Preview of NJCAA Quarterfinal Matchup: Butler (Kan.) vs. Howard (Tex.)

HUTCHINSON, Kan. (Interstat) — A rematch of a one-point thriller from November headlines the NJCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship quarterfinals on Wednesday, as the No. 4-seeded Howard (Tex.) Hawks (28-5) face the No. 5-seeded Butler (Kan.) Grizzly Bears (25-9).

The teams met in the regular season on Nov. 4, 2025, with Howard escaping El Dorado, Kansas, with a 95-94 road victory. The stakes are significantly higher in this neutral-site encounter at the Hutchinson Sports Arena.

Howard, boasting one of the nation’s top records, enters on a seven-game winning streak. The Hawks are powered by sophomore forward Terry Copeland, who is coming off a 31-point, 11-rebound performance in a first-round win over Daytona State on Monday. Copeland has been dominant, scoring 40 points in a game earlier this month and averaging 24.3 points over his last seven contests.

Butler advanced with a 101-96 victory over Snow College on Tuesday, a game in which sophomore forward Tristan Hankins posted a 21-point, 11-rebound double-double. Hankins’ versatility, evidenced by his five assists in that contest, will be key against Howard’s size.

The Grizzly Bears have won 10 of their last 12 games, displaying a potent offense that has scored 100 or more points in three of those victories. They will need that firepower against a formidable Howard defense that has held opponents under 75 points in four of its last seven wins.

The matchup pits Butler’s momentum against Howard’s consistency and the memory of their earlier nail-biter. The winner advances to Friday’s national semifinals.