Seton Hall Seeks Bounce Back Performance Against Butler

Published: Friday, January 16, 2026

by Jacob Glick

NEWARK, N.J. - The Seton Hall Pirates (14-3, 4-2) will look to rebound off a tough loss against the UConn Huskies, as they welcome the Butler Bulldogs (10-7, 1-5) on Saturday afternoon at the Prudential Center.

The Pirates are attempting to defend their #25 ranking in the AP Poll, as this is their first time being ranked since January of 2022. Coming off a tough loss against UConn that came down to the wire, a win against a BIG EAST opponent in Butler is pivotal both for the Pirates’ national ranking and tournament hopes.

Last time out, Seton Hall came out of the gates slow, scoring only 22 points and turning the ball over nine times in the first half. The Connecticut lead ballooned all the way up to 18 in the second half before the Pirates went on 16-5 and 10-2 runs, cutting the lead to just one. 

In the final minutes, however, both Budd Clark and Stephon Payne fouled out, and with the game coming down to free throws, the Pirates were unable to pull it out, marking their first loss to UConn with fans in the arena since 2013.

Butler heads into the matchup on a four-game losing streak, with the last three losses all being by double digits. The Bulldogs have a high-powered offense, ranking 65th in the country in points per game. Leading the charge for them is senior guard Michael Ajayi, who heads into the game averaging 16.5 points and 12.1 rebounds per game. Finley Bizjack is also scoring 16.1 points per game.

On the flip side, Butler ranks 253rd in the country in opponent points per game, allowing an average of about 87 points per game over their four-game losing streak. Butler is losing the turnover battle to their opponents this year, as well as allowing their opponents to shoot at a 44.3% clip from the field.

Seton Hall has fared well against the Bulldogs in the Shaheen Holloway era, entering this game at 4-2. Seton Hall leads the all-time series 14-12, but dropped both matchups last year. Seton Hall comes into the game ranked 25th in the AP Poll, 39th in the NET, and 44th in KenPom, while Butler ranks 66th in the NET and 63rd in KenPom.

This makes Saturday’s game a Quad 1 game for Butler and a Quad 2 game for Seton Hall, an important game for both sides, as Seton Hall looks to bolster their tournament resume and Butler looks to get back on track.

Butler is around the middle of the pack nationally in three-point attempts per game, so Seton Hall will have to continue to apply constant pressure on the perimeter. Butler ranks 25th nationally in rebounds per game and 17th in offensive rebounds per game, so controlling the glass and limiting second-chance opportunities will be key for the Pirates to pull out a win.

On the offensive side, Seton Hall needs to come out aggressive. Butler ranks in the lower third of defenses in the country, making getting out to a big lead important.

If the Pirates can continue to force turnovers and score in transition, they should have a good chance to pick up their fifth BIG EAST win of the season, and depending on the margin of victory, hold on to their national ranking.

Nick DiBlasi and Ryan Nelke will be on the call from the Prudential Center at 12 p.m., with pregame coverage beginning at 11:30 a.m., hosted by Lauren Reese and Ryder Nuesell.

Jacob Glick can be reached at jacob.glick@student.shu.edu.

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