Game 22: Georgetown Hoyas (11-10, 3-7) at Butler Bulldogs (13-8, 4-6)
When: Saturday, January 31 at 12:00 PM ET
Where: Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Ind.
TV: TNT, truTV (Brian Anderson, Grant Hill, Andy Katz)
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Radio: Team 980, SiriusXM Ch. 384 (Rich Chvotkin)
Series: Butler leads 14-12 all-time. The Hoyas split the series last season, winning 73-70 at home but falling 97-86 at Hinkle.
Streaks: Georgetown has won 2 straight games (Providence, DePaul). Butler is looking to bounce back from a loss to St. John’s.
KenPom Rankings: Butler 61 (58 Off. / 95 Def), Georgetown 92 (85 Off / 114 Def.).
Betting Odds: Butler -5.5, Over/Under 149.5
The Butler Report
Your Georgetown Hoyas head to historic Hinkle Fieldhouse riding their first conference winning streak of the season to face a Butler squad looking to defend its home court. The Bulldogs are 9-3 at home this season and average a blistering 89.1 points per game when playing in Indianapolis.
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Head Coach Thad Matta enters this contest sitting on 499 career wins, hoping to secure a milestone victory against the Hoyas.
His team is led by the scoring punch of Finley Bizjack (17.2 ppg) and the versatility of Michael Ajayi, who is averaging a double-double with 16.5 points and a team-high 11.5 rebounds per game.
Scouting reports say that Butler prefers a faster pace, often resembling a “pick-up game” style when their offense is clicking, but they have struggled when forced to grind out possessions.
They are coming off a tough 92-70 road loss to St. John’s, where their defense allowed the Red Storm to shoot efficiently from deep.
What’s at Stake for Georgetown
Confidence is building momentum on the Hilltop and two solid halves of basketball could go a long way for everyone around the program.
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Many of the Georgetown faithful have said that the “miracle” comeback at Providence followed by the controlled 70-61 win over DePaul signals that Ed Cooley’s culture may be finally taking root in Year 3. It sure feels better than losing.
The defense has tightened significantly, holding DePaul to 41.4% shooting and forcing turnovers that allowed the Hoyas to get out in transition.
The key battle today will be tempo. Georgetown has played at the slowest pace in the BIG EAST during conference play (on purpose), while Butler wants to run.
Malik Mack (13.9 ppg, 4.3 apg) will need to handle the pressure from Butler’s guards, particularly Azavier Robinson, to ensure the Hoyas don’t get sped up into mistakes.
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The re-emergence of Vince Iwuchukwu (10.3 ppg, 5.1 rpg) has given the Hoyas a true rim protector, which will be vital against Ajayi’s relentless rebounding. Vince’s play takes the pressure off of Julius Halaifonua’s minutes and foul count, to allow GU’s frontcourt a positive.
If KJ Lewis (14.8 ppg) continues his two-way dominance and the Hoyas can frustrate Butler’s shooters early, they have a real shot at spoiling Matta’s 500th win celebration and extending their own streak to three.
