Big East Basketball: Breakout players from each team for 2020-21 season

MILWAUKEE, WI - JANUARY 07: The Big East logo logo on the court before a college basketball game between the Marquette Golden Eagles and the Providence Friars at the Fiserv Forum on January 7, 2020 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** /

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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – FEBRUARY 05: Bryce Golden #33 of the Butler Bulldogs (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

Big East Basketball breakout candidate – Bryce Golden (Butler)

Butler finished the season ranked 23rd in the country despite finishing 5th in the Big East, the Bulldogs were on a roll having won their last three before the season came to an end. Head coach LaVall Jordan hopes his team can carry that momentum into the 2020-21 season. He must replace his top two scorers, Kamar Baldwin and Sean McDermott who both graduated. To help them do that, they return a solid core and a recruiting class that while it may not be star-studded, is deep.

One of those returning core players I believe could be primed for a big jump in production is junior forward Bryce Golden. The 6-9 frontcourt stalwart took advantage of a jump in playing time last season, averaging 7.9 points and 3.9 rebounds per game after seeing just six minutes per game and seeing the floor in 15 games as a freshman. With the new-found playing time, the big man also began to develop a three-point game, knocking down 11 of 45 attempts, a skill that if it continues to develop will make him a player that is harder to guard for opposing power forwards.

Last season he flashed the ability to have an offensive outburst, scoring 18 and 17 in games against Villanova and Seton Hall, and Golden could be ready to step into a role alongside Jordan Tucker and Bryce Nze to lead this new crop of Bulldogs.

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