Butler Basketball: Breaking down the non-conference schedule

MILWAUKEE, WI - MARCH 16: A Butler Bulldogs cheerleader cheers in the second half against the Winthrop Eagles during the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at BMO Harris Bradley Center on March 16, 2017 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

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KANSAS CITY, MO – MARCH 23: Isaac Haas /

Closing stretch

Purdue vs. Butler, December 16th at Bankers Life Fieldhouse

In the Crossroads Classic, Butler will take on Purdue this time around. Although the Boilermakers will surely be missing Caleb Swanigan, who declared for the draft, Purdue will be a solid team this upcoming year. They will be led by big man Isaac Haas, but a talented core including Carsen Edwards, Vince Edwards, and Dakota Mathias remain around him. This game will be a very fun non-conference match-up and will also be Butler’s second game against the Big Ten during this non-conference slate. Maryland was the other.

Morehead State at Butler, December 19th

Out of the Ohio Valley, Morehead State had a very interesting year in 2016-17. Despite going 10-6 (T-2nd) in conference play, they were just 4-10 in non-conference play. Leading scorers Xavier Moon and DeJuan Marrero are no longer around, and it will be up to Miguel Dicent to lead the way, having scored 10.4 points per game last season. The Eagles relied on their offense last season, which scored nearly 80 points per game and was the 47th highest scoring offense in the country.

Western Illinois, December 21st

After finishing 5-11 in the Summit League and 8-20 overall, this game should be no trouble for Butler as their last tune-up prior to Big East play getting underway. The Leathernecks lose leading scorer Garrett Covington (20.1 points per game) from a season ago and will need to find someone to fill that hole. This team lost their last five games to end last season and they will need to play better this season if they want to make an impact. For Butler, their rotations should be set by this point and they should move into conference play on a high note.

Next: Top returning players in the Big East

Although starting fresh with a lot of new players and a new coaching staff, the Butler Bulldogs should still be in good shape this season. Over the past several seasons, the Dawgs have asserted themselves as a very good program both in the Big East and nationwide. Making it back to the NCAA Tournament is surely the goal heading into the year, and that could come down to their play in the non-conference.