Butler, Northwestern seek resume-building win in Indy Classic opener

Pairs of courtside seats for Saturday's Indy Classic doubleheader are going for as much as $1,400 on StubHub -- primarily due to the nightcap clash between No. 6 Purdue and No. 21 Auburn.

No matter how that game turns out, though, the Boilermakers and Tigers know they're headed to the NCAA Tournament in March.

But earning a win that looks good on a March Madness resume is all that matters for Northwestern (7-4) and Butler (8-3), making the night's opener more significant in the larger picture.

Northwestern enters the weekend at No. 57 in KenPom and No. 72 in the NET rankings. While the Wildcats will have plenty of Big Ten games to pull off some NCAA Tournament-worthy wins, they have yet to beat anyone better than South Carolina (No. 106 in the NET).

Butler starts the weekend ranked No. 55 in KenPom and No. 47 in the NET, highlighted by a neutral-court win over No. 23 Virginia. With fewer high-profile Big East games to make a splash, the Bulldogs need to capitalize on their last Power conference game outside league play.

The Bulldogs are glad to be away from UConn. When they met for the Huskies' 79-60 Big East victory on Tuesday, UConn swatted 13 of Butler's 61 shot attempts. Northwestern doesn't have the same level of rim protection, though Southern California/Cincinnati transfer Arrinten Page has been a revelation at the five spot for the Wildcats.

Page joins Nick Martinelli (21.9 ppg) to give Northwestern a powerful 1-2 punch. He averages 15.4 points to go with a team-high 7.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.1 blocks while handing out 2.7 assists per game.

"Playing with a guy like ‘AP' that can score in the post, that can make a shot, that can drive from the high post, I think it has really helped Nick to have a little more space to operate," said Northwestern coach Chris Collins.

Butler not only struggled against UConn's trees, but it also struggled from 3-point range. The Bulldogs went 5 of 24 on 3-point attempts, which was atypical given that Butler ranks among the top 60 nationally with its 37.1% 3-point accuracy.

Finley Bizjack (17.7 ppg, 29 3-pointers) and Gonzaga transfer Michael Ajayi (16.5 ppg, 11.5 rpg) give Butler a 1-2 punch similar to Martinelli and Page. But the Bulldogs need Jamie Kaiser (39.4% on threes) and Evan Haywood (46.9%) to chip in. They were a combined 2-for-10 from deep against UConn.

"For us, the way we shoot the ball, 1-for-11 at halftime is not a good thing for us," said Butler coach Thad Matta, referencing the Bulldogs' showing against UConn.

--Field Level Media