Seton Hall @ Butler preview
Hinkle Fieldhouse
Last Meeting ( Feb 24, 2024 ) Butler 64, Seton Hall 76
Two struggling Big East teams aim to spark a turnaround on Wednesday night as Butler welcomes Seton Hall to Indianapolis.
The Bulldogs (7-10, 0-6) have lost their last nine games following Saturday's 80-76 home setback to Creighton. It marks Butler's longest skid since the 1989-90 season.
"You watch them play, and you wouldn't be able to tell whether they're on an eight-game winning streak or an eight-game losing streak," Creighton coach Greg McDermott said of the Bulldogs. "They're playing the right way, they're sharing the basketball and competing defensively."
Seton Hall (6-10, 1-4) also comes in off a tight loss after they fell 91-85 in a shootout at Providence on Saturday. Despite the loss, the Pirates matched their season high in points, which they set in an overtime win against DePaul last Wednesday.
Seton Hall may be turning a corner offensively, which is where the Pirates have struggled, averaging 64.6 points per game on the season while allowing just 66.6.
"We're doing a better job (with ball movement) -- I've been on it," coach Shaheen Holloway said in his postgame radio interview Saturday. "We've been working at it ... It's starting to come a little bit. Still not as much as I want."
Isaiah Coleman led with a career-high 26 points against Providence, which helped earn him a spot on the Big East Weekly Honor Roll.
Coleman has scored at least 15 points in the first five Big East games, making him the first Seton Hall player to do so since Myles Powell in 2019-20.
The Pirates' guard is up to 15.7 points and five rebounds per game this season, leading the team in both categories. Dylan Addae-Wusu paces Seton Hall with 3.1 assists and 1.7 steals per game.
Jahmyl Telfort leads Butler with 15.5 points and 3.5 assists per contest. Andre Screen controls the paint, averaging 5.6 boards and 1.5 blocks.
The Bulldogs' primary issue this season has been turnovers, but the team has taken better care of the ball recently. Butler has recorded fewer than 10 giveaways in six of its last eight games after logging at least 10 in eight of its first nine contests.
The Pirates have won nine of the last 10 matchups against the Bulldogs and lead the overall series 14-10. All the matchups have come since Butler joined the Big East before the 2013-14 season.
--Field Level Media