Big East Basketball: Biggest in-state battles in non-conference schedule for 2018-19

Butler vs. Indiana (Dec. 15)

All-time: IU leads 38-15
Last meeting: BU 83-78 (2016)

Unfortunately, Butler and Indiana do not play each other every season – how cool would a back-and-forth duel between Hinkle Fieldhouse and Assembly Hall be? – but they do meet biennially in the all-Indiana Crossroads Classic.

Butler advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament as a 10 seed in LaVall Jordan’s first season, while Indiana scuffled to a 16-15 showing in Archie Miller’s inaugural campaign. However, while Butler copes with the loss of forward Kelan Martin, IU should be on the rise with the return of Juwan Morgan to campus and the addition of five-star freshman Romeo Langford. The Bulldogs and Hoosiers have split their last four matchups, and this 2018 contest appears to be just as even. KenPom slots the Hoosiers and Bulldogs just three spots away from each other, and both schools received votes in the AP poll.

Will Indiana be able to hang with Butler offensively? The Bulldogs finished inside the top-25 in adjusted offensive efficiency last year, and even without Martin, further development from lead guard Kamar Baldwin and role players Sean McDermott and Paul Jorgensen will maintain their impressive offensive ranking. On the flip side, the Hoosiers ranked in the bottom half of the country in nearly every offensive category last year; will Langford and four other well-regarded freshman be able to turn the ship around by mid-December?

Seton Hall vs. Rutgers (Dec. 15)

All-time: SHU leads 39-30
Last meeting: RU 71-65 (2017)

Seton Hall ran off four consecutive wins against lowly Rutgers before a disappointing defeat at the RAC last year, but this 2018 matchup will be a clean slate for both programs. The Pirates lost Desi Rodriguez, Angel Delgado, Khadeen Carrington, and Ismael Sanogo, while the Scarlet Knights are without Corey Sanders, DeShawn Freeman, and Mike Williams. Those seven players totaled 61 percent of the points in last year’s contest.

While Rutgers works through their umpteenth rebuild in the Big Ten, there is some reason for optimism in South Orange. Seton Hall still has Myles Powell, one of the most electric scorers in the Big East, and has surrounded him with a pair of intriguing transfers, Taurean Thompson and Quincy McKnight. The Pirates aren’t generating a ton of buzz – they were picked eighth by the coaches in the conference preseason poll – but it would not be surprising to see them finish in the top half of the competitive Big East and compete for a tournament spot.

Both teams have compiled decent non-conference schedules – Seton Hall has Nebraska, St. Louis, Louisville, Kentucky, and Maryland on the docket, while Rutgers will play St. John’s and Miami prior to this rivalry game – so this meeting will be important for building both a postseason resume and a team identity heading into conference play.