After losing at home for the first time in two years, the 19th-ranked UConn men’s basketball team (13-5, 5-2 Big East) returns to the XL Center for the first time since Dec. 18’s overtime win over Xavier to take on the Butler Bulldogs (8-10, 1-6 Big East) on Tuesday night.
The Huskies suffered their first home loss since losing to Xavier on Jan. 25 at Gampel Pavilion. They have not lost in Hartford since Jan. 15 when they were stunned by St. John’s.
Tuesday’s matchup with the Bulldogs will complete the season series. In the first meeting of the season, the Huskies won a close one at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Ind., with Alex Karaban leading the way with 21 points and four 3-pointers.
For a team that has seen a setback in their offensive rebounding, UConn will have an opportunity to capitalize on the glass, with Butler having the lowest defensive rebounding percentage in the Big East at 70.3%. They also have the second-lowest offensive rebounding percentage in the league at 26.6%, which is only better than Creighton (25.5%).
Butler is led by forward Jahmyl Telfort, who averages 15.2 points per game, tied for 9th in the Big East. Guard Pierre Brooks is not too far behind in scoring average, averaging 15.1 points per game (tied for 11th in the Big East).
One of the concerns going into the first matchup was facing seven-foot forward Andre Screen. He will be the most threatening player on the glass for the Bulldogs, averaging 5.6 per game (14th in the conference).
What stands out about Butler is the team’s ability to get to the free-throw line. They have a 44.9% free throw attempt rate, which ranks eighth in the country.
What the Huskies can take advantage of is the Bulldogs’ defense. While Connecticut’s defense is not much better statistically, Butler has some glaring weaknesses. They rank last in Big East play in block percentage (6.3%) and steal percentage (5.7%), which alludes to a 10.1% turnover rate on defense, which also ranks last in the Big East.
After only attempting five free throws in Saturday’s loss to Creighton, UConn will go up against a team that also avoids putting opponents at the free throw line. Butler ranks 14th in opponent free throw attempt rate (24.1%). They average 14.8 fouls per game, which ranks in the 92nd percentile according to CBB Analytics.
The last five games could not have gone worse for UConn’s defense. They rank in the second percentile in defensive rebounds per game (20), the sixth percentile in steals per personal fouls (0.28x), the third percentile in total rebounds per game (28.6) and the eighth percentile in steals per game (5). Their defense in the last five games ranks in the 18th percentile nationally. These trends also are glaring as it does not help that Butler has been strong at retaining possession on offense, averaging 9.6 turnovers per game in the last five games (98th percentile nationally).
Their offense has not been particularly better in the last five games. The Huskies struggle to get to the free throw line, with a free throw attempt rate of 22.3% which ranks in the first percentile in the country. They average 13.4 fouls drawn per game, which ranks in the second percentile in the country.
However, their offense has had its positives. Their passing has been on point, averaging 18.2 assists per game in the last five games, which ranks in the 98th percentile nationally. Their effective field goal percentage is still one of the best in the country. In the previous five games, they have made 57.8% of their effective field goal attempts, which ranks in the 98th percentile nationally. Samson Johnson and Tarris Reed Jr. are two of the most efficient players on offense in the Big East. Johnson leads the conference with a 78.1% field goal percentage, while Reed is behind him at 66.6%. Butler has no player who cracked the top 15 in field goal percentage.
Butler is coming off its first Big East win of the year after starting conference play 0-6. UConn seeks to keep another streak alive as they have never lost to the Bulldogs, with a 10-0 advantage in the series that began with the 2011 national championship game.
Connecticut welcomes head coach Thad Matta and the Bulldogs to Hartford at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on FS1.