Butler Basketball: What is the next jump for Aaron Thompson?

Aaron Thompson has been Butler basketball’s starting point guard since the start of his career. Looking ahead to his senior year, can he take another leap?

Butler basketball’s Aaron Thompson might not a household name nationally, but he has been an integral part of the program since the opening tip of his career. Over the past three seasons, the 6-foot-2 floor general has competed in 95 total games, starting 92 of them.

His per-game numbers might not jump off the computer screen but there should be no doubt about the fact that Thompson is a high-level difference-maker on the floor. He has improved with each season in Indianapolis and will be tasked with a brand-new challenge as a senior.

For the first time in his collegiate career, Thompson will be playing without his partner-in-crime, Kamar Baldwin, in 2020-21. This could prove to be very difficult as the Thompson/Baldwin pairing worked tremendously well in Butler’s backcourt over the past three years.

Without Baldwin (and Sean McDermott) on the roster, Thompson will become an even more important piece of the puzzle for head coach LaVall Jordan. If the Dawgs are going to compete for an NCAA Tournament bid in this coming campaign, Thompson will need to take another significant leap in his level of play.

To analyze his potential impact as a senior, let’s first take a step back and look at what he already brings to the table for Butler. Perhaps most importantly, he is an outstanding defender capable of shutting down just about any perimeter scorer in the nation. This was particularly evident during this past season as he was named one of the 10 semifinalists for the National Defensive Player of the Year award even while dealing with a pair of injuries (wrist and concussion).

In addition to his ability as a one-on-one stopper, Thompson is an incredible leader on the defensive end of the floor. He is an elite communicator and was the primary reason for the Dawgs ranking among the nation’s best in adjusted defensive efficiency prior to his first injury. With the likes of Thompson, Bryce Nze, and Bryce Golden all healthily returning for this coming season, Butler could potentially be elite defensively.

Furthermore, Thompson’s leadership is noticeable offensively as well. Even though he is not a top scorer, he dictates Butler’s offense with his consistent probing and playmaking ability. During this past season, Thompson finished with a sparkling 2.47 assist-to-turnover ratio that ranked 31st in the entire nation. He should be similarly impactful as a creator in Year 4 but the big question will be whether he can show more improvement in the scoring department.

Butler Bulldogs Basketball

In my opinion, an increase in aggression will be the key for Thompson to take the next step in his career. Despite not being a perimeter shooting threat, Thompson has been adept at finishing at the basket over the past two seasons while shooting 54.5% on his 2-point attempts in that time frame. His intelligent shot-selection and crafty finishing make him dangerous around the rim while adding a reliable floater to his bag of tricks definitely helped as a junior.

But can Thompson continue to be that effective while shouldering more of the scoring burden during his final campaign? That is the main question facing Butler, a team that could lack offensive punch following the graduations of Baldwin and McDermott. With those two departures, as well as the potential loss of Jordan Tucker, the Dawgs will need their point guard to emerge as a true scoring threat.

While Thompson’s past tendencies might not indicate that he is ready for a huge leap as a scorer, Butler’s offensive scheme could be completely centered around him during this coming campaign. Without Baldwin to bail out possessions, the Dawgs will need to rely a lot more heavily on their senior point guard to get to the basket and finish, in addition to his facilitating.

Despite managing most of Butler’s ball-handling duties during this past season, Thompson still posted one of the lowest usage rates on the team at just 15.2%. That number could be due for a major increase as Coach Jordan looks to utilize his floor general in different ways. Perhaps most notably, Butler fans could see more wrinkles added to the pick-and-roll playbook for Thompson.

Due to Thompson’s lack of shooting ability, the coaching staff needs to be a bit creative to draw up plays for him to be at his best. This particular Spain ball-screen set below, for instance, became a more prevalent piece of Butler’s offense last season to put Thompson in a position to excel and more variations could be in store for 2020-21.

While it is unreasonable to expect Thompson to blossom into a primary scoring option as a senior, it is likely that he will be the team’s most important player. When healthy, he has already proven that he can be one of the nation’s best defenders and is a strong creator. Thompson might never be a “box score star” but his impact was glaringly obvious this season when Butler was forced to play without him for stretches either due to foul trouble or injuries.

Thompson’s leadership will also be vital as he looks to mentor a pair of incoming freshmen. Even though Butler added graduate transfer Jair Bolden as a potential starter at the “2” spot for this coming campaign, it is likely that both Chuck Harris and Myles Tate see the floor for extensive minutes in the backcourt. Thompson’s tremendous work ethic and understanding of the game make him an ideal candidate to teach the next generation of Butler guards.

Aaron Thompson has been a star in his role for the last three seasons but now is the time for him to potentially be the face of Butler basketball as a senior. The Dawgs will not boast any true go-to players during the 2020-21 season but could excel by believing in the idea that “the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.” Thompson could be the engine that makes the team go as he leads by example with defensive tenacity and offensive leadership.