DePaul @ Butler preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 18, 2020 ) Butler 66, DePaul 79

The good news for Butler heading into a Big East matchup against DePaul is the availability of starting guards Kamar Baldwin and Aaron Thompson after they sustained injuries in the previous game. Their presence should give the Bulldogs a better chance of ending their three-game losing streak Saturday night at home.

Butler lost for the fourth time in its last five games Sunday in an 81-59 thumping at No. 11 Creighton. February has turned out to be a rough month for the Bulldogs, who have gone 2-5 since Feb. 1 and dropped out of the Top 25 after being 15-1 and ascending to No. 5 last month. Baldwin re-injured his left foot and ankle Sunday and Thompson hurt his left wrist during a fall, but coach LaVall Jordan expects both to play Saturday. DePaul has won only two Big East games, but one of those came against Butler on Jan. 18 when the Bulldogs were ranked fifth.

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

ABOUT DEPAUL (14-14, 2-13 Big East): The Blue Demons' only win since upsetting Butler last month came last Saturday against Georgetown, a 74-68 victory at home that halted a eight-game losing streak. DePaul had gone 12-1 during its non-conference schedule with wins over Iowa, Minnesota, Texas Tech and Minnesota before struggling mightily in the Big East. Paul Reed, who logged his 17th double-double of the season in Tuesday's 78-67 loss to Xavier, is the team's leading rebounder at 10.6 per game and second in scoring at 14.9 points behind Charlie Moore's 15.8.

ABOUT BUTLER (19-9, 7-8): The Bulldogs return to action nearly a week after playing their last game and the break came at a good time to give Baldwin and Thompson an opportunity to heal. Baldwin, averaging a team-best 15.9 points, needs one point to reach 1,900 for his career and Thompson, a defensive specialist who has missed four games this season with injuries, leads the team in assists with 4.8. The loss to DePaul last month was a sign of bad things to come for Butler, which allowed 10 made 3-pointers and 32 free-throw attempts in that game while committing 17 turnovers and trailing by as many as 21 points in the second half.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Butler backup C Derrik Smits is not expected to play Saturday after re-aggravating a knee injury.

2. DePaul ranks 303rd among the 350 Division I teams with 14.8 turnovers per game and Moore is responsible for 24.6 percent of the team's total with 102.

3. DePaul has lost seven consecutive road games.

PREDICTION: Butler 69, DePaul 62