How is Butler doing this year?

Butler at Marquette, 9 p.m., Wednesday; TV: FS1

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

Reigning national champion UConn remains one of the best teams in the country, but the rest of the Big East no longer seems as intimidating as in years past. Butler will be tested immediately with Marquette and No. 13 UConn as his first two opponents.

The Bulldogs were selected eighth out of 11 teams in the preseason. Is Butler headed there after a fluctuating non-conference 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 overtaken UConn as the team to beat in the league. According to KenPom, the Golden Eagles are in the top 17 in both offensive and defensive efficiency. They are 9-2 with good wins over Maryland (road), Purdue (home) and Georgia (neutral).

Senior Kam Jones has developed into one of the best players in the country. The 6-5 guard from Memphis is averaging 20.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game. He is shooting 57.1% from the field, 41.2% from three 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 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%, ranking 289th nationally. Butler shoots about two field goals per free throw (49.7%), good for seventh in the nation.

Top player: Eric Dixon, Villanova

Dixon didn’t play on the star-studded team that included 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. Entering his fifth year in the program, Dixon has taken his game to a new level.

The 6-8, 265-pound forward’s numbers have risen across the board while his efficiency has seen little to no decline. Dixon leads the nation with 25.8 points per game to go along with 5.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.1 steals. He shoots an absurd 52.3% from 3 while making 6.5 3s per game. He has scored more than 20 points in all but one game.

Top scorer: Eric Dixon, Villanova

Check out everything I wrote above. I’ll add that Dixon moves well for his size, never seems out of control, and can score from all three levels of the pitch. His 38-point game against Maryland is one of the most dominant performances you’ll see all season.

Top defender, Tarris Reed Jr., UConn

Reed isn’t even technically a starter for UConn, but he’s an extremely impactful player who averages just 20 minutes per game. The transfer from Michigan leads the Big East with a defensive rebound percentage of 30.1, meaning he grabs 30.1% of defensive rebounds when he’s on the court. With a block rate of 8.62%, Reed is second in the Big East behind teammate Samson Johnson (11.60%).

At 6-11 and 260 pounds, Reed is long enough to protect the rim effectively, strong enough to tackle big bodies in the paint and athletic enough to knock down rebounds and hit home dunks.

Top freshman: Thomas Sorber, Georgetown

UConn’s Liam McNeeley earned all the love in the preseason and may be more highly regarded in NBA circles, but the most productive freshman in the Big East so far has been Georgetown’s Thomas Sorber.

Sorber was a four-star recruit coming out of Archbishop Ryan High School in Philadelphia. Sorber is 6-10, 255 pounds. He averages 15.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.7 blocks per game for the Hoyas. Sorber has nimble footwork and a soft grip on the rim. In his college debut against Lehigh, he recorded a double-double with 20 points and 13 rebounds. He has recorded three double-doubles in 10 games and has scored in double figures in all but two games.

How does Butler fare?

The predictions don’t benefit Butler. KenPom predicts Butler will go 8-12 in the Big East and finish with a record of 15-16. The Bulldogs are a strong 3-point and free throw team, two qualities tournament teams typically possess. Their defense isn’t bad overall, but their 12.3 turnover percentage is one of the worst in the country.

Jahmyl Telfort is the team’s best player. Patrick McCaffery is the best shooter. Kolby King or Andre Screen is the team’s best defender. Butler has a team of solid players, but none of them can be considered one of the best players in the country. Marquette, UConn, Georgetown, Villanova, Xavier and Creighton have players capable of handling both ends of the court.

Telfort has proven capable of dominating smaller competitors, but his numbers have declined as the difficulty of Butler’s opponents increased. Pierre Brooks II is a strong scorer, but his defense leaves a lot to be desired.

As things stand, I don’t think Butler has what it takes to finish in the top third of the Big East. Things can change, surprises can happen, but with Marquette and UConn looming, Butler will have to defeat a giant or hope that tough losses don’t destroy the team’s confidence going forward.

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How is Butler doing this year?

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