Butler basketball improved to 3-0 after defeating Ole Miss. Where did the Dawgs excel and where is there still some room for improvement?
Butler basketball is now 3-0 after defeating Ole Miss at home. It may not have been pretty for all 40 minutes but it was certainly a gritty win for the Dawgs. Playing in front of their home crowd for the last time until Dec. 5, Butler showed some signs of weakness but also used the home atmosphere to their advantage down the stretch as the team simply forced its way to the free throw line and knocked down clutch shots.
For most of this game, it was the Paul Jorgensen show for Butler. He absolutely dominated from beyond the arc seemingly all night long and his infectious attitude on the court ignited the Hinkle faithful with every made shot. “Prince Harry of Harlem” finished the night with a team-high 27 points while Kamar Baldwin chipped in a much-needed, albeit inefficient, 23.
On the flip side, Butler struggled with Terence Davis about as much as Ole Miss struggled with Jorgensen. The senior Davis ended the night with a game-high 30 points on 6-for-9 shooting from 3-point range. He paced the Rebels throughout the night and was a major reason why they almost upset the Dawgs.
Even though Butler did not play its best game in this one, though, the team was still able to walk away with a win and several positive (and negative) takeaways. Here were some of my biggest observations from the student section/media room in this one.