Dogfight: Butler Bulldogs Taking on Southern Illinois Salukis

Forgive me if you're already pregaming for the Emerald Bowl or have been waiting since May to see if heavyweight also-ran Dominick Guinn can recover from his loss to Eddie Chambers but I do believe ESPN's programming whiz kids are making a mistake tonight. Those are your programming options in prime time on ESPN and the deuce while the considerably smaller ESPNU gets one of the biggest early season college basketball games. The Butler Bulldogs are bringing their nationally ranked show to Carbondale for a mid major bonanza of hoopy goodness.

Southern Illinois was the preseason darling of the mids but their horrific shooting has them at 5-5 entering tonight's game with the 16th-ranked Bulldogs. Their offense has always been problematic but their rebounding has taken a hit this season, which may explain why they can't win as often.

Butler and new coach Brad Stevens are poised for a return trip to the Sweet 16, maybe further. A.J. Graves and Mike Green are a splendid backcourt and the freshman Matt Howard has given them inside balance. They can shoot and score in bunches but have struggled a bit with the turnovers. Can SIU exploit that and pick up a big win to propel them into conference play?

Maybe so. SIU's struggles have done nothing to diminish their defense. They force turnovers on 28% of their opponent's possessions, which is why they went to the Sweet 16 as well last season. Butler will have to make the most of their opportunities offensively, which is why the return of Pete Campbell is so important. The sweet-shooting swingman hasn't played well in two games back from injury but could be a deciding factor if the Salukis shut down the big three.

The Salukis scored 88 points their last time out and another offensive performance like that would likely spell an easy win. Butler is better defensively than Western Kentucky, though, and SIU won't be staring at a bunch of wide-open threes. The addition of Wesley Clemmons to the starting five paid big dividends in that game, his scoring touch could play a role tonight.

However it breaks down, the game should be a fitting rematch of February's masterpiece between the two teams. It's a shame that more people won't get a chance to see it, but those that do get a post-Christmas treat.