Busting Brackets
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Butler Basketball: Keys to success in the 2019 Big East Tournament

By Lukas Harkins

PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 10: Head coach Jordan of the Butler Bulldogs looks on against 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: Head coach Jordan of the Butler Bulldogs looks on against 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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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – NOVEMBER 16: Jorgensen of the Bulldogs reacts. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – NOVEMBER 16: Jorgensen of the Bulldogs reacts. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

1. Empire State of Mind.

Entering this season, many thought that Butler would struggle due to the lack of a true secondary scorer. And, for the most part, that has been the case. Throughout this season, we learned that Baldwin can be the No. 1 option on a strong college basketball team. He is remarkably quick, crafty, and is starting to find his groove from beyond the arc a bit more as of late. To put it simply, there are not many defenders who can slow him down.

Over the course of the conference play, the junior guard averaged 18.9 points (.476/.337/.851), 4.9 rebounds, and 2.8 assists on relatively solid efficiency marks. But even if Baldwin is dropping in 30 points, Butler is still at risk of dropping games because he has to shoulder so much of the offensive burden for the team. This is due to the fact that there is not a single other player on the team averaging in double-figures in conference play. Not one. And with the Big East Tournament approaching, Butler’s only hope for a deep run relies on the emergence of someone as the secondary scorer.

Enter Paul Jorgensen.

A fifth-year senior from New City (NY), this is Jorgensen’s last ride on the college basketball tour and he gets to do it in his home state. An electrifying scorer with confidence that soars through the roof, Jorgensen was superb as the secondary scorer in non-conference play for Butler. After Jordan Tucker‘s arrival, Jorgensen played fewer minutes and made a lesser impact on the team but he still claimed the Big East Sixth Man of the Year award. He is averaging 11.8 points per game on the season.

In the Big East Tournament, Jorgensen is the type of flamethrowing scorer that could catch fire and take the Bulldogs on a deep run. Baldwin will likely be the leading scorer for Butler in the BET but don’t be surprised if Paulie is the one leading the team in shot attempts. When Paul is catching fire, there is not a shot that he will turn down. And Coach Jordan will not want him passing up any open looks.