Game Recap: Butler Clobbers Illinois Wesleyan In Exhibition Match-Up

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INDIANAPOLIS — The Butler Bulldogs were an enigmatic team in 2024.

With the return of head coach Thad Matta and a plethora of players brought in from the transfer portal, the Dawgs had the makings of a tournament-caliber team. But it wasn’t to be as once again the Big East competitiveness overcame them en route to an 18-15 result on the season.

Heading into 2025, the Bulldogs have new life and new size, says Matta.

“We’ve gotta play like grown men this year. We’re longer, and bigger at positions like the wings and the guards. It will be a big difference for us,” he said.

Butler gave their fans an initial taste of what to expect for the coming season on Wednesday as they hosted Illinois Wesleyan in their only exhibition tune-up before they begin play for real next Monday.

Shooting an astounding 54-percent from the field the Bulldogs had the makings of a team to make a formidable run this year en route to an 88-47 shellacking of IWU.

‘We saw a lot of good things out there tonight,” Matta said of the performance. “But, still there’s so many areas, I told the team afterward, where we need to keep growing, keep getting better.”

Some of the areas that stick out on the stat sheet were free throws and rebounding. Butler was 10-of-15 at the foul stripe. The Dawgs were also outrebounded on offensive boards 16-to-8. But, the Dawgs control the boards overall 50-to-40.

The game was an introduction of Patrick McCaffery to the Butler faithful. The transfer from Iowa who used to play under his father, Fran McCaffery, for the Hawkeyes, scored 13 points in limited minutes. He admits it was a slow start to the game for the squad as they continue to find chemistry in the right spots.

“I was being aggressive. That’s how I play,” McCaffery said. “Started off a little slow. That kind of happens with the first time you play somebody else. But, I just had open opportunities and I took them.”

The game was also a coming-out party for Augusto Cassia, who did not get much playing time last season. He too scored 13 points.

“I’m just happy to be back out on the court. It’s been a long time since I’ve played,” Cassia said.

Finley Bizjack added 11 points as did Pierre Brooks, both of whom are back along with Jahmyl Telfort and Andre Screen from a year ago. Telfort had 8 points. A more muscular Screen had the best all-around night for the team as he had a double-double of 10 points to go along with 10 rebounds.

The Bulldogs won’t have the benefit of another freebee tune-up as they will jump headlong into the regular season next Monday (Nov. 4) when they host Missouri State.

Game Recap: Butler Clobbers Illinois Wesleyan 88-47 In Only Exhibition Before Regular Season  was originally published on ronewibc.staging.go.ione.nyc