The East Tennessee State Buccaneers and the Butler Bulldogs meet Monday in college basketball action from Hinkle Fieldhouse. East Tennessee State is 1-1 this year. The Buccaneers lost a close game to Elon in their last outing. As for Butler, they’re 2-0 after a blowout win versus Southeast Missouri State on Friday. Check back all season long for free college basketball picks at Sports Chat Place.

ETSU Buccaneers 

East Tennessee State kicked off their 2023-24 season with a relatively easy matchup versus King University. The Buccaneers took care of business in that one, scoring 38 points in the first half and 35 more in the second for a 73-56 win. Leading scorer Quimari Peterson had 15 points and Jaden Seymour doubled up on 11 points and 14 rebounds. 

In game two versus Elon, the Buccaneers took their first loss of the season. East Tennessee State trailed 39-28 going into the second half and lost 79-76 despite 48 more points from there. Peterson (31 points; six rebounds) and Seymour (21 points; seven rebounds) were the leading scorers once again. 

Butler Bulldogs 

Over on the Butler side, they had a modest 34-26 lead over Eastern Michigan at halftime in their opener last Monday. The Bulldogs surged in the second half though, eventually winning the game 94-55 after 60 more points. Jahmyl Telfort led the team on his 18 points, and Butler shot 57.1 percent from the field overall. 

Game two against Southeast Missouri State went well for Butler also. The Bulldogs were up 55-21 by halftime and cruised from there in a 91-56 blowout victory. Posh Alexander led the team this time with 15 points and three rebounds. Pierre Brooks added 14 points with five boards, and DJ Davis scored 13 points. 

ANDREW’S FREE PICK 

I’ve got to stay with Butler in this one. The Bulldogs are off to a great start so far after drilling Eastern Michigan and Southeast Missouri State in their first two games. In Friday’s matchup, Butler shot 48.3 percent from the floor with 15 assists and a 47-36 advantage in rebounding. Five different players turned in double-digit scoring performances. The Bulldogs have showcased a great offense thus far, totaling 185 points through two games. East Tennessee State has been pretty solid at scoring themselves so far (149 points) but I don’t see the Buccaneers keeping pace if Butler gets going.