Once in the top 10, the Butler Bulldogs have fell to the edges of the ranked world. They should still be an NCAA Tournament team — their last win over DePaul, plus their early body of work should ensure that.
But their defense, while solid and prepared, allows a heavy dose of three-point shooting. Coupled with their lack of desire to force steals, Butler can have a lot of defensive variance — based on whether opponents are hitting shots. When they hold a team to 4/22 from beyond the arc, like they did to St. John’s, they win. When teams shoot in the 30s, it’s less of a sure thing for Butler in Big East play.
The Bulldogs have dealt with injury issues; Smits has missed the last four games with a knee issue, while forward Christian David, who made the game-winning shot against St. John’s at the end of December, is out for the season with an ACL injury.