Saint Louis (20-5, 9-2 A-10) at Butler (22-5, 9-3 A-10)
Friday, Feb. 22, 2013 • 6 p.m. (CT) • Indianapolis, Ind. (Hinkle Fieldhouse)

TV: ESPNU (Jim Barbar, Malcolm Huckaby)

Radio: 101 ESPN/101.1 FM/101Sports.com (Bob Ramsey, Earl Austin Jr.)

SETTING THE SCENE
First-place Saint Louis (20-5, 9-2 A-10) searches for its fourth victory of the season against a ranked opponent when it travels to No. 15 Butler (22-5, 9-3 A-10) to face the Bulldogs Friday, Feb. 22. Game time at Hinkle Fieldhouse is scheduled for 6 p.m. (CT).

FOLLOWING THE ACTION
Friday's game will be televised on ESPNU, with Jim Barber and Malcolm Huckaby on the call. The radio broadcast will air on 101 ESPN (101.1 FM and 101Sports.com). As always, Billiken Hall of Famer Bob Ramsey will provide the play-by-play, while St. Louis American Sports Editor Earl Austin Jr. handles the analysis.

LAST TIME OUT
• Jordair Jett scored 16 points, including 12 straight during a key stretch in the second half, and Saint Louis took over first place in the Atlantic 10 Conference with a 76-62 dismantling of No. 24 VCU in front of a crowd of 10,027 Tuesday night at Chaifetz Arena.
• The win was the Billikens' third over a ranked opponent this season (New Mexico, Butler), giving SLU three victories over ranked foes in a season for the second time in program history (1993-94).
• Also, the victory gave Saint Louis (20-5, 9-2 A-10) consecutive 20-win seasons for the first time since the 1993-94 and 1994-95 teams each won 23.
• Jett's team-high scoring total came on 6-of-9 shooting from the floor, including a 3-pointer, and a 3-of-4 effort from the foul line. It was his second consecutive 16-point output.
• Mike McCall Jr. was 8-of-8 from the charity stripe and tallied 15 points. McCall Jr. established a career best for free throws made. He added a game-high three steals to equal his season high.
• Dwayne Evans was 5-of-6 from the field and totaled 14 points while grabbing eight rebounds, including four on the offensive glass. Cody Ellis and Jake Barnett netted 10 and eight points, respectively.
• The Billikens shot 55.3 percent from the floor while limiting VCU to 44.4 percent. SLU committed just eight turnovers - the Billikens' ninth single-digit total this season - against a vaunted Rams' defense that came in allowing an average of just under 63 points.

BILLIKEN NOTABLES
• Saint Louis has won eight in a row, the longest active streak in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
• SLU is the first team receiving votes in the AP Top 25 (58, 26th) and the USA Today Coaches Poll (58, 26th). The Billikens are No. 25 in the ESPN.com Power Rankings.
• The Bills lead the A-10 in scoring defense, yielding 57.9 ppg. In A-10 games, the Billikens are third in scoring offense, averaging 72.5 ppg in their 11 A-10 tilts.
• Friday's game against No. 15 Butler is the second in a row against a ranked opponent. SLU is 3-1 vs. ranked foes this season. The Bills have never won four games in one season against ranked opponents.
• Saint Louis features a balanced scoring attack, with six players averaging 7.1 points or more per game. Four players score in double figures.
• Junior forward Dwayne Evans leads the team in scoring (11.8 ppg) and rebounding (6.9 rpg). He is averaging 15.3 ppg during SLU's current eight-game winning streak.
• Senior forward Cody Ellis averages 11.4 ppg. He needs five points to reach 1,000 for his career.
• Junior guard Jordair Jett has averaged 13.0 ppg during SLU's eight-game winning streak. For the year, he is third in scoring (10.8 ppg) and leads the team in assists.
• Junior guard Mike McCall Jr. scores 10.0 ppg. He leads the Billikens and is ninth in the A-10 in 3-point field goal percentage (.433, 35-83).
• Sophomore forward Grandy Glaze has started the last eight games, coinciding with the Billikens' winning streak.
• In A-10 games, senior guard Kwamain Mitchell averages 9.1 ppg while junior forward Rob Loe averages 8.6 ppg.
• SLU shoots 45.7 percent (585-1279) from the floor, 36.4 percent (161-442) from 3-point range and 70.5 percent (390-553) from the line.
• Up next, SLU returns to Chaifetz Arena to host Saint Joseph's in a 7 p.m. tilt Wednesday, Feb. 27. The Billikens then hit the road for contests at GW (March 2) and Xavier (March 7).

ON THE OFFENSIVE
• The Billikens are third in the A-10 in scoring offense in A-10 games only, averaging 72.5 ppg in their 11 league games.
• The Billikens shot 55.4 percent from the field en route to 76 points against VCU. It was the fourth time in league play that the Billikens eclipsed the 50-percent shooting mark.
• The Billikens' 90 points against Fordham marked the first time SLU scored 90 or more since winning 90-52 against Chicago State on Feb. 22, 2011.
• The last time SLU scored 90 or more in a conference game was against Conference USA foe DePaul during the 2001-02 season, a 92-74 win. SLU last scored 90 or more on the road against Murray State on Dec. 18, 1993 (W, 92-89). Finally, the last time SLU scored 90 or more in a conference road game was on March 1, 1990, a 102-86 win at Loyola Chicago in MCC play.
• SLU registered 80 or more points in consecutive games (Dayton, at Fordham) for the first time since last year's ESPN 76 Classic in Anaheim, when they scored 80 and 83 points in wins against Villanova and Oklahoma, respectively.
• In research conducted by Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Billikens have won eight-consecutive league games by 10 or more points for the first time in SLU history.

GETTING DEFENSIVE
• Saint Louis leads the A-10 in scoring defense, giving up just 57.9 ppg.
• VCU, which leads the league in scoring offense, didn't record its 10th points until the 4:08 mark of the first half.
• Saint Louis held Charlotte to 58 points, the 49ers' second-lowest total in A-10 play.
• SLU held Richmond to 46 points and just 10 field goals.
• Against Dayton, SLU forced the Flyers into 21 turnovers, scoring 30 points off those TOs. That is tied for the most points scored off of turnovers this year, the other coming against New Mexico.
• Against Butler, the Billikens forced the Bulldogs into 23 turnovers, the most by Butler since the 2002-03 season.
• Against St. Bonaventure, SLU forced a season-high-tying 19 turnovers. SLU also forced Texas A&M and Savannah State into 19 turnovers earlier this year.
• Against UMass, the Billikens held the Minutemen to 10 points below their average, and the 62 points allowed were tied for UMass' lowest scoring output of the season.
• SLU yielded fewer than 50 points in four consecutive games earlier this year for the first time since the 1949-50 season. SLU allowed 45 points against Eastern Illinois, 44 vs. Loyola Marymount, 41 to SIUE and 46 against New Mexico. During that four-game stretch, teams shot just 35.1 percent (65-185) from the field and 27.3 percent (15-55) from beyond the arc.
• The Billikens yielded a season low in points in three straight contests earlier this year (Eastern Illinois, Loyola Marymount, SIUE).

STREAKING
• Saint Louis has won eight in a row, the longest active streak in the Atlantic 10 Conference.
• Four of those wins have come on the road (Duquesne, St. Bonaventure, Fordham, Richmond) and four at home (No. 9 Butler, Dayton, Charlotte, VCU).
• The Billikens have scored an average of 74.2 ppg during the eight games, while opponents have scored 58.8 ppg.
• The defense has forced the opponent into 130 turnovers during the eight games, an average of 16.3 per contest. The Billikens have recorded 74 steals to the opposition's 39.
• The Billikens had a nine-game winning streak earlier this year. It is the first time in school history SLU has had two streaks of at least eight wins in a single season.

QUEST FOR 1,000
Senior forward Cody Ellis needs five more points to become the 27th member of the 1,000 career points club at SLU.

IN THE RANKINGS
• The Billikens are the first team receiving votes in the AP Top 25 poll and the USA Today Coaches poll.
• SLU received votes in the polls the first two weeks of the season.
• Last season, the Billikens were ranked as high as No. 23 in the AP poll and No. 25 in the USA Today poll, their first appearance in the polls since the 1993-94 campaign.

BALANCED SCORING
• The Billikens' top four scorers are separated by just 1.8 ppg.
• No Billiken appears in the top 20 in scoring in the A-10 statistical report. In A-10 games only, SLU does not have a player in the top 15, despite ranking third in the league in scoring offense during A-10 play. SLU's leading scorer in A-10 play, Dwayne Evans (12.7 ppg), is 18th.
• Seven different players have led the team in scoring this season.

EFFICIENT SHOOTERS
• Junior guard Jordair Jett is sixth overall and first among guard in the A-10 with a 54.4 percent shooting mark from the field. Junior forward Dwayne Evans shoots 52.4 percent from the floor to rank ninth. The Billikens are the only team in the A-10 to have two players rank in the top 10 in the league in field-goal percentage.
• Junior guard Mike McCall Jr. is ninth in the A-10 in 3-point field-goal percentage, hitting 42.2 percent from long range.
• Senior forward Cody Ellis is fifth in the A-10 in free-throw percentage (85.6 percent), while McCall Jr. is tied for eighth (83.1 percent).

RAINING 3s
• The Billikens buried 11 3-pointers against Charlotte, the second most this season and tied for the most in regulation. SLU also had 11 treys in regulation of the Rhode Island tilt.
• Saint Louis hit 14 3-pointers in the overtime loss to Rhode Island, tying for the second most in school history. Most recently, SLU posted 14 treys against Villanova in 2011-12 and George Washington in 2007-08. The school record for 3-pointers is 15, last accomplished at Temple in 2006-07.
• The Billikens hit 64.3 percent (9-14) from 3-point range Dec. 15 against Eastern Illinois. That is the best percentage from 3-point range since the Billikens connected on 66.7 percent (10-15) at Fordham Jan. 31, 2009.
• The Billikens are fifth in the league in 3-point field goal percentage, hitting 36.6 percent (154-421) from beyond the arc.

MOVING ON UP
• Kwamain Mitchell is ninth on SLU's all-time scoring list. He is fourth all-time in steals, one away from tying Anthony Drejaj for third, and fourth in assists. He is the only player in school history to rank in the top five in assists and steals, as well as the top 10 in career points.
• Cory Remekun continues to climb the blocked shots chart. He is fifth on the all-time list.
• Cody Ellis trails Mitchell for sixth on the all-time lists in 3-pointers made. Ellis is fifth all-time at SLU in 3-pointers attempted, just ahead of Mitchell.

FRONT RUNNERS
• Prior to the New Mexico game Dec. 31, the Billikens led wire-to-wire the previous three contests (Eastern Illinois, Loyola Marymount and SIUE). The Lobos snapped that streak when they opened the game with a 3-pointer. However, SLU quickly responded with a trey of its own, then took the lead minutes later and led the rest of the way.
• SLU also never trailed in wins against Southern Illinois, St. Bonaventure, Fordham and VCU.

BILLIKENS VS. RANKED FOES
υThe Billikens have three victories against ranked foes (New Mexico, Butler, VCU). SLU has never had four wins against a ranked opponent in the same season.
υNo. 9 Butler was the highest-ranked opponent SLU has beaten since knocking off No. 2 Louisville in 2003.

ABOUT BUTLER
• Butler University has won two in a row and enters Friday's game 22-5 overall and 9-3 in the league.
• Senior guard Ronei Clarke leads the team with 17.1 ppg and 88 3-pointers. Sophomore forward Roosevelt Jones scores 10.6 ppg and leads the team in assists (92) and rebounds (5.8 rpg). Junior center Andrew Smith scores 11.3 ppg and brings down 5.4 rpg.
• Head coach Brad Stevens is 161-45 in six seasons at Butler. Butler is 82-12 all-time in Hinkle Fieldhouse under Stevens.
• Saint Louis leads the all-time series 17-11. The two squads played regularly in the 1980s and early 1990s as members of the Metro, MCC and Great Midwest Conference. Most recently, the teams played a home-and-home series in 2002 and 2003, with each squad winning on its home court.