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Big East Basketball 2016: Preview and predictions

By Chris Stone

Mar 26, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Villanova Wildcats head coach Jay Wright celebrates after beating the Kansas Jayhawks in the south regional final of the NCAA Tournament at KFC YUM!. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 26, 2016; Louisville, KY, USA; Villanova Wildcats head coach Jay Wright celebrates after beating the Kansas Jayhawks in the south regional final of the NCAA Tournament at KFC YUM!. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 19, 2016; Raleigh, NC, USA; Butler Bulldogs forward Kelan Martin (30) dribbles the ball around Virginia Cavaliers guard Malcolm Brogdon (15) in the first half during the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 19, 2016; Raleigh, NC, USA; Butler Bulldogs forward Kelan Martin (30) dribbles the ball around Virginia Cavaliers guard Malcolm Brogdon (15) in the first half during the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /

The Overrated Team: Butler Bulldogs

Last season, Butler flipped the script. The Bulldogs went from one of the nation’s best defensive teams in year one of the Chris Holtmann era to one of its most efficient offenses in year two. Seniors Kellen Dunham and Roosevelt Jones provided the team with steady hands on the offensive end, finishing as the first and third leading scorers, respectively. With both of them now gone, Butler will be in need of significant retooling despite being ranked in the top 25 in various preseason polls.

The Bulldogs will no doubt have one of the top frontcourts in the league with Kelan Martin and Andrew Chrabascz returning to school. Both players averaged double digit points last season and the duo should be the focal point of Butler’s offensive attack in 2016-17. The bigger questions lie in the backcourt where there is just one player who earned double digit minutes with the team left on the roster.

Former North Carolina State transfer Tyler Lewis will see an expanded role this season after averaging 19.1 minutes per game in 2015-16. Lewis has great potential as a facilitator, but will need to showcase it over a larger sample size now. He’ll be joined by 6-foot-3 combo guard Kethan Savage, another transfer from George Washington. How Lewis and Savage mesh will be important for the Bulldogs. Their offense doesn’t play at a fast pace, so maximizing points per possession will be critical and having a stable backcourt to provide to the frontcourt will be key.