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Butler Basketball: 3 takeaways from the Bulldogs’ win over Providence

By Lukas Harkins

PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 10: Aaron Thompson #2 of the Butler Bulldogs passes the ball against the Villanova Wildcats at the Wells Fargo Center on February 10, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 10: Aaron Thompson #2 of the Butler Bulldogs passes the ball against the Villanova Wildcats at the Wells Fargo Center on February 10, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – FEBRUARY 10: Thompson
PHILADELPHIA, PA – FEBRUARY 10: Thompson /

2. Role players stepped up all game long

Offensively, Kamar Baldwin and Kelan Martin did not have the best game in this one. The duo entered this contest averaging a combined 42.1 points per game on 47.6% shooting. Against Providence, though, they put up just 26 points while shooting 8-for-22 (36.4%) from the field. Thankfully, the rest of the team responded to their off nights by knocking down shots and aggressively attacking the basket.

Obviously, the Bulldogs’ defense was what pushed them to victory but they got contributions from everyone who saw the floor. Most specifically, Butler’s big men did their job inside. When the Bulldogs lost to Providence earlier this season, they were outrebounded by nine. This time around, though, the team snagged seven more rebounds than the Friars.

In 38 combined minutes (practically the whole game), Tyler Wideman and Nate Fowler combined for a high-quality outing. They dropped in 19 points and 11 rebounds. Fowler also led the team in +/- with a +19 game.

In addition, guards Aaron Thompson and Paul Jorgensen showed up with quality performances. Thompson played glue-like defense on Kyron Cartwright while holding him to 3 points on 1-for-8 shooting. Considering Cartwright had 18 points and 11 assists in his last outing against Butler, Thompson’s defense was a significant game-changer.

Jorgensen, on the other hand, broke out of his slump in this game. He failed to get back on track from 3-point range, missing his only attempt, but used his slick handles to get to the basket. “Paulie” consistently brought high-level energy in his 17 minutes, scoring 12 points on 5-for-7 shooting. In similar fashion to Fowler, Jorgs was +17 for the game.

This game showed that Butler can win games even when their stars are not dominant. With the Bulldogs hopefully bound for the NCAA Tournament, the performances by their role players in this game could lead to a great future.

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