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Butler put up a great fight but came up short against a great Virginia team. Let's review the Dawgs.

Who's Out?
*Austin Etherington
*Jordan Gathers
*Roosevelt Jones
*Kellen Dunham
They were all excellent players, especially Dunham and Jones and will all be missed.

Who's returning?
*Tyler Lewis-Talented PG.
*Tyler Wideman-Bruiser big man who can really rebound.
*Andrew Chrabsacz-Dude went off last night. Talented big man. Look for big things from him in his swan song next season.
*Kelan Martin-A rising star for Butler

Who's coming in?
*Kethan Savage-Talented transfer who sat out this year from George Washington.
*Howard Washington-HS kid from Buffalo, NY but plays at Montverde Academy in Florida.
*Henry Baddley-HS kid from Akron, OH. Went to same HS as LeBron, St. Vincent-St. Mary.
*Kamar Baldiwn-HS kid from Georgia.
*Joey Brunk-HS kid from Indy. Heard he's killing it at Southport.

Bottom Line: Butler should still be one of the better teams in the league with guys like Chrabascz and Martin returning and Savage being added into the fold. They'll also really, really miss Jones and Dunham and could very well take a step back. I'd see them as a bubble team for next season.

they were already pretty much a bubble team this year. They were #34 seed in the tourney- 11th to last team in the tourney. Early season could be huge for them next year to get enough OOC to get in. A step back and they're really in the NIT.

Pretty solid review. Could be a little better to just missing the NCAAs.

kethan savage GW transfer and freshman kamar baldwin adds athleticism in the backcourt.
joey brunk looks like a bruiser and a legit scoring threat down low. butler will be a completely different looking team with him and tyler.

Kelan martin is undisputed go-to guy for them next year and someone who can create his own shots. that is a great luxury to build your young team around.

If Butler gets 2013-14 Kethan Savage, they can be a tournament team. If they get 2014-15 Kethan Savage, it's doubtful.

I think it depends on how Kelan Martin develops, if he can develop into a superstar, they will be a NCAA team, if not, probably NIT. Losing Dunham and Jones is alot to lose.

Pretty good group returning, they may not drop off as much as people think.

I don't buy that Tyler Lewis is "talented," though. High school accolades don't equal talent. Barely adequate as a backup PG.

I think there's a good chance we will resemble 2014-2015 Xavier.

Equally, there is a good chance next year will be a rebuild year. I think we could be really solid in 2017-2018 though.

http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/2016/03/20/backcourt-big-east-add-butlers-uncertainty-next-year/82045864/

Here is a better analysis, from Dave Woods, Indy Star. Washington may go prep.

"Holtmann conceded next season amounts to "a rebuild." Long-term, Butler’s outlook is favorable. By March 2018, Martin could be an All-America candidate, that 2016 class will have matured, and early commit Cooper Neese could pair with Baldwin in a dynamic backcourt."

I'm a Butler homer, but have become more of a realist as I get further away from my campus days and with better perspective!

I don't expect Butler to make the NCAA's next year. That said, I have faith in the process and program, and like the fact that everyone understands that the D MUST get better. I could see this as a year to get the freshmen acclimated quickly which could result in some slow progress, and back to our defensive roots. I see the BE as being a very similiar league next year, with 5 tournament teams.

If Washington really does plan on going prep - I wonder if a grad transfer PG could come in with immediate eligibility? I'm not sure Lewis is going to make a big difference... really expected much more out of him this year. If a PG could come in with immediate impact talent, we could be a bubble team.

bottom line, I don't expect anything better than bottom third, to middle of the conference at best. Hope I'm wrong!