Butler was well-prepped for the rigors of Big East play, thanks to a pretty tough non-conference schedule last season. According to KenPom, the Bulldogs had the 40th toughest out-of-conference slate last season, the second-highest ranking of all Big East teams. The Bulldogs did well, finishing that portion of their schedule with an 11-1 record. Last year, Butler finished 25-9, with the second-best record in the Big East--although it swept conference champion Villanova in both regular season meetings--and it reached the Sweet 16.
With Chris Holtmann at Ohio State and alumnus LaVall Jordan in at head coach, Butler will try to recreate the same success and build on last season.