On Wednesday night, Georgetown will face off against Butler in Washington, D.C., aiming to achieve its first season sweep of the Bulldogs in over ten years. The Hoyas, currently holding a record of 13 wins and 12 losses (5-9 in Big East play), previously defeated Butler 77-64 in their first encounter on January 31 in Indianapolis. This marks the first time Georgetown has had the opportunity to sweep the Bulldogs since accomplishing the feat in both 2014 and 2015.
Both teams find themselves in a competitive race within the Big East, with a tight cluster of six teams vying for positions six through eleven in the standings. As they prepare for their matchup, it’s noteworthy that the Hoyas’ head coach, Ed Cooley, continues to express confidence in the strength of the Big East despite only three teams – UConn, St. John’s, and Villanova – being ranked within the top 30 of the NET rankings. Following a closely contested 79-75 loss to then-No. 6 UConn, Cooley remarked, “I absolutely love the Big East, and it’s unfortunate that we don’t have many teams with better records.”
Butler, under coach Thad Matta, boasts an even record of 13-13 but has struggled in conference play, currently standing at 4-11. Their latest setback, a 63-56 loss to Seton Hall, extended their losing streak to six games. Key to Butler’s performance is guard Finley Bizjack, who was sidelined with a wrist injury, limiting the team’s offensive potential. Bizjack, the conference’s second-leading scorer at 17.4 points per game, has shown resilience, but his absence could prompt an increased reliance on forward Michael Ajayi, who leads the conference in rebounding and ranks seventh in scoring.
As Georgetown seeks to build momentum from its earlier success against Butler, it will be looking to capitalize on the home-court advantage. With the fierce competition in the Big East, this game promises to be pivotal for both teams as they navigate the challenges ahead in the season.