Butler Basketball: Takeaways from comfortable win over UC-Irvine

Behind hot 3-point shooting and elite first-half defense, Butler basketball took care of business in a hurry against UC-Irvine. What did we learn?

Butler basketball came out with something to prove on Dec. 21 in their home matchup with UC-Irvine. After losing on a buzzer-beater to IU last weekend and struggling en route to beating a weak Presbyterian team just a few days later, the Dawgs were in need of a dominant performance. And head coach LaVall Jordan’s team definitely delivered against one of the better mid-major teams in the nation. Seemingly from the opening tip, Butler was aggressive on the defensive end and consistently knocked down open 3-point attempts.

By halftime, the Dawgs had built up a 24-point advantage behind a barrage of perimeter jumpers and elite defense. And while Butler did not exactly extend its lead in the second half, it did not need to as UC-Irvine never got within striking range. Perhaps most notably, UC-Irvine’s Max Hazzard, a strong shooter and scorer, was held to just three points on 1-for-8 shooting from the field. This was an impressive game on both sides for the Dawgs and should give them great momentum heading into their final non-conference contest (at Florida) prior to Big East play.

Here were a few takeaways from the performance:

1. Jordan Tucker is the real deal.

Jordan Tucker has only donned the Butler uniform for three games so far in his career but he has the entire fanbase buzzing. A 6-foot-7 sharpshooter who can fill up the basket from seemingly anywhere, Tucker has immediately stepped into a big scoring role off the bench since becoming eligible this past weekend. Over the course of his first three games as a Dawg, Tucker has posted 27 points and 13 rebounds in just 34 minutes of total action. Most importantly, he is improving on both ends with seemingly every minute that he is on the court and his individual potential is off the charts.

Additionally, Tucker has proven that he is more than just a jump shooter. He can attack the basket, draw fouls, knock down foul shots, and is a more than respectable rebounder as well. Sure, he still has some development to do but his raw talent level is extremely high. J-Tucks should only improve over the course of this season and he seriously raises the ceiling for Butler. All of a sudden, the Dawgs have another player who can go get his own basket when necessary and that makes this offense even more dynamic.

2. Aaron Thompson is the leader of this team.

I know I said this following Butler’s win over Presbyterian earlier this week (although I did not write an article on it) but it still rings true. Thanks to elite defense and all-around playmaking abilities on the offensive end, Aaron Thompson is often the engine that drives this team. Now a sophomore, AT has taken seemingly all the right steps this season both as an individual performer and as a leader for the Dawgs. Simply put, Butler is a better basketball team when Thompson is on the floor.

In this matchup, he was his usual self on the defensive end of the floor, often picking up UC-Irvine’s guards at halfcourt. He may have only come away with one steal in this ballgame but he made every guard for the Anteaters extremely uncomfortable. Additionally, Thompson’s impact on Butler’s 3-point shooting should not be understated. As a playmaker, AT is outstanding in transition and also does a great job probing defenses in the halfcourt. He ended this game with seven total assists.

3. This win will mean something in March.

Do not let Butler’s performance tonight fool you into thinking anything else: UC-Irvine is a darn good basketball team. They boast one of the best mid-major defenses in the country and have a few players who can put the ball in the basket consistently. Additionally, the Anteaters have already shown that they can win their fair share of games away from home (they were 5-0 on the road this season prior to this one). UC-Irvine now sits at 11-3 on the year and they should be the clear-cut favorites to win the Big West this season.

If the Anteaters roll through conference play, which they definitely could, they will rank in the top-100 nationally in most metrics and this could potentially end up as a Quadrant 2 win for Butler. That could go a long way in terms of seeding, especially when you consider that the Big East is in the midst of a down season. Butler fans should not only be happy about the play of their team on the court in this one but also the impact this might have later in the year.

In the end, this was an extremely impressive performance by Butler. The Dawgs entered this matchup as only a single-digit favorite at home but they absolutely dominated from the opening tip. With Jordan Tucker starting to come into his own offensively, this Butler team has the potential to be very, very dangerous.