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Bracketology 2024: Is BYU, Clemson, Butler, and Colorado State better than expected?

By Jason Burgess

BLACKSBURG, VA - JANUARY 4: Members of the Clemson Tigers mens basketball team react following a win against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Cassell Coliseum on January 4, 2023 in Blacksburg, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan Hunt/Getty Images)
BLACKSBURG, VA - JANUARY 4: Members of the Clemson Tigers mens basketball team react following a win against the Virginia Tech Hokies at Cassell Coliseum on January 4, 2023 in Blacksburg, Virginia. (Photo by Ryan Hunt/Getty Images) /
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Pierre Brooks #21 of the Butler Bulldogs (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
Pierre Brooks #21 of the Butler Bulldogs (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Butler Bulldogs 7-2

Thad Matta’s return to Butler has paid immediate dividends for the Bulldogs. Off to a 7-2 start and having won 3 in a row since dropping their only two games of the year to Michigan State and FAU, Butler has looked exceedingly better than the team that was picked to finish 10th before the season began.

Thus far the Bulldogs have been led by a quartet of transfers, Pierre Brooks, Jahmyl Telfort, DJ Davis, and Posh Alexander. Brooks began his career at Michigan State where he saw limited action in two seasons before breaking out this year shooting 51% from deep and leading the team in scoring with 16.9. Telfort spent three productive years at Northeastern before joining the Bulldogs. The 6-7 senior has been the perfect complement to Brooks, contributing all over the stat sheet with 15.7 points, 5.4 rebounds, and three assists per game.

Davis spent the last three years at UC-Irvine where he shot 40% from three last year. This season he has also improved his rebounding and assists this season with 3.3 and 2.4 per game. Alexander spent three years at St. John’s and now he is Butler’s leading assist and steals man with 5.3 dimes and 1.9 thefts.

While the Bulldogs have put up 82 points per game this season, what has made them successful is how efficient they have been on the offensive end, ranking 47th in effective field goal percentage and their ability to protect the ball. They only turn the ball over at a clip of 10.7 per game. As of their last game, a win over Buffalo, all of their wins are in the last two quads, but the wins over Texas Tech, Boise State, and Penn State could improve.

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