Butler v. #25 Indiana

Who will WIN this matchup?

Butler Bulldogs (7-2)

#25 Indiana Hoosiers (8-2)

Current odds:

Butler Bulldogs: (-120)

Indiana Hoosiers: (+100)

• The line for this game is Butler by 1 point.

• Indiana and Butler return to action for the first time in a week when the in-state rivals face off Saturday in the Crossroads Classic at Bankers Life Fieldhouse in Indianapolis that also includes Notre Dame and Purdue. The Hoosiers have won three straight since a blowout loss at No. 2 Duke last month and the Bulldogs have won two in a row since losing at Saint Louis on Dec. 1. Indiana senior Juwan Morgan will come to Indianapolis fondly remembering last year’s Crossroads Classic, when he scored a career-high 34 points in a comeback win in overtime over Notre Dame. Morgan needs 15 points Saturday to become the 52nd player in Indiana history to score 1,000 career points.

• Indiana edged Louisville 68-67 in their latest outing last Saturday and Butler rolled to a 95-68 victory over Northern Illinois on the same day. The Hoosiers have a 4-3 record in the annual Crossroads event while the Bulldogs are 5-2.

• The Hoosiers have hung their hats on their defense for most of the early season, limiting their opponents to 64.7 points per game, 40.7 percent shooting from the field and 28.0 percent on 3-pointers. Even freshman standout Romeo Langford, a gifted offensive player, has contributed on the defensive end of the floor. Langford, who led Indiana with 21 points in the win over Louisville, is averaging a team-best 18.2 points, just ahead of Morgan (15.5), but no other player is in double figures for the season.

• The Bulldogs, like Saturday’s opponent, have played well defensively this season, allowing a Big East-low 63.3 points per game and only one opponent to reach 70. Offensively, Butler’s efficiency is reflected in committing only seven turnovers in each of the past two games and ranking among the nation’s top 20 in fewest turnovers per game. Kamar Baldwin, who scored 14 points in Butler’s 83-78 victory over Indiana in the 2016 Crossroads matchup, ranks second on the team in scoring (16.6 points per game) behind Paul Jorgensen’s 17.2 average, and leads the Bulldogs in rebounding (6.1) and assists (4.6).

• Morgan not only makes an impact with his offense but leads Indiana in rebounding with 8.1 per game, with Langford next at 5.3.

• Duke transfer Jordan Tucker, a 6-foot-7 former Top 50 recruit, will make his debut for Butler.

• A key stat to watch with Butler is shooting percentage: The Bulldogs are 6-0 this season and 25-1 under coach LaVall Jordan when they’re at 50 percent or better from the floor.