Marquette at Butler: Game preview, TV schedule, prediction

Marquette and Butler both have their sights set on reaching the NCAA Tournament this season. How will the teams fare against each other in Indy?

Matchup: Marquette Golden Eagles (12-5, 3-2) at Butler Bulldogs (12-6, 2-3)

Time: Friday, January 12th at 6:30 p.m. ET

TV schedule: Fox Sports 1

Location: Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN.

Marquette and Butler may not be teams competing to win the Big East this season but this is a monstrous game. In the early going of the year, these two teams have emerged as the two most likely teams to finish fifth in the conference. That is what makes this early-season bout so important. This game will be a great indicator of who will finish higher in the conference this season. Let’s take a look at what both teams bring to the table and who might come away with this win.

Butler Bulldogs (12-6, 2-3)

The Bulldogs are in a bit of a rough stretch right now. After starting conference play with two impressive wins over Georgetown and Villanova, head coach LaVall Jordan’s team has lost three consecutive games. Thankfully, all three games came against ranked opponents (two on the road) in Xavier, Seton Hall, Creighton. On the flip side, though, it was disappointing that the Dawgs were unable to snag at least one win in that stretch, especially in their home game with the Pirates.

Butler Bulldogs Basketball

Still, the team is in good shape to reach the NCAA Tournament. The first step in getting back on track for Butler is taking care of business in front of their home crowd in this one. In order to do this, the Bulldogs need their starting guards to come to play on the defensive end. Aaron Thompson and Kamar Baldwin are both very solid defenders and they will have their hands full in this game.

For Thompson, the key for him to have a good defensive game is staying on the floor. In the conference season, the young freshman is averaging a foul every 5.5 minutes he is on the floor. He will need to avoid foul trouble to have a good game. Baldwin’s defense is opportunistic and he can often come away with plenty of steals to benefit Butler’s transition game on offense.

Speaking of Butler’s offense, the production starts and ends with Kelan Martin. The senior has been excellent so far this season and is a nightmare to defend. Creighton’s Khyri Thomas may have gotten the better of Martin in Butler’s last outing but Marquette will not have as much success. For the season, Martin is putting up 19.2 points per game (22.6 in conference play).

In addition, Baldwin and junior guard Paul Jorgensen score in double figures as well. While Baldwin (15.3 points) is more of an attacking guard who finishes around the rim, Jorgensen has unlimited range. In his first year with the Bulldogs, “Paulie” is averaging 12.1 points per game on an efficient 41.2% from three.

Marquette Golden Eagles (12-5, 3-2)

Marquette is currently riding high. After dominating Seton Hall at home in their last game, the Golden Eagles will be ready to add another high-quality win to their resume. In recent weeks, head coach Steve Wojciechowski’s team has been consistently rising up our Bracketology rankings. In fact, the team even found themselves in our projected field for the first time this week.

Although the Golden Eagles are improving on the defensive end, it is still their extremely potent offense that leads the way. Senior Andrew Rowsey and sophomore Markus Howard make up arguably the most dangerous 1-2 backcourt punch in the entire nation. Even if one of the guards is having an off shooting night, the other usual picks them up. For the season, Howard is leading the team in scoring at 22.8 points per game (40.1% from three) while Rowsey’s average of 21.6 (43.6% from three) follows closely behind.

Howard and Rowsey are clearly the top two players on the scouting report for Marquette but do not forget Sam Hauser. The sophomore has experienced a bit of a breakout year so far, putting up 14.0 points per game of his own while splashing 48.0% of his threes. The 6’7″ wing is an underrated player nationally because of the play of Marquette’s backcourt.

The issue with Marquette, though, is that these are the only three consistent scorers. For a team that relies on their offense, an off night on the road from one or two of these players can be the recipe for a loss. The goal for Butler in this one will surely be to slow down these three and limit their open 3-point attempts.

Team Statistics

Butler Bulldogs

Marquette Golden Eagles

PPG: 80.1 (63rd)
Points against: 72.2 (179th)
FG percentage: 47.6% (62nd)
FG% against: 44.6% (228th)
3P percentage: 34.9% (187th)
3P% against: 37.4% (299th)
W/L streak: 3L

PPG: 83.9 (27th)
Points against: 76.0 (267th)
FG percentage: 47.1% (73rd)
FG% against: 47.1% (309th)
3P percentage: 40.8% (18th)
3P% against: 32.9% (107th)
W/L streak: 1W

Next: Bracketology: Where are Butler and Marquette?

These two teams are trending in different directions as of right now but Butler will be looking to recover their mojo at home. This has the potential to be an absolute shootout and Butler will be able to feed off of their crowd. In addition, Butler’s balanced attack on offense is less vulnerable to an off-night. After struggling mightily against Creighton, Butler’s Kelan Martin will be eager to eat up a matchup that he can win.

Lastly, this is one of the few teams that the Bulldogs may have an interior advantage against with Nate Fowler and Tyler Wideman. While Butler ranks 73rd in the nation in total rebounds, Marquette is just 266th. This advantage could help Butler snag offensive boards and prevent second-chance opportunities on the other end.

Final Prediction: Butler 87, Marquette 81