- Matchup: Fairleigh Dickinson Knights vs Butler Bulldogs
- Scheduled Date: Wednesday, November 4, 2026
- Venue: Hinkle Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, IN
- Broadcast: ESPN+
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On Wednesday, the Butler Bulldogs, who finished last season at 16-16, will face the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights, who ended at 11-21, at the iconic Hinkle Fieldhouse.
In their previous outing, the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights clashed with Mercyhurst, suffering a defeat with a score of 70-61. The Knights accumulated 18 fouls, while Mercyhurst recorded 19. From beyond the arc, the Knights hit 6 of 17 attempts, whereas Mercyhurst converted 87.5% of their free throws (14 of 16). Additionally, Mercyhurst pulled down 31 rebounds (3 offensive, 28 defensive), but didn’t register any blocks. They tallied 14 assists and 5 steals in this matchup. Fairleigh Dickinson allowed their opponents to shoot 51.0%, giving up 25 of 49 shots. They managed 8 assists while forcing 10 turnovers and achieved 5 steals. On the rebounding front, they gathered a total of 29, with 8 coming from the offensive side. At the free-throw line, the Knights converted 14 of 21 for a percentage of 66.7%. Overall, Fairleigh Dickinson finished with a shooting percentage of 38.9% (21 of 54) and successfully made 5 of 23 three-point attempts.
Arthur Cox was a notable performer in this game, scoring 15 points on 4 of 9 shooting, contributing 3 rebounds and 3 assists during his 24 minutes on the court.
The Knights are entering this match after a challenging season, finishing with an 11-21 record. They averaged 67.2 points per game (ranked 341st in D-1) and shot 41.3% overall. They made 31.0% of their three-pointers (254 of 820) and boasted a free-throw percentage of 70.6%. Team-wise, Fairleigh Dickinson secured 35.3 rebounds per game and assisted on 386 baskets throughout the last season, which placed them 312th in collegiate basketball. They averaged 11.8 turnovers and committed 17.3 fouls each game.
Defensively, the Knights managed to force 10.9 turnovers per game while drawing 17.0 fouls from opponents. They allowed a 36.4% success rate on three-point shots and ranked 72nd in terms of points yielded per game (70.2). Opponents shot 46.1% against them (781 of 1,695), and they gave up an average of 32.0 rebounds each match. The Knights held opponents to 393 assists last season, placing them 64th in D-1.
Most recently, the Butler Bulldogs faced a setback against Providence, losing 91-81. In this contest, Butler allowed Providence to gather 33 rebounds, with 6 coming on the offensive end. They shot an impressive 51.9% from three-point range (14 of 27), finishing 9 of 13 at the free-throw line (69.2%). Providence, however, converted 34 of 65 field-goal attempts for a shooting percentage of 52.3%. The Bulldogs concluded the match with a field goal percentage of 46.2% (30 of 65) and converted 5 of 17 three-point shots (29.4%). Butler had 21 defensive rebounds and 4 offensive boards, totaling 25 for the game.
Michael Ajayi was instrumental for the Bulldogs, scoring 21 points in 34 minutes and recording 11 rebounds while dishing out 4 assists on 7 of 17 shooting.
Last season, Butler posted an even 16-16 record. Offensively, they managed a shooting percentage of 45.2%, ranking 180th in Division 1, and scored 2,540 points throughout the season (79.4 per game). They averaged 37.8 rebounds and recorded 15.5 assists per game (81st in D-1) while committing 11.3 turnovers. The Bulldogs also averaged 15.3 fouls per game while achieving a free-throw percentage of 71.9%.
Defensively, Butler allowed opponents to shoot 33.3% on three-pointers (255 of 765) and permitted a free-throw shooting percentage of 71.8%. They surrendered 13.6 assists and 34.3 rebounds each game, ranking 181st and 176th respectively in college basketball. In points allowed, the Bulldogs ranked 282nd nationally, giving up 77.5 points per game. They forced 10.8 turnovers on average while allowing a shooting percentage of 45.7% from the field (264th in collegiate play).
Who emerges victorious in this NCAA matchup against the spread?
Prediction: Back Fairleigh Dickinson
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