Is this it for Butler? Roosevelt Jones needs to prove otherwise.

After listening to Butler beat writer Zak Keefer depressingly talk about the 2014-15 Butler Bulldogs on Bluejay Banter (Creighton's radio show) last night, it got me thinking if Butler will ever be the powerhouse it was 3-4 years ago during Brandon Miller's tenure.  While Kameron Woods is not strong enough to guard Big East centers, and Andrew Chrabascz is not a legitimate power forward, it looks to be almost certain that they will start at the 5 and 4 respectively.  Chrabascz is no Khyle Marshall but he could be eventually.  But Roosevelt Jones' return is probably getting overlooked by many who have already written the Bulldogs off.  He does so many of the little things, including being the dribble penetrator that Elijah Brown was not.  He can create for Kellen Dunham, who had to work far too hard to get open and didn't have enough playmakers to find him when he was.  Jones will also take some of the ball-handling responsibilities away from Alex Barlow, who also was overwhelmed by defenses by the end of the season.

In a roster of so many players who were not recruited to play Big East basketball, Jones is the one player, who at 6'4 and 227 pounds, can match up with any 2 or 3 in the league and be a physical specimen on both ends of the floor.  He should be an upgrade on the rebounding front compared to Khyle Marshall and Erik Fromm, neither of whom were decent rebounders.  He made all the clutch plays down the stretch of the Gonzaga game in January 2013, and he could've been the difference in the insane amount of close losses Butler incurred this past season.  In the past he deferred to players like Andrew Smith and Rotnei Clarke.  But his time is now.  And if he cannot help revitalize Butler to a middle of the road Big East team, the questions surrounding Brandon Miller's squad will continue to mount.