Dark clouds loom over the Bulldogs, as their fate in this year’s tournament is all but decided. Butler has lost all but one of its conference matchups so far, with a close victory coming over Seton Hall recently. There was a large amount of optimism when Connor McCaffery took up the post of assistant coach in September and went on a 6-game win streak while Caitlin Clark sat courtside for most. But it was to no avail.

Butler has seen flashes of brilliance from its senior core this year, but nothing consistent. Jahmyl Telfort, Pierre Brooks II, and Patrick McCaffery are the team’s top contributors and the only players whose averages are in the double-digits. It feels like Butler is facing an uphill battle, however, because their offensive production is very limited. Their scoring average of about 72.5 ppg, and their points allowed average of 71.9, leave a tight margin but show a very telling tale. Butler has taken a lot of their games to the wire. Both of their matches against UConn were very close, with the latest result being decided in overtime.

Sadly, they don’t get anything for losing close matches. The Bulldogs’ dream of ending their seven-year post-season drought may remain just that—a dream. According to a tweet shared by Big East Bar Room, the Bulldogs only have a minuscule chance of making the tournament at this point.

With a 1.3% chance, the Bulldogs are almost certainly facing elimination from the biggest stage in college basketball. Understandably so, the team hasn’t clicked this season. The coaching staff will have to go back to the drawing board to see what they need to make it work. Butler’s top three players are seniors, and will be graduating this year. It will be interesting to see what the organisation will do while building up from scratch.

What went wrong for the Bulldogs this season?

With the addition of Connor McCaffery, the Bulldogs attained a lot of media attention this season. Caitlin Clark fuelled the popularity spike even further by being a regular to the Butler games, bringing along stars for the ride. This turned out to be a double-edged sword, however, as their flaws were made even more obvious to the public.

The question though: What went wrong? Where did they lack? Their game against the Huskies might holds a glimpse.

Butler took UConn for a wild ride in a season filled with disappointments and heart-breaks. They dragged the reigning champions into overtime, even taking an early lead in extended play. This, however, is the furthest that they got. A big time shot by Alex Karaban sealed their fate once again, and highlighted their biggest issue—they let their foot off the gas.

The lack of scoring, their ineffectiveness in transition, and 11.4 turnovers ranking them 114th in the nation has worked against them. However, mentality might be an even bigger issue for Butler. With how close they have taken all of their matchups so far, Butler definitely isn’t a bad team. If they learn how to play more fiercely, the Bulldogs could compete against better teams.