Big East Basketball: Xavier, Seton Hall rises, Villanova slides in latest power ranking

8. Butler Bulldogs

The Butler Bulldogs only had two losses in the entirety of their nonconference schedule, but that great start has come crashing down a bit ever since their great start. They now sit at ninth in the Big East and while they have solid wins like the one over Marquette, their losses bring about a bit of concern for where this team can go. This is a team with very strong guard play led by Pierre Brooks, and Posh Alexander has been a great transfer get for this team. 

But they lack the size to really compete in this conference, and that has led to losses against some of the top teams in the Big East. They are at that point where they are under .500 but can still go on a run and rebound their season. Picking up that win over Marquette was also huge for a potential tournament bid if they can hit 20 wins, but they have a long road ahead if they want to see March. This team is no easy win, but they have not been the tough team to beat that was expected out of them after their great run before conference play.

This team has great coaching under Thad Matta, and there is plenty to be excited about going forward for Butler fans, but the lack of Big East success has to be disappointing for those out in Indianapolis. There is still plenty of season left, and this is a team that is good enough to shock some people in the Big East Tournament if they get the right matchup.