Big East primer: Butler enters league play scuffling, gets thrown right into the fire

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Butler begins Big East play Wednesday with a trip to Milwaukee to face No. 9 Marquette.

Reigning national champion UConn remains one of the best teams in the nation, but the rest of the Big East doesn’t seem as daunting as in years past. Butler will be tested right away with Marquette and No. 13 UConn as its first two opponents.

The Bulldogs were picked to finish eighth out of 11 teams in the preseason. Is that where Butler is headed after an up-and-down nonconference schedule? I’ll answer that soon, but first, here’s a Big East preview.

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Best Team: Marquette

Heading into the first week of Big East play, Marquette has surpassed UConn as the team to beat in the league. The Golden Eagles are ranked in the Top 17 in both offensive and defensive efficiency per KenPom. They’re 9-2 with quality wins over Maryland (road), Purdue (home) and Georgia (neutral).

Senior Kam Jones has developed into one of the best players in the nation. The 6-5 guard from Memphis averages 20.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game. He’s shooting 57.1% from the field, 41.2% from 3 and 75% from the free throw line. Forward David Joplin (14.2 ppg), and guards Chase Ross (11.5) and Stevie Mitchell (11.3) are also double-digit scorers.

The Golden Eagles are solid all-around but are not elite in any one area. The only area that could be considered a weakness is their ability to get to the free throw line. Marquette’s free throw rate (free throw attempts/field goal attempts) is just 28.5%, 289th in the nation. Butler shoots about two field goals for every one free throw (49.7%), good for seventh in the nation.

Top Player: Eric Dixon, Villanova

Dixon didn’t play with the star-studded team featuring Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges and Donte DiVincenzo, but it certainly feels like he did because he’s been a productive player at Villanova for so long….

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Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/big-east-primer-butler-enters-092017087.html

Author : IndyStar | The Indianapolis Star

Publish date : 2024-12-18 09:20:00

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