9. Butler Bulldogs (9-13, 2-9 Big East)
It’s time to be bluntly honest here, there’s no way that Butler should be as bad as they are with the talent on its roster.
Jahmyl Telfort and Pierre Brooks are All-Big East caliber players while Patrick McCaffery is a lethal shooter from 3-point range. Sure, there are some questions with its guard play, but Andre Screen is serviceable center, and Finley Bizjack is another 40-percent shooter from beyond the arc.
Yet this team has lost every league game it has played with the exception of matchups against DePaul and Seton Hall and have dropped 12-of-14 games.
NIL is an issue, but Thad Matta should have done a much better job making this team more competitive winning games with the caliber of players available to him.
THIS WEEK: at Seton Hall (Wednesday) and vs. Providence (Saturday)
10. DePaul Blue Demons (11-12, 2-10 Big East)
It was never about the record this season for DePaul, but it has to feel good to lock up a few league wins this season.
The Blue Demons took advantage of an injury riddled Georgetown team two weeks ago and then responded from its crushing overtime loss against Seton Hall at the beginning of the month with a resounding 17-point win on its home floor on Sunday evening.
In the right scenario, this team can pull a major upset. It nearly did against Marquette and its schedule lends for a few more chances before the regular season closes.
Chris Holtmann has this program on the right track and his second year should be a major stepping stone in Chicago.
THIS WEEK: vs. Villanova (Wednesday)
11. Seton Hall Pirates (6-16, 1-10 Big East)
It’s tough where to start with this Seton Hall team. First, there is a major talent deficiency and then you can get into everything else that’s wrong.
Injuries are mounting, head coach Shaheen Holloway is voicing his frustration with just about everything that has gone wrong, and the Pirates just lost the most winnable game left on its schedule against DePaul.
The path forward for this program is a daunting one and it’s tough to envision a scenario where this team can be more competitive next season if not for a major NIL contribution.
THIS WEEK: vs. Butler (Wednesday) and at Georgetown (Saturday)