Last time SIU and Butler played at Hinkle Fieldhouse:
Mike Reis call of Jamaal Tatum's FG
Butler was shut down after their first win due to COVID and came back and lost to two quality opponents in Villanova and Indiana.
The Bulldogs' best player so far this season is 6'3 Senior guard transfer from South Carolina, Jair Bolden. Bolden leads Butler in points per game (17.7) and blocks per game. Bolden is 71st in the country in 3 point shooting % (12-23).
6'7 Senior forward Bryce Nze is likely to give SIU some problems. Nze leads the Bulldogs in rebounding (7.0 rebounds per game) and is 76th in the country in defensive rebounding percentage and 329th in the country in offensive rebounding percentage. Last season, Nze was 24th in the country in effective FG% and 34th in the country in true shooting % while being 57th in the country in 2 point FG%.
Butler's Senior guard Aaron Thompson missed the game against Indiana with a knee sprain and their transfer Junior guard from East Tennessee State, Bo Hodges, is academically ineligible for this season. Thompson was Butler's most efficient offensive player in the 2 game small sample size he played and he was a semi-finalist last year for Naismith Defensive Player of the Year so it would be a pretty big loss if he can't play Monday.
Betting:
SIU 9.5 point underdogs from BetMGM
Links:
Rodney Watson interview with Steven Verplancken
Mike Reis interview with Dalton Banks
Mike Reis interview with Bryan Mullins
https://twitter.com/SIU_Basketball/status/1339958921310703622
I’m really interested in seeing which players rise to the occasion and have some success against a higher-caliber opponent. This is the type of opponent we’d like to see Southern be able to beat these next few years (and better teams than this, hopefully). Really good test here as a team and individually to see who can play up, so to speak.
Bolden (South Carolina transfer) shot it well for them against Indiana. Bigger guard. Not sure Southern has a great defensive matchup there, but we’ll see.
Butler has won 59 consecutive home games against non-conference opponents, the longest active streak in the nation
Butler -9.5 !?!?!? Wow, no respect.
"The bureaucratic mentality is the only constant in the universe." ~Dr. Leonard H. McCoy
Butler -9.5 !?!?!? Wow, no respect.
Respect is earned. As I recall the MVC Wannabes were favored by 6.5 when they came to Carbondale this year. GO DAWGS!
The advancement and diffusion of knowledge is the only guardian of true liberty.
James Madison
Mike Reis with Bryan Mullins Butler pre-game:
The Butler Fan Forum is funny to read. I'm excited for tonight's game and think our boys stand a great chance of coming home with a win. Glad to be able to watch it on tv.
Curious if anyone knows...how long as Butler used the "Dawgs" moniker (i know we and they are certainly not the only ones in college sports) and how long have they used the "Dawg Pound" moniker as well. Were one of our teams the trendsetter here? It's always funny to read someone else's game notes and see references to these knowing they aren't talking about us.
An interesting read written by Lukas Harkins, Butler grad and a contributing writer to Busting Brackets and ButlerHoops.com.
https://www.patreon.com/posts/45285973
I see a Butler fan posted the youtube video from their buzzer-beater win in the arena in the '07-08 season. I still remember the sting from that one. Lowery screwed up by not putting pressure on the inbound man.
That loss ended up being the beginning of the end of our reign.
I see a Butler fan posted the youtube video from their buzzer-beater win in the arena in the '07-08 season. I still remember the sting from that one. Lowery screwed up by not putting pressure on the inbound man.
That loss ended up being the beginning of the end of our reign.
I was at that game sitting with Mr Woogers. The Arena went from the loudest I ever heard it to the quietest I have ever heard it. I still have nightmares about AJ Graves
SIU athletics should switch to Jordan brand. I know this is a game thread but still. I had it on the mind.
SIU athletics should switch to Jordan brand. I know this is a game thread but still. I had it on the mind.
The uniforms are a little boring this year.
