Butler returns home on Tuesday after winning the Arizona Tip-Off over Thanksgiving weekend in college basketball to host Eastern Illinois.
Butler (6-1) comes into Tuesday night’s game at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis against Eastern Illinois (2-5) with five straight wins and the championship of the Arizona Tip-Off under its belt. The Bulldogs are 4-1 at home, losing to Austin Peay back on Nov. 8. The Panthers snapped a four-game slide with a win at home on Friday to close out the DePaul Classic. Butler lost in the first round of the NIT last spring to close out an 18-15 season and last played in the NCAA tournament in 2018. Eastern Illinois was 14-18 last season and last reached the postseason in the 2015 CIT. Its last trip to the Big Dance came in 2001.
How to Watch Eastern Illinois at Butler in Men’s College Basketball Today:
Game Date: Tuesday, Dec. 3, 2024
Game Time: 6:30 p.m.
TV: FOX Sports 2
Live stream the Eastern Illinois at Butler men’s college basketball game on Fubo: Start your free trial today!
The Bulldogs hit 12-of-22 from three-point range to knock off then-No. 25 Mississippi State 87-77 in the championship game in Tempe, Arizona on Friday night. Jahmyl Telfort earned tournament MVP honors and scored 24 points, while Pierre Brooks II finished with 22 points and nine rebounds. Telfort drops 17.6 points per game, Brooks nets 15.3 points a night and Andre Screen averages 7.4 points and 7.0 rebounds.
The Panthers won the in-state directional battle on Friday afternoon, topping visiting Northern Illinois 72-59. Nakyel Shelton poured on 26 points, while Kooper Jacobi went for 19 points and 16 rebounds. Shelton scores 18.4 points per game and Jacobi averages 14.1 points and 9.4 boards.
Eastern Illinois leads the all-time series with Butler 4-3, though the Bulldogs have won the last two meetings. They took down the Panthers, 66-54, at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Dec. 11, 2021, the last time the teams played. Thad Matta is 38-34 in his third second in his second coaching stint at Butler, while Marty Simmons is in his fourth year at Eastern Illinois with a 30-71 mark.
Regional restrictions may apply.
