Marquette looks to stay on track against Butler

HOW TO WATCH

Time: 8 p.m. CT

TV: CBS Sports Network (Carter Blackburn, Pete Gillen)

Streaming: CBS Sports Network has a really weird streaming deal. Good luck.

All-Time Series: Butler leads the all-time series, 22-18.

PREVIEW

As noted above, the race for the top spot in the Big East has gotten interesting in the past couple weeks. With Marquette and Villanova both sitting at two losses and the Golden Eagles currently having the head to head tiebreaker, Marquette could win the Big East if it wins out.

While Marquette’s conference season hasn’t always been pretty, you are what your record says you are. Marquette is 11-2, and 11-0 against teams that aren’t St. John’s. One of their previous 11 wins came in an impressive display against Butler at Hinkle Fieldhouse three weeks ago when Markus Howard and Marquette pulled off a 76-58 victory.

Speaking of Howard, he’s still leading the Big East in scoring at 25.6 points per game, fourth best in the nation. His season has been astonishing and bewildering, and he’s become one of the most exciting players in the country.

Howard had 32 in Marquette’s first win over Butler, but perhaps more concerning for the Bulldogs was the fact that Sam Hauser had 19 and Sacar Anim had 14. Howard is a gifted scorer, he’s going to get his buckets, but if you want to beat Marquette, limiting their secondary pieces is a must.

Butler is in a situation where a big win could go a long way for them, as the Bulldogs are firmly on the bubble at the moment, as they’re currently in the First Four Out in SB Nation’s Chris Dobbertean’s bracketology. Butler has helped themselves by winning three of their last four games, but a road win over a top 10 Marquette team could propel them where they want to go.

Kamar Baldwin will almost definitely lead the Bulldogs in scoring in this game, but it’s going to come down to what they can get from other pieces. Jordan Tucker has struggled to find consistency this year, but Paul Jorgensen has reached double-figures in his past five games. He could be the key to success for Butler Wednesday night in Milwaukee.