Butler’s Pierre Brooks II and Jahmyl Telfort have been selected to the 2024-25 Preseason All-BIG EAST Second Team, while the Bulldogs were tabbed to finish eighth in the preseason conference poll.
The announcements were made Wednesday morning at BIG EAST Basketball Media Day at Madison Square Garden in New York City.
Brooks and Telfort were the Bulldogs’ top two scorers a season ago; Butler is the only BIG EAST team to return its top two point producers from 2023-24.
Brooks led the team in scoring with a 14.8 per-game average; he ranks fifth among scorers returning to the BIG EAST this season. The senior forward had seven 20-point scoring performances a season ago among his 29 double-figure outings. He added 4.0 rebounds per game, while shooting 40.6 percent from behind the arc.
Telfort was Butler’s second-leading scorer at 13.9 points per game. The fifth-year forward added 4.9 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game. Telfort’s all-around game allowed him to lead the team in scoring nine times and in rebounding in eight games a season ago.
The BIG EAST coaches selected the Bulldogs to finish eighth in the league standings. Butler went 18-15 a season ago, including a 9-11 mark in BIG EAST play. Coach Thad Matta’s roster features eight returning letterwinners, a group headlined by Brooks and Telfort. The Bulldogs also brought in a trio of transfers – Kolby King from Tulane, Patrick McCaffery from Iowa and Jamie Kaiser Jr. from Maryland.
Connecticut, the defending BIG EAST regular season and tournament champion and the reigning national champion, was chosen to finish first in the 2024-25 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches’ Poll. The Huskies received all possible 10 first-place votes and 100 points from the league’s head coaches who were not permitted to vote for their own teams. Creighton and Xavier followed in second and third, respectively.
Creighton center Ryan Kalkbrenner was named 2024-25 BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year by a vote of the league’s head coaches. Connecticut forward Liam McNeeley was selected BIG EAST Preseason Freshman of the Year. The coaches, who were not permitted to choose their own players, also chose an All-BIG EAST First Team, All-BIG EAST Second Team and All-BIG EAST Third Team.
BIG EAST COACHES’ PRESEASON POLL
1. UConn (10) – 100 points
2. Creighton – 84
3. Xavier – 82
4. Marquette (1) – 74
5. St. John’s – 70
6. Providence – 54
7. Villanova – 44
8. Butler – 36
9. Georgetown – 25
10. Seton Hall – 24
11. DePaul – 12
First place votes in parentheses
BIG EAST PRESEASON HONORS
PRESEASON PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Ryan Kalkbrenner, Creighton, C, Sr., 7-1, Florissant, Mo.
PRESEASON FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Liam McNeeley, Connecticut, F, Fr., 6-7, Richardson, Texas
PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST FIRST TEAM
Alex Karaban, Connecticut, F, R-Jr., 6-8, Southborough, Mass.
Kam Jones, Marquette, G, Sr., 6-5, Memphis, Tenn.
Bryce Hopkins, Providence, G-F, Sr., 6-7, Oak Park, Ill.
Kadary Richmond, St. John’s, G, Gr., 6-6, Brooklyn, N.Y.
Eric Dixon, Villanova, F, Gr., 6-8, Willow Grove, Pa.
PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST SECOND TEAM
Pierre Brooks II, Butler, F, Sr., 6-6, Detroit, Mich.
Jahmyl Telfort, Butler, F, Gr., 6-7, Montreal, Quebec
Deivon Smith, St. John’s, G, Gr., 6-0, Decatur, Ga.
Zach Freemantle, Xavier, F, Gr., 6-9, Teaneck, N.J.
Dayvion McKnight, Xavier, G, Gr., 6-0, Shelbyville, Ky.
PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST THIRD TEAM
Aidan Mahaney, Connecticut, G, Jr., 6-3, Lafayette, Calif.
Steven Ashworth, Creighton, G, Sr., 6-0, Alpine, Utah
Jayden Epps, Georgetown, G, Jr., 6-2, Norfolk, Va.
Wooga Poplar, Villanova, G, Sr., 6-5, Philadelphia, Pa.
Ryan Conwell, Xavier, G, Jr., 6-4, Indianapolis, Ind.