Seton Hall @ Butler preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 2, 2019 ) Seton Hall 68, Butler 70

First place in the Big East will be on the line Wednesday when No. 18 Seton Hall visits fifth-ranked Butler in a matchup between teams with six-game winning streaks. Seton Hall kept its run alive with a 69-55 win over Marquette on Saturday, pulling away with a dominant second half in which it held the Golden Eagles to 18 points.

"We're battling each other every day in practice so we are always in those types of league-type situations," Pirates star senior Myles Powell told reporters. "Everybody wants to win so we battle each other. We're battle-tested and that's why we are winning these close games." Butler's lone blemish thus far is a one-point setback at Baylor - which is now ranked No. 2 in the country - and it had few issues getting past Providence 70-58 on the road Friday night. Senior guard Kamar Baldwin scored 17 points and the Bulldogs shot 55.6 percent from the floor to stay perfect in league play.

TIME: 6:30 p.m. ET. TV: Fox Sports 1

ABOUT SETON HALL (12-4, 4-0 Big East): Powell ranks second in the Big East in scoring with 21.5 points per game - 22.3 in four games since returning from a concussion. Senior guard Quincy McKnight was held to four points - nearly seven below his average - in the win over Marquette, but he handed out six assists and has 30 over his last four games. Center Romaro Gill, another senior, has scored in double figures in three straight games after being held to eight or fewer in his previous 11 contests.

ABOUT BUTLER (15-1, 3-0): The impressive start has coach LaVall Jordan on alert for complacency in the locker room, and thus far he's managed to keep his team focused on the prize. "One thing coach tells us every day is that winning can make you soft," sophomore forward Bryce Golden told reporters after recording 14 points and nine rebounds against Providence. "So we just try to come in every day like our record is 0-0." Baldwin paces the squad in scoring (14.8), junior forward Bryce Nze is the leader on the boards (7.1) and junior guard Aaron Thompson tops the team with 5.1 assists.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Bulldogs junior F Jordan Tucker scored a season-high 17 points in Friday's win and he is 7-of-12 from 3-point range over his last three games.

2. Powell is 8-of-35 from 3-point range and 23-of-40 inside the arc since returning from the concussion.

3. The last three meetings have been decided by a total of four points.

PREDICTION: Butler 72, Seton Hall 70