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With Creighton still reeling from Maurice Watson’s ACL injury and Xavier struggling as well, this was a perfect time for a team to emerge from the rest of the Big East. So far, it seems like the Butler Bulldogs have answered that call.
Ever since their double digit loss to the Bluejays two weeks ago, the Bulldogs have gone on an impressive run. They’ve won four straight, including a win against the aforementioned Musketeers. Thanks to this recent run, the Bulldogs are now tied for first in the Big East, only behind on ‘Nova in the loss column. Thanks to Marquette’s upset over the Wildcats, Butler could possibly be the top team in the Big East after this weekend.
Now they have a chance to pick up another win against one of the worst teams in the Big East.
It hasn’t been a good season for the Georgetown Hoyas so far. They currently sit second to last in the conference with an overall record of 11-10. Their Big East record of 2-6 isn’t much better and if not for the fact that DePaul hasn’t won more than two games in conference play, the Hoyas would be in the cellar. But a win against Butler could help them jump the Providence Friars. They were on a two-game losing streak before crushing the Jays 71-51 earlier this week.
How to watch, listen, or stream
Game Time: 8 PM ET
TV: CBS Sports Network
Gamblin’ Info
Odds: Butler enters this game as a 11.5 point favorite via OddsShark.com
Record ATS: Butler (14-7) || Georgetown (6-13)
O/U: 141
Series History
This will be the 10th game tight knit matchup between these two schools. Georgetown currently leads the series 5-4. But Butler swept them last year, including a 85-76 win in overtime.
Inside the Numbers - Four Factors
Butler
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Georgetown
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3 things to watch for
Can Georgetown crack Butler’s defense?
Butler is one of the top defenses in Big East and in the country as well. Their average of 66.4 points allowed per game is ranked 57th in the nation and their Adjusted Defensive Efficiency mark of 93.8 is 28th in the country (via KenPom.com). If Georgetown wants to have a chance in this game, they need to crack this Bulldog defense. It will be up to Rodney Pryor (18 ppg) and L.J. Peak (16 ppg) to lead the Hoyas. Otherwise it will be a long game at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Assist game for Georgetown
If the Hoyas want to break Butler’s defense, they need to play to their strength of moving the ball around. Their 15.6 assists per game is ranked 68th in the country and third in the Big East behind Creighton and Marquette. L.J. Peak leads the team in assists per game with 3.2, but it will need to be a team effort in order to take down the ‘Dawgs.
Butler a top four seed in the NCAA Tournament?
In his latest projection, Joe Lunardi had Butler as a third seed. If the Bulldogs can continue their run, they could possibly be a top four seed in the NCAA Tournament, which would be a huge accomplishment for the program considering where they were before they made those classic runs to the Final Four. Certainly, another win under their belts Saturday could go a long way towards making that a reality.