Tag: Butler Bulldogs

2023 ESPN Events Invitational: Full college basketball tournament schedule and results

Here is your updated schedule for the ESPN Events Invitational with updated matchups beginning today.

Penn State men’s basketball will ramp up the level of difficulty in non-conference play by participating in this year’s ESPN Events Invitational in Florida. The Nittany Lions are one of eight programs participating in this year’s event over the Thanksgiving weekend, and they will help get things started in the first game with a rematch with Texas A&M on Thursday afternoon.

Penn State bounced the Aggies in the first round of last season’s NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, but a lot has happened with Penn State’s program since that meeting. Penn State went through a coaching change and a good amount of roster turnover as well. The Aggies continued to build and will arrive in Florida with a top-15 ranking in the basketball polls. A bit of revenge will be on the mind for Texas A&M in the first game of this week’s ESPN Events Invitational.

Penn State could also match up with one of last season’s Final Four teams, FAU, or the former program coached by Mike Rhoades, VCU. This could make for a fun weekend for Penn State.

Penn State is making its second appearance in the ESPN Events Invitational, but the last trip did not go well. Penn State went 0-3 in the 2007 tournament with losses to South Carolina, Rider, and UCF. That year’s tournament was won by NC State with a one-point victory over Villanova. The last Big Ten team to win the tournament was Maryland in 2019. It is the only year a Big Ten school has won the tournament. The Big Ten has been represented in 13 of the 16 events.

Here is a full schedule of this year’s ESPN Events Invitational, with TV and stream information and approximate starting times for each game. This tracker will be updated with final scores, photos, and updated matchups as the tournament unfolds, so be sure to bookmark this post for future reference.

ESPN Events Invitational: Best photos of Penn State vs. Butler

Ka-chow! Butler’s mascot was entertaining fans at the ESPN Events Invitational by riding Lightning McQueen.

For the second time in as many days over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, Penn State fell short in the ESPN Events Invitational. Penn State was defeated by Butler in a consolation round game of the weekend tournament at the Walt Disney World Wide of Sports complex on Friday, 88-78.

Kanye Clary scored a career-high 28 points in the losing effort as Penn State went cole with its shooting to close the first half and could not answer a critical run by Butler in the second half.

Here are some of the best photos from Penn State’s second game in the ESPN Events Invitational.

Penn State comes up short against Butler in ESPN Events Invitational

Penn State falls behind Butler and can’t make a comeback for second loss in ESPN Events Invitational.

Penn State isn’t exactly feeling like they are in the most magical place on Earth after dropping a second straight game in the ESPN Events Invitational in Disney World. The Nittany Lions came up short against Butler in a consolation round game on Friday afternoon, 88-78.

[autotag]Kanye Clary[/autotag] led Penn State with 28 points, a new career-high for the sophomore guard, and [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] had 15 points, but Penn State went cold with its shooting to close out the first half. The cold spell allowed Butler to take a 42-39 lead into halftime after Penn State had been up by as many as 9 points.

Butler went on a solid run to start the second half to build a 10-point lead but Penn State climbed back to within three points following a three-pointer by [autotag]Leo O’Boyle[/autotag] to cap a 7-0 run midway through the second half. Butler had one more good run in them to put some separation between them and Penn State, and that allowed the Bulldogs to seize a victory in the ESPN Events Invitational’s consolation side of the weekend tournament bracket.

 

Penn State will play its final game in the ESPN Events Invitational on Sunday. The Nittany Lions will face the loser of the VCU vs. Boise State game in the other consolation game played on Friday night.

Penn State’s final game of the weekend will be played on Sunday morning at 10:30 a.m. ET on ESPNU.

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ESPN Events Invitational: How to watch Penn State vs. Butler on Black Friday

Grab a plate of leftover turkey and settle in for Penn State basketball’s game against Butler on Friday afternoon. Here is how to watch.

Penn State will continue its journey in the ESPN Events Invitational on Black Friday with a matchup against Butler on Friday afternoon. After both teams lost their opening game against a ranked opponent, the Nittany Lions and Bulldogs will square off in the consolation round at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

Penn State lost to Texas A&M in the opening game of the ESPN Events Invitational on Thanksgiving, 89-77. Butler came up short against FAU, 91-86. Texas A&M and FAU will play in the semifinal game on Friday as well.

This is the second straight season Penn State and Butler will meet. The two teams played each other in State College last season as part of the Gavitt Tipoff Games schedule, with Penn State winning 68-62 last November.

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Penn State will be led by [autotag]Kanye Clary[/autotag], who is averaging 17.8 points per game this season. [autotag]Ace Baldwin Jr.[/autotag] is adding 11.2 ppg with 3.4 assists and 2.6 steals per game. Butler had five players score in double figures in their loss to FAU, including a 19-point effort from Jahmyl Telfort.

The winner of today’s game will meet the winner of the VCU vs. Boise State matchup in the other consolation game. This leaves the possibility of a Penn State-VCU matchup on the table. Penn State head coach Mike Rhoades coached VCU before taking the Penn State job and a couple of other VCU players followed him to State College. The winners of the consolation games will meet on Sunday, as will the losing teams.

Here is how to watch today’s basketball game as you fill up on some Thanksgiving leftovers and prepare for tonight’s football game between Penn State and Michigan State.

Penn State vs. Butler Men’s Basketball

  • Date: Friday, Nov. 24
  • Time: 12:00 p.m. ET
  • TV Channel: ESPN

Here is the full schedule of games for the entire ESPN Events Invitational.

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Butler Blue the bulldog rolled into his team’s Thanksgiving game on Lightning McQueen

Do you want to see Butler Blue the bulldog ride around on Lightning McQueen? Sure you do!

While his Butler Bulldogs were facing off with Florida Atlantic in the ESPN Events Invitational in Orlando, Florida, on Thanksgiving, Butler Blue IV the bulldog rolled into the game in style.

In fact, Butler Blue showed off his wheels as he rode in the back of a customized Lightning McQueen car on the court for all the folks at Walt Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex.

We absolutely, positively approve of Butler Blue rolling around Disney World on Lightning McQueen at any park at any time.

That gets a hearty Thanksgiving Ka-Chow from us… and a very special head scratch for very good boy Butler Blue.

Thanksgiving is always special time of year, but it’s even more special when a bulldog rides around on a Pixar character from the Cars universe.

We don’t make the rules; Butler Blue wins Thanksgiving 2023. Submissions are closed; the goodest boy of Butler takes the turkey trophy for cuteness.

Feature image courtesy of ESPN.

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Penn State basketball recruiting 2024 3-star from Virginia

Penn State basketball looking to recruit three-star player from Virginia

It’s no secret that the success of basketball teams is built on the recruiting trail.

Talent wins in any sport, but it’s even more obvious in basketball at the high major level. It’s something that Penn State had struggled with over the years despite their close proximity to the hotbeds of Philadelphia, New Jersey, Maryland and Virginia.

Since head coach [autotag]Micah Shrewsberry[/autotag] took over, his staff has been attacking the recruiting trail hard. They secured the highest rated class in program history in 2022. That was followed up by getting the second highest rated recruit in program history with the commitment of [autotag]Carey Booth[/autotag] from the 2023 class.

With that class being set, the attention has turned to 2024.

There are currently no commitments from any player in that class, however, there are certainly some targets.

One of those is a 6’11” big man from Fairfax, Virginia. [autotag]Garrett Sundra[/autotag] cracked the Top 150 of On3’s database and has garnered attention from programs across the country.

The 6’11” big man is a stretch forward who is great at shooting the ball. He also has a polished skill set with his back to the basket.

One of the reasons why he’s interested in Penn State is because of the emphasis that is put on shooting the ball.

He recently told On3’s Jamie Shaw, “they’ve been having a really good season so far; they’re playing really well. They shoot the ball well as a team and emphasis that.”

Sundra currently holds an offer from Penn State and nine other schools.

He’s taken one official visit so far and that was to Butler. It seems right now that they are the leaders in the clubhouse to sign Sundra, but it’s still early in the process.

Penn State is in communication with him to officially have him visit the campus and program.

Sundra would be a big get for Penn State as he continues to climb recruiting boards and has increased his overall level of play.

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PHOTOS: LSU delivers 3 run-rule wins in perfect weekend at The Box

The Tigers remained perfect through this weekend’s four-game slate against Butler and Central Connecticut State.

The LSU baseball team continues to look like the unanimous preseason No. 1 team it was tabbed as.

The Tigers’ bats were on fire this weekend at Alex Box Stadium and the pitching was dominant as they went 4-0 in contests against Butler and Central Connecticut State. Three of these four games ended via run rule, and Friday night’s 12-2 win over Butler would have had the teams not agreed to play nine innings no matter what.

LSU sits at 11-1 on the season and will be back in action against Lamar on Wednesday night. Then, the Tigers draw Samford for the final weekend series before SEC play begins.

Here were the best photos from this weekend’s action at The Box.

Thatcher Hurd bites the Butler Bulldogs with run-rule shutout to cap off perfect weekend for LSU baseball

Thatcher Hurd used every pitch in his repertoire with a dazzling performance that gave the Tigers their third run-rule win of the weekend. 

[autotag]Thatcher Hurd[/autotag] had his best start of the young season so far as he was able to use every pitch in his repertoire against Butler on Monday night.

LSU once again used the long ball to carry them to a big, 11-0 victory over the Bulldogs. The Tigers’ offense came into the game averaging 15 runs per game, and this night was no different.

[autotag]Dylan Crews[/autotag] got the party started in the bottom of the first inning with a solo shot to center field and the rout was on from there. In the bottom of the second, LSU scored six runs as [autotag]Brady Neal[/autotag] hit a solo homer, [autotag]Paxton Kling[/autotag] scored on a fielding error, Jobert scored on a [autotag]Tre Morgan[/autotag] RBI double, [autotag]Gavin Dugas[/autotag] scored on an RBI groundout from Crews, Morgan scored on a [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] RBI single and White scored on a Neal flyout to make it 7-0 LSU after two innings.

LSU tacked on a couple more runs in the fourth and fifth innings as Kling hit a long homer down the left field line in the fourth and [autotag]Josh Pearson[/autotag] scored on a Crews groundout to make it 9-0 after five innings.

Hurd’s night finished after he went six innings allowing three hits and no runs on 11 strikeouts and one walk. It was his most dominant performance of the season so far. He carried the momentum he gained from the Texas game into this one and it showed.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, [autotag]Ben Nippolt[/autotag] hit a two-RBI double to center to increase the lead to 11-0, giving LSU a shot at another run-rule victory. [autotag]Blake Money[/autotag] came in to pitch the top of the seventh inning to close out the game. He worked a clean inning with two strikeouts and a flyout to secure the win.

With the win over Butler, LSU moves to 11-1 on the year. The Tigers will have a day off tomorrow before welcoming the Lamar Cardinals to town on Wednesday night. The first pitch for that contest is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT.

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LSU baseball opens the weekend on a high note with decisive win over Butler

The Tigers began their four-game weekend with a 12-2 win over the Bulldogs.

After escaping Austin, Texas, with a 3-0 win over the Longhorns, the LSU Tigers looked to get back in the swing of things on offense against Butler to start the weekend. The Tigers did just that with a 12-2 win over the Bulldogs on Friday.

[autotag]Paul Skenes[/autotag] got the start for the Tigers and showed that he is in a league of his own. He pitched 6 innings allowing just one hit with 13 strikeouts and no walks.

The LSU offense started off very slow, but that is to be expected when you are used to pitchers throwing almost 100 mph and you face a guy that tops out in the high 80s.

In the bottom of the third inning, [autotag]Tommy White[/autotag] got the Tigers on the board with an RBI double to right field to score [autotag]Ben Nippolt[/autotag] and make it 1-0 LSU after three innings.

In the bottom of the fifth, the floodgates opened as LSU plated six runs thanks to a 3-run Crews missile to right field, White scoring on a throwing error, and [autotag]Josh Pearson[/autotag] and [autotag]Tre Morgan[/autotag] scoring on an [autotag]Alex Milazzo[/autotag] bunt single. That made the score 7-0 after five innings.

In the bottom of the sixth inning, LSU plated two more runs due to a fielding error and a Pearson flyout to right. [autotag]Micah Bucknam[/autotag] came in to pitch for Skenes and struck out one of the two batters he faced before he was pulled for [autotag]Griffin Herring[/autotag]. Herring retired the last batter of the inning in one pitch to maintain the 9-0 lead.

In the bottom of the seventh inning, [autotag]Ethan Frey[/autotag] hit an RBI single to center field to score [autotag]Mic Paul[/autotag]. [autotag]Cade Beloso[/autotag] followed that with a 2-RBI double to right field to make it 12-0 Tigers.

[autotag]Aiden Moffett[/autotag] got his first action of the year in the top of the eighth inning and he struggled with location as he walked three and allowed one run before [autotag]Gavin Guidry[/autotag] came in to get the final out of the eighth inning as LSU held a 12-1 lead.

Guidry stayed in to pitch the ninth inning. He struck out three straight batters but the last hitter reached as Travinski lost the ball. Butler then scored on an RBI double and [autotag]Sam Dutton[/autotag] came in for Guidry. Dutton retired the first batter he faced and LSU won 12-2.

LSU has a long weekend of games ahead of them as they face Central Connecticut State on Saturday and Sunday before playing Butler again on Monday.

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Contact/Follow us @LSUTigersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Louisiana State news, notes, and opinions.

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How to watch No. 1 LSU baseball vs. Butler, Central Connecticut State in weekend action at The Box

The Tigers put their 7-1 record to the test with a four-game home slate this weekend.

The Tigers are coming off an overall successful week in Texas.

Coach Jay Johnson’s team turned in a 3-1 record that included a road win against the Texas Longhorns. Though LSU suffered its first blemish of the season at the Round Rock Classic against Iowa, it maintained its unanimous No. 1 ranking in the polls.

Now, the Tigers (7-1) return to Baton Rouge to play a four-game weekend slate at Alex Box Stadium. Butler (2-6) is up on Friday and Monday, while LSU will face Central Connecticut State (0-0) on Saturday and Sunday.

“One of the positives about our road trip last week was that we used 14 pitchers over four games, and no one had to pitch twice; there are very few pitching staffs in the country that can accomplish that and win three of the four games,” Johnson said in a release. “I thought that showcased our depth, and we’re really going to have to count on that during this stretch where we’ll play five games in six days.

“This is going to be challenging weekend – Central Connecticut was an NCAA regional team in 2021 that played an extra-inning game against LSU, and Butler has a veteran lineup and a very good pitcher that we’ll face on Friday night.”

This will be LSU’s first-ever meeting against the Bulldogs, while it faced the Blue Devils just once, a 6-5 elimination game win in 10 innings at the 2021 Eugene Regional.

Here’s what you need to know to follow this weekend’s action at The Box.