Butler Basketball: Takeaways from the Bulldogs’ undefeated trip to Spain

Part of their offseason training, Butler basketball recently traveled to Spain. During their trip, the Bulldogs won each of their four competitive contests.

With an entirely new coaching staff led by LaVall Jordan and a young roster, the Bulldogs got their competitive season off to a solid start in Spain. Over the course of the last couple of weeks, the team has been traveling throughout the country, celebrating birthdays and visiting the touristic attractions of the country. Oh, and playing some basketball, too.

The Bulldogs played four games on their trip, taking the victory in each one. They were, however, tested thoroughly throughout and the team surely learned valuable lessons both about themselves as a basketball team and about the culture of Spain.

The NCAA allows teams to take one international trip once every four years. This is an important trip as it allows the Bulldogs to practice and play competitive ball prior to October when most teams get underway.

There might still be a long time until the college basketball season gets underway, but let’s take a look at Butler’s trip and what potential takeaways could be seen from their first competitive challenges since their loss to North Carolina in the NCAA Tournament.

Game 1: Butler def. Madrid All-Stars 84-80

Standout performer: Kelan Martin (SR) had 29 points (11-for-20) and nine rebounds.

Takeaways: As plenty of people would have expected, it was Kelan Martin who stepped up for the Bulldogs in this opener. Without the likes of leaders Andrew Chrabascz or Tyler Lewis in the locker room anymore, it will be up to the seniors Martin and Tyler Wideman to become leaders for the Dawgs in 2017-18. With this 29-point performance in a hard-fought game, Martin has already shown early that he is ready to shoulder the weight.

Fellow senior Tyler Wideman also showed up big, dropping in 13 points and snatching seven rebounds. For reference, Wideman averaged 7.2 points per game as a junior last season. Sophomore guard Kamar Baldwin also lived up to the hype of being one of the best players in the Big East with his all-around performance. With 13 points, seven assists, five rebounds, and four steals, it is hard to find something Baldwin didn’t do right in this game.

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Game 2: Butler def. Arcos Albacete 85-51

Standout performer: Paul Jorgensen (JR) had 20 points and eight rebounds.

Takeaways: Following the graduation of guards Tyler Lewis, Avery Woodson, and Kethan Savage, the Butler backcourt is in need of some help during the 2017-18 season. Enter Paul Jorgensen. Jorgensen sat out last season as a transfer from George Washington, but he will be ready to go this year. In just his second competitive game with the team, he showed up big, shooting 4-for-5 from three-point land and pouring in 20 points. Jorgensen is mostly seen as a pass-first guard, but if he can knock down the open three consistently, then that will greatly help Butler’s spacing.

In addition to Jorgensen’s play, sophomore Henry Baddley played well for the backcourt, adding 13 points of his own on 5-for-6 shooting. Baddley is a player who saw very limited action last season but could prove to be a valuable backup behind Baldwin this season. He is a very good athlete and can stretch the floor from deep, just what the Bulldogs will want out of high-energy bench player.

Game 3: Butler def. Valencia Professionals 81-68

Standout performer: Kamar Baldwin (SO) had 15 points and five assists.

Takeaways: Thanks to a 19-5 run in the second half, the Bulldogs were able to pull away in this one. Once again, Baldwin flashed his ability to score the basketball as one of the most impressive performers. The key stat from this game, though, was his five assists. With Baldwin likely playing both guard positions for extended periods of time this season, it is good to see how well he has been creating for his teammates during this Spain trip. In just the first three games, Baldwin was averaging 5.7 assists per game.

In addition to the impressive playmaking of Baldwin, freshman Aaron Thompson showed that he can create for others as well. Another viable option to play substantial minutes at point guard, Thompson dished out five delicious dimes in this game to go with 11 points in what was an impressive game.

Game 4: Butler def. Dax Gamarde 84-70

Standout performer: Kamar Baldwin (SO) had 15 points and five assists (again).

Takeaways: 11 of the 12 Butler players that saw the floor in this game scored. That kind of balance is a great thing to see during the early stages of the practice season. Although Baldwin (15) and Martin (13) were the only two players to reach the double-digit mark, the efficient scoring of the entire roster is the mark of a team that already has solid chemistry and the ability to create open shots for each other.

On an individual player level, let’s shine a spotlight on Sean McDermott. In this game, he had eight points, and that just capped off a very solid stretch of games. McDermott is expected to play significant minutes on the wing this season behind Martin and his play so far is a good sign of things to come. In the first game of the trip, McDermott had 12 points thanks to four three-pointers. If his efficiency and volume from three-point range continue, then he could see a lot of playing time as a floor spacing wing with very good size.

Next: Breaking down Butler's non-conference schedule

Butler basketball has gone through a lot this offseason considering the departure of head coach Chris Holtmann. Still, they return a lot of talented players and new coach LaVall Jordan seems to have the team in good shape so far. Villanova is the favorite to take home the Big East title once again, but will Butler be there to challenge them for another season?