Youngstown State vs. Butler Game Preview

DATE AND TIME: Saturday, December 9 2017 @ Noon ET

RANKINGS: Butler (#53 KenPom) | Youngstown State (#322 KenPom)

RECORDS: Butler (7-2) | Youngstown State (2-7)

TV CHANNEL: Local channels only

WATCH ONLINE: N/A

Saturday’s match-up in Hinkle Fieldhouse will feature one team that appears utterly lost and another team that is just starting to find itself. The Butler Bulldogs come into the game having won four straight games, including victories over Ohio State and Utah. Meanwhile, Butler’s opponent, the Youngstown State Penguins, have lost five in a row – most recently, a blowout at DePaul.

The relationship between the schools dates back to when Butler was in the Horizon League, where Youngstown State still plays. Interestingly, in the 2010-11 season, a Youngstown State team that finished with a 9-21 record (2-16 in conference play) beat a Butler team that ended up playing in the national championship game.

Perhaps Butler fans should be wary of the Penguins; Vegas doesn’t seem to think so, as the Bulldogs are favored by 25 points. The game should be a nice opportunity for Butler’s players to stay in shape and get some shots up during finals week, and hopefully take a five-game winning streak into next week’s match-up with Purdue.