Big East Basketball power rankings: Villanova drops lower, St. John’s rises

8. Butler Bulldogs – 11-8 (3-5)

The road can be difficult for teams, no matter the opponent. But it was especially rough for Butler, who faced Seton Hall and St. John’s. To their disappointment, both not only ended up in losses but neither was truly competitive, with the team losing each by 15+ points.

Making matters worse, the Bulldogs were going to be without starting forward Manny Bates, who was injured. The good news is that both Jalen Thomas and Ali Ali, who each missed nearly half the season to this point with injuries of their own, were ready to take his minutes.

In the end, the seven-man rotation proved to be good enough to beat the Wildcats at home, 79-71. Sophomore guard Simas Lukosius had his best game of the season with a game-high 28 points on 9/13 shooting, including 5/8 from deep. Eric Hunter had 10 points and seven assists, while Thomas played well in place of Bates. producing 11 points and five rebounds in 32 minutes.

Butler looks to keep the momentum going, with a home matchup against Creighton. Considering that they have to go back on the road and face both UConn and Providence right after, beating the Bluejays will be key to avoiding a losing streak.