Their addition to the Big East seemed like a home run initially, with perhaps the best coach in the game in Brad Stevens, and a pair Final Four appearances in 2010 and 2011 under their belt, the Bulldogs seemed like a no brainer when the league reconfigured as a basketball-only conference.
Stevens never coached a game in the Big East, however, leaving for the Boston Celtics only months after the league left football behind, and my concerns about Butler’s future only grew over the following 12 months.
To be blunt, Butler looked soft in their first go-around in the Big East.