Big East Basketball: Updated WTE power rankings for 2022-23 season
By Joey Loose
9. Butler
Change is in the air at Butler, with former head coach Thad Matta returning to the sidelines more than two decades after departing the school, eventually coaching at Xavier and Ohio State. The Bulldogs have finished under .500 in three of the last four seasons and haven’t been to the NCAA Tournament since 2018. The program was headed in a dark direction in recent seasons, but the return of Matta certainly brings optimism back to Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Leading scoring guard Chuck Harris (11.4 ppg last year) returns, though Bryce Golden departed for Loyola-Chicago. Familiar names like Jayden Taylor and Simas Lukosius return, but this lineup has been reshaped by a slew of transfers. Matta spent the offseason landing former Purdue guard Eric Hunter Jr., former Akron wing Ali Ali, and former Georgia State big man Jalen Thomas; a major bolster to this roster for next year.
It seems like forever ago that Butler was a Horizon League team making back-to-back national title games. These Bulldogs are in a better position for the future with Matta calling the shots for this program again and it can’t be understated what his arrival will do. Moving forward, the pieces in place will make this team a bit better than last season, we’ll just have to see how long it takes for Butler to be a national player again.