Butler Basketball: 2018-19 season preview for the Bulldogs

Starting Lineup

Projected Starters: Thompson, Baldwin, Jorgensen, McDermott, Fowler

After losing two senior frontcourt leaders this offseason, it should come as no surprise that Butler’s backcourt will be its biggest strength this season. With three returning starters from last season, the backcourt will not only be extremely talented but also somewhat experienced compared to others in the nation. In addition to boasting some offensive firepower, the unique part of this group is their ability to lock down opposing guards.

Leading the way for this group will most definitely be junior Kamar Baldwin. Already a proven star, Baldwin comes into this season as a unanimous preseason First Team All-Big East player. A solid shooter and ambidextrous finisher around the basket, Baldwin has no trouble putting up points. He is also arguably the best returning perimeter defender in the Big East, an above-average rebounder for a guard, and a developing playmaker. Quite simply, he is a stat sheet stuffer. Over Butler’s last 22 games last season, Baldwin averaged 17.3 points (.460/.360/.790), 5.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game.

Alongside him, pure point guard Aaron Thompson is hoping to take the next step in his career as a sophomore this season. Although not a great scorer, AT is a capable playmaker and superb defender on the perimeter. He likely will not post tremendous numbers this season but his aggressive defensive play and (fingers crossed) diversified offensive game could open some eyes.

Lastly, I think that fifth-year senior Paul Jorgensen will round out this group of backcourt starters. Even though starting these three guards leaves something to be desired in terms of size, it is hard to imagine a situation in which Paulie does not start, at least in the beginning of the season before Jordan Tucker (more on him in a bit) is eligible. During last season, Jorgs was a surprisingly consistent scorer for the Dawgs. He averaged 10.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists (to 0.9 turnovers) per game last season and could be in for an even bigger year if he shows more consistency on his 3-point jumper.

And while the backcourt does project as Butler’s biggest strength, this does not mean that there are not solid options in the frontcourt, especially offensively. So far in their careers, Sean McDermott and Nate Fowler have mostly been seen as highly-efficient role players behind Martin and Wideman but that could change. Without those seniors, McD and Fowler will need to take on much more responsibility within the offense this season.

In regards to McDermott, the junior forward projects as a major breakout candidate this season. And this is large part due to how efficient he was as a bench scorer last season. On the whole, he averaged just 7.5 points in 23.8 minutes per game last season but did so on shooting splits of .679/.431/.818 (2P%/3P%/FT%). These numbers are staggering and give a glimpse of what may be to come for the 6-foot-6 sharpshooter.

Similarly, Nate Fowler has been a consistent performer for the Bulldogs throughout his career. Now a senior, the 6-foot-10 big man will finally get his chance to be the full-time starter. Over the past two seasons, Fowler has averaged 5.6 points and 2.6 rebounds in 14.7 minutes per game while shooting 40% from three and finishing on 68.1% of his shots inside the arc. A versatile big man who can knock down threes and operate in the paint, he could average scoring in double-figures this year. The question remains, though: How will Fowler handle opposing bigs defensively?