Butler prepares for home stretch

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - After a come-from-behind win at Fordham Saturday, Butler is set to play two at Hinkle this week that could decide their league fate. 

Their first go-round through the Atlantic-10 has seen its ups and downs, but the Bulldogs are still in the thick of the title race. The coach says what his team has accomplished this year has been impressive. 

“These guys have done a great job through all the stuff. They have been thrown some tough curveballs, we've played without two of our best players for four games, and we've played with them in games that we barely win, so it's certainly been a great challenge," said coach Brad Stevens.

Senior center Andrew Smith, who bounced back from an injury last week, says the move to a new conference has his team on its toes.

"It's been good for us, because we know we need to play every single game. There's no off-days for us, because you see games like Saint Louis and Xavier when we don't play well, we get beat pretty bad, so we know we need to come in and play hard every game."

Butler will host Duquesne Tuesday before welcoming Saint Louis into Hinkle Friday night.