Busting Brackets
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Big East Basketball: 2018-19 breakout candidates from each team

By Lukas Harkins

PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 10: Sean McDermott #22 of the Butler Bulldogs drives to the basket against Collin Gillespie #2 of 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: Sean McDermott #22 of the Butler Bulldogs drives to the basket against Collin Gillespie #2 of 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: McDermott celebrates. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)I
PHILADELPHIA, PA – FEBRUARY 10: McDermott celebrates. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)I /

Sean McDermott, Butler Bulldogs

Junior (RS) | Forward | 6-foot-6 | 195 lbs

This is a bit of a safe selection. One of the most efficient players in all of college basketball last season, Sean McDermott will take on a much more pronounced role within the Butler roster now that Kelan Martin has graduated. With McDermott likely to become a full-time starter for the first time in his career, it is reasonable to expect that he will move up the rankings as a go-to scorer on the team. After the previously mentioned Baldwin, McDermott has a great chance to be the second-leading scorer on the team this season.

As a sophomore this past year, McDermott averaged 7.5 points and 3.9 rebounds in 23.8 minutes per game in 31 of Butler’s 35 contests (he suffered an injury in late-November). For the season, McDermott shot a scorching 43.1% from 3-point range and finished on 67.2% of his 2-point attempts. These numbers were both tremendous and resulted in him finishing 29th in the nation in true shooting percentage at 67.0%. (Side note: This was still not a high enough percentage to lead the team in TS%. Tyler Wideman’s 70.9% ranked fourth in the nation.) 

This kind of efficiency takes more than just being a great shooter, though. McDermott is also especially smart as a shot-taker. He picks his spots well and knows how to position himself in the best spot to score. From the standpoint of taking good shots, McDermott understands that the most efficient places to shoot are from beyond the arc or around the basket. In fact, he attempted 95.6% of his total from these two locations on the floor.

As far as McDermott’s potential for this coming season, he will experience a dramatic increase in role offensively. Kelan Martin is leaving his 21.1 points per game and 30.0% usage rate behind and there are offensive possessions to be had. While incoming Duke transfer Jordan Tucker will take some of these (as well as returners Baddley and Christian David), McDermott will likely become the secondary or tertiary scoring option on the roster next season. With more opportunity, McDermott could emerge as a 12-15 points per game scorer.

Others considered: Aaron Thompson, Joey Brunk, and Henry Baddley

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