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Butler Basketball: 5 storylines to follow for the 2017 Big East tournament

By Lukas Harkins

Feb 26, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Butler Bulldogs head coach Chris Holtmann (L) talks to his team during a time out in the second half against the Xavier Musketeers at the Cintas Center. Butler won 88-79. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 26, 2017; Cincinnati, OH, USA; Butler Bulldogs head coach Chris Holtmann (L) talks to his team during a time out in the second half against the Xavier Musketeers at the Cintas Center. Butler won 88-79. Mandatory Credit: Frank Victores-USA TODAY Sports /
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Seeding and location

Entering the tournament, Butler is a three seed in my projected field. Given their massive number of wins against top-50 teams (9-3), Butler has one of the best resumes in the entire country. Their three bad losses hurt their overall seed potential, but, by winning the Big East Tournament, they should be able to move onto the two line and even into playing in Indianapolis.

Unlike other top teams in the country, Butler has consistently beaten teams in the projected field. The Bulldogs are 14-4 against the field of teams, with three of those wins coming against one and two seeds. There are very few teams in the nation with wins as good as those over Villanova (2x), Arizona, Cincinnati, and others.

Should Butler lose in their first game of the Big East Tournament, it seems likely that the lowest seed they would fall to is a four. By winning one or two games in prior to Selection Sunday, they should stay put on the three line. However, if they take the whole tournament, the Dawgs will shoot to the two line. Even by making the championship game and falling to Villanova, it is still possible to land on the two line depending on the play of the teams around them and how the committee views bad losses.

It seems extremely likely that the two potential locations for Butler in the Big Dance will be Indianapolis and Milwaukee. Should they pass either Kentucky or Louisville in the seed list, they will land extremely close to home by playing in Indy. However, if UK and Louisville stay ahead, the Dawgs will play in Milwaukee. It will be extremely fun to follow Butler as the season progresses, so watch out!

After losing to Seton Hall in their season finale, the Butler Bulldogs will be on a mission to win the Big East Tournament in Madison Square Garden over the next few days.

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