#MUBB Faces No. 13/12 Butler On The Road Friday Night

The Marquette University men's basketball team (14-5, 4-3 BIG EAST) opens a two-game homestand with a rare Friday-night BIG EAST matchup when the squad travels to No. 13/12 Butler (15-4, 3-3 BIG EAST) for an 8 p.m. CT tip time from Hinkle Fieldhouse. FS1 will feature the national television broadcast, with Vince Welch (play-by-play) and Nick Bahe (analyst) calling the action. Following Friday's outing, the Golden Eagles will conclude their home-and-home series with Xavier on Jan. 29.

Series With Bulldogs Spans Program History

The all-time series dates back to the 1922-23 campaign and is led by Butler, 22-19.

MU claimed the first-ever meeting, 18-17, on Dec. 16, 1922, only to see the Bulldogs claim the next nine matchups. Marquette also collected a nine-game win streak between 1942 and 1990, with the last two contests during that run coming when both programs were members of the Midwestern Collegiate Conference.

Following Marquette's move to the Great Midwest Conference in 1991-92, the two teams wouldn't meet until Butler beat the Golden Eagles at the buzzer in the opening game of the 2012 Maui Invitational. MU would return the favor in the 2013 NCAA tournament, downing the Bulldogs 74-72 in the closing seconds to earn a trip to the squad's third-straight Sweet 16 appearance.

Marquette earned a 76-58 win at Butler on Jan. 30, 2019, the program's first victory at Hinkle Fieldhouse since the Bulldogs joined the BIG EAST Conference.

NABC Suits & Sneakers Week Returns

Each season, college and high school basketball coaches across the nation wear sneakers with their suits during dedicated games to raise awareness and funds, while encouraging people to educate themselves about cancer prevention. The 2020 Suits and Sneakers Week is set for January 20th-26th.

Anim Matches Season High In Latest Win

Senior forward Sacar Anim has scored in double figures in 13-of-19 games this season, but has only netted 20-or-more points on two occasions.

In Tuesday's win over St. John's, he matched his campaign-high of 21 points in 36 minutes of action. He finished with four 3-pointers and also chipped in four rebounds, two assists and a steal. After not scoring more than nine points in three-straight, he has now collected at least 12 points in each of the latest trio of victories.

Anim also scored 21 points against Maryland on Dec. 1 in the championship game of the Orlando Invitational.

Johnson A Rebounding Machine In League Play

Senior center Jayce Johnson was limited to begin the season after suffering a knee sprain in practice the day before the exhibition on Oct. 29.

As his health has improved, so have his contributions on the court and as a result he has developed into one of the top rebounders in league play. In an average of just 17.0 minutes per game in league outings, Johnson is grabbing a team-best 7.2 rebounds per contest to rank seventh among conference players.

The Mission Viejo, California, native has corralled seven-or-more boards in each of the last five games and 17-of-41 caroms have come at the offensive end. As a result of his work on the offensive glass, seven of his 10 assists have come during those outings.

John Hosts Long Overdue Block Party

Junior forward Theo John ranks among the league leaders in blocked shots, but entering the St. John's game he had only swatted a total of seven attempts in the team's previous seven outings.

The Minneapolis, Minnesota, native responded with a six-block effort in the win over the Red Storm, his second-best total this season since collecting eight in the campaign lidlifter against Loyola Maryland on Nov. 5.

John has blocked six-or-more shots on five occasions in his career and is currently ranked third in the BIG EAST in blocks per game (1.9).