Butler Bulldogs vs. Connecticut Huskies Pick & Prediction JANUARY 21st 2025

Preview and Prediction

Butler will strive to deliver a defeat to No. 14 UConn on their home turf for the second time in a row when the two Big East teams clash in Hartford, Connecticut on Tuesday night.

UConn (13-5, 5-2) saw their 28-game winning streak at home come to an end with a 68-63 loss to Creighton on Saturday. This marked the first time the program had lost a home game since their 82-79 defeat against then-No. 13 Xavier on January 25, 2023.

"We have lost the intimidation factor that we used to have when we stepped onto the court in the past few years," said UConn coach Dan Hurley. "There needs to be a hunger and a wild desire to not be denied, to fight through screens, contest shots, and chase after loose balls. We need to give a warrior's effort, but that's not who we have been."

"... Maybe I need to increase my intensity even more during practice and bring more fire to the sidelines. I just feel like the team doesn't reflect who we are. We haven't been able to turn these talented nice guys into fierce, savage competitors."

UConn's top scorer, Alex Karaban, was limited to just eight points on 3-of-12 shooting against Creighton. He currently averages 15.6 points per game.

The Huskies have been missing freshman Liam McNeeley, who has been out for the last four games due to an ankle sprain. They have gone 2-2 without him. McNeeley averages 13.6 points and 5.8 rebounds per game.

"I'm not sure if Liam's return will fix the lack of tenacity we have right now," Hurley added.

Butler (8-10, 1-6) ended their nine-game losing streak with a 82-77 victory over Seton Hall on Wednesday. Pierre Brooks II led the Bulldogs with 19 points.

Brooks averages 15.1 points per game, just behind Jahmyl Telfort (15.2) for the team lead.

"It feels incredible," said Brooks after the win, according to Butler's student newspaper. "We have been working hard in every practice, focusing on the little details and correcting our mistakes... It really showed in our game against Seton Hall. We played as a team and stayed composed when things got tough in the second half. I am really proud of our team."

The Bulldogs will be relying on another strong performance from 7-foot-1 center Andre Screen, who came off the bench to score 16 points and grab five rebounds in their win over Seton Hall.

"Winning comes down to the details and we executed that against Seton Hall," Screen told Butler's newspaper. "Our last practice was great and we need to continue to have great practices and improve. That will lead to more consistent performances in both halves of the game."

Butler coach Thad Matta made changes to the team's starting lineup against Seton Hall, with sophomore forward Boden Kapke making his first career start. Kapke had a career-high 13 points in their 80-76 loss to Creighton on January 11 and added six points in 17 minutes against Seton Hall.

"Since we are short on players, we are trying different things," said Matta. "As you can see, we are making more substitutions and trying to give players rest whenever possible. I thought Kapke played really well the other night, so we decided to make a change and start him."

Butler has yet to win a road game this season, while UConn boasts an 8-1 record at home.

PREDICTION

Butler Bulldogs

Connecticut Huskies

Butler Bulldogs vs. Connecticut Huskies Recap JAN 22TH 2023

Jordan Hawkins tallied 20 points to lead four scorers in double figures as No. 15 UConn dealt Butler an 86-56 shellacking in Hartford, Conn., on Sunday afternoon to snap a three-game losing skid.

Hawkins made 7 of 14 shots from the floor and added six rebounds to pace the Huskies (16-5, 5-5 Big East), who were coming off losses to Seton Hall, St. John's and Marquette.

Adama Sanogo added 17 points and 14 rebounds, Alex Karaban had 15 points and Tristen Newton had 11 for UConn, which went 31 of 64 (48.4 percent) from the field and 7 of 19 (36.8 percent) from 3-point range.

Chuck Harris notched 16 points for the Bulldogs (11-10, 3-7), who have dropped four of their past five. Simas Lukosius supplied 12 points and six rebounds, while Jayden Taylor had 11 and five, respectively.

Butler had its fourth-worst shooting performance of the season, making just 17 of 52 (32.7 percent) shots from the field.

Hawkins, Sanogo and Newton combined to score 15 of the first 17 points of the second half, essentially sealing the win for the Huskies. That outburst ballooned UConn's advantage to 35, and the Bulldogs never got within 30 the rest of the way.

At its peak, the Huskies' lead reached 37 after Sanogo's layup with 5:10 left to play.

Butler made just two field goals over the final 9:09 of the first half and shot a putrid 6 of 25 (24 percent) from the field over the first 20 minutes of action to go into the break trailing 45-23.

Hawkins led UConn with 11 points before intermission, while Sanogo and Karaban chipped in nine apiece. Harris had 14 points for the Bulldogs.

Lukosius made a pair of free throws and Harris drained a 3-pointer to provide Butler's only points throughout the first seven minutes of action, allowing the Huskies to claim an early six-point lead.

Connor Turnbull then sank a 3-pointer to pull the Bulldogs within three, but UConn pulled away and established a 19-point lead thanks to an extended 21-5 run. Hawkins had seven points during the surge, while Sanogo and Donovan Clingan each added four.