Butler basketball entered the 2017-18 season with a big question mark at point guard. Freshman Aaron Thompson filled that role with consistency.
Before this season, the biggest question surrounding Butler basketball was at the point guard position. The team had graduated Tyler Lewis and Kethan Savage as the primary ball handlers from the year before and they needed a new lead guard. So, with a lack of options to take over the playmaking duties, where did new head coach LaVall Jordan turn?
Enter Aaron Thompson.
A freshman from Glenn Dale, Maryland, Thompson came off the bench for the first three games of this season before starting the remaining 32 contests. He might not have been the star player for the Bulldogs but he played an underrated role on the team. He filled the biggest hole in the rotation from the preseason by providing 24.1 quality minutes per game.
It is rare to see a starting point guard average just 4.3 points per game during a season but that is exactly what Thompson recorded this year. While this is a low number, it goes to show how well Thompson recognized his role on the team. He attempted less than four shots per game during the season and kept to himself on the offensive end. The 6’2″ guard used his quickness to utilize the “drive-and-kick” method of dishing out assists.
He led the Bulldogs in assists at 3.4 per game this season while limiting his turnovers to a reasonable 1.7 per game. This play exhibited a high level of playmaking ability even with a limited scoring game. For the season, Thompson shot only 39.6% from the field and attempted only 15 total 3-point shots, making two. While his offensive play was solid, the calling card of his play was on the defensive end of the floor.
From his very first game, Thompson was a lockdown defensive guard. He consistently provided quality on-ball defense and often came away with steals in big-time moments. He averaged 1.1 steals per game but more importantly was tops on the team with a steal percentage (estimate of opponent’s possessions that end in a steal) of 2.7%.
Thompson averaged committing a foul every 8.2 minutes on the floor this season so there is obvious room for improvement. However, the potential is there for Thompson to become one of the better game managers in the Big East over the next few years. He may not be a dominating offensive force but Thompson could become a high-level player in the Big East.
While this may not have been the greatest freshman season of all time, Thompson needs to be praised for coming in and doing a quality job filling a big hole for the Bulldogs. There are several places where Thompson can improve on the floor and the next three years will show just how good he can become.
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Not many people expected Thompson to come in and contribute as well as he did during his freshman season. With an entire offseason coming up, it would not be a surprise to see Thompson develop a somewhat consistent 3-point shot. Once he adds this, his play will launch into a new level. Considering the reputation of LaVall Jordan as an excellent coach when it comes to guards, Thompson has the ability to become someone special.