Butler Basketball: Breaking down the Dawgs’ win over St. John’s

Player Grades

Kamar Baldwin: Butler’s superstar guard was absolutely phenomenal in this game. Even though he did not record a single assist, Baldwin was aggressive in attacking the glass and rarely took an ill-advised shot. He led the way for the Dawgs in this matchup by dropping in 30 points and snagging eight rebounds. He also did a nice job defensively on the perimeter. KB has been terrific in conference play. Grade: A+. 

Henry Baddley: Baddley was once again featured in the starting lineup for Butler in this matchup but he only played 14 minutes. During that time, Baddley turned the ball over twice and missed all four of his shots, including a poster dunk attempt that would have blown the roof off of famed Hinkle Fieldhouse. He played relatively solid defense but his offensive game was limited. Grade: C-. 

Sean McDermott: Despite playing 36 minutes in this contest, McDermott’s shot attempts were limited to just three. St. John’s did a nice job taking away his open looks from the perimeter but the sharpshooter found other ways to contribute. Most notably, he recorded a career-high 12 rebounds to go with his seven points. Grade: B+. 

Joey Brunk: Butler clearly had a size advantage at the center spot on paper in this game and Brunk did his best to exploit it. This was not his highest scoring outing but Brunk played a solid game on the whole. He contributed six points and five rebounds in 18 minutes. Perhaps more notably, though, he also drew three fouls. Grade: B. 

Aaron Thompson: Thompson struggled with foul trouble (whether that was warranted is up to you) throughout this game and his playing time was cut short because of it. AT played 15 total minutes but did not score in the contest (0-for-4 FG). In order for Butler to continue playing at a high level, though, AT needs to stay on the floor. Grade: C-.

Jordan Tucker: Tucker’s career in a Butler uniform might still be in its infancy but he has already emerged as an elite member of the roster. A talented scorer with New York swagger, J-Tucks was superb in this one. Already a heat check legend, Tucker helped pace the team offensively with 24 points (6-for-11 from three) while recording six rebounds as well. Tucker’s development on the defensive end has also been key in his success as he has been able to stay on the floor for extended PT. He played 32 minutes in this one. Grade: A+. 

Nate Fowler: The Butler fanbase has mixed feelings about Fowler on the whole but he played reasonably well in this one. The senior big man finished two of his three shots around the basket and his two rebounds came in crucial situations. As per usual, most of Fowler’s contributions did not show up in the box score, though. Grade: B-. 

Paul Jorgensen: Paulie’s role has diminished a bit as of late but he is possibly some of his more efficient minutes of the season. In 20 minutes of action, “Prince Harry of Harlem” shot 2-for-4 from three and dished out three assists to just one turnover. Grade: B. 

Christian David: David did not see the floor much in this game, committing a foul in his only five minutes on the floor. He recorded no other statistics and was mainly used in defense-first situations. Grade: C.