The NBA Finals are set to tip-off on May 31. The Dallas Mavericks have two former Big East players on their roster. The Miami Heat have zero. Dwayne Wade does not count as Marquette did not join the Big East until after he left for the NBA. By default, Big East Coast Bias is rooting for the Mavericks to win the NBA title.
This is kind of like #BigEastSolidarity although if Miami wins if might be awkward between us and Anonymous Eagle for a little while.
Dallas Small Forward and former Connecticut Husky Caron Butler is the more recognizable of the two former Big East players on the Mavs. It is highly doubtful that we'll see Butler in the Finals as he is still recovering from rupturing the patellar tendon in his right knee back on January 1. Butler started 29 games for Dallas this season and scored 15 points per game. Against the Heat, Butler scored 18 points per game as well as helped to guard LeBron James who only shot 30.6% in those two regular season games.
The other former Big East player on the Mavericks is Dominique Jones. The rookie from South Florida scored 2.3 points per game in very limited action this season. Jones had surgery on a stress fracture in his right foot back in February.
So if you needed a sentimental angle, there it is: Do it for the injured guys.
For more coverage of the Mavericks, check out Mavs Moneyball.