energy from Georgetown. It's the last home game of the season and the last basketball game for some of the seniors on the team. I would be very surprised if Georgetown doesn't come out with a pop in the first few minutes of this game.