Game: North Dakota State Bison vs. Butler Bulldogs

Date: Tuesday, December 10, 2024

Location: Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, IN

TV: ESPN+

The Butler Bulldogs (7-2) welcome the North Dakota State Bison (7-4) to Hinkle Fieldhouse on Tuesday.

The North Dakota State Bison took the hardwood against Northern Colorado and picked up the win in their final game by a score of 82-70. When it comes to personal fouls, the Bison finished with 17, while Northern Colorado racked up 21 personal fouls. They also knocked down 6 of their 38 shots from 3-point land. Northern Colorado had an 85.7% free throw success rate on 12 of its 14 attempts. Additionally, Northern Colorado grabbed 26 boards (3 on offense, 23 on defense) but couldn’t earn a rejection. Northern Colorado totaled 11 dimes and had 11 steals for the game. On defense, North Dakota State allowed the opposing team to shoot 36.1% from the field on 26 of 72 shots. They also dished out 13 assists in the contest while forcing the opposing team into 3 turnovers and 2 steals. When it comes to rebounding, they scored 37 points, including two on offense. From the free throw line, the Bison made 15 of 19 attempts, a rate of 78.9%. North Dakota State finished the contest with a 53.7% FG percentage (29 of 54) and hit 9 of its 22 three-point shots.

Jacksen Moni is a guy who played a role in this game. He finished the game shooting 66.7% from the floor and dished out 4 assists. He played 25 minutes and totaled 7 rebounds. He ended up scoring 18 points on 6 of 9 shooting.

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North Dakota State comes into this matchup with a record of 7-4 this year. They are averaging 77.9 points per contest (143rd nationally) and are shooting 46.2% from the floor. The Bison are hitting 39.8% on shots from beyond the arc (131 of 329) and 74.6% from the free throw line. As a unit, North Dakota State collects 36.2 boards per contest and has scored 164 dimes this year, which ranks 40th in college basketball in terms of passing. They have the ball 10.5 times per game and as a basketball team they commit 14.8 personal fouls every night.

Defensively, the Bison force 7.3 turnovers per game and commit 15.4 personal fouls. They are shooting 28.4% on three-pointers and rank 229th in college basketball in points allowed per game (72.8). The Bison defense gives up a field goal percentage of 45.4% (308 of 679) and gives up 33.6 boards per contest as a team. They rank 209th in college basketball in assists to opponents, with 125 handed out on the campaign.

In their last game, the Butler Bulldogs lost to Houston 79-51. In terms of rebounds, Butler allowed Houston to score a total of 37 points (12 on the offensive side). They finished the game at 50.0% from 3-point land, making 9 of 18 shots, and finished the game 6 of 6 from the free throw line (100.0%). The Bulldogs allowed Houston to make 32 of 60 attempts from the floor, giving them a 53.3% shooting percentage in the match. When the final whistle blew, the Bulldogs ended up scoring 13 of 46 goals, a rate of 28.3%. On shots from downtown, Butler converted 9 of 28 attempts (32.1%). They were able to bury 16 of them at a rate of 72.7%. Houston was called for 17 fouls in the contest, giving the Bulldogs a total of 22 free throw attempts. They also threw the ball up 12 times and recorded 5 steals in the game. The Bulldogs were able to grab 14 defensive rebounds and 7 offensive rebounds for a total of 21 in the contest.

Augusto Cassia was important for the Bulldogs in the game. He collected 11 points and received 1 assist in his 18 minutes on the court for the contest. He made 3 of 4 in the contest, a rate of 75.0%, and added 3 rebounds.

Butler has a win-loss record of 7-2 this season. On the offensive side of the ball, the Bulldogs are shooting 45.8% from the field, which ranks 152nd in college basketball. Butler has put up 664 points this year (73.8 per game) and averaged 37.7 boards per contest. Their assist rate to teammates is 14.2 times per contest (164th nationally) and they apply that rate 14.0 times per game. The Bulldogs commit 14.8 personal fouls per game and make 76.7% of their shots from the charity stripe.

The Bulldogs’ defense ranks 56th in college basketball with 65.6 points per game given up. They have forced 8.4 TOs per game and allowed teams to shoot 37.9% from the field (20th in Division 1). The Butler defense is allowing 28.8% on shots from beyond the arc (53 of 184) and its opponents are converting 73.5% of their shots from the free throw line. They concede 9.4 dimes and 32.4 boards per game, which ranks them 14th and 78th nationally.

Who will win the NCAA basketball game against the spread tonight?

Guy Bruhn’s pick: Take North Dakota State

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