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Butler Basketball: Previewing Bryce Golden’s impact for 2019-20

By Lukas Harkins

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 09: Butler Bulldogs cheerleaders perform during a time out in the game between the Xavier Musketeers and the Butler Bulldogs during the Big East Basketball Tournament - Quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden on March 9, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 09: Butler Bulldogs cheerleaders perform during a time out in the game between the Xavier Musketeers and the Butler Bulldogs during the Big East Basketball Tournament - Quarterfinals at Madison Square Garden on March 9, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 09: Butler cheerleaders perform. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – MARCH 09: Butler cheerleaders perform. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /

On the defensive end…

It is hard to gauge how impactful Bryce Golden will be on the defensive end of the floor. Over the course of last season, Golden did not necessarily impress defensively but some of that can be attributed to his lack of consistent minutes and experience at the college level. Now that he has had more time to work with Matthew Johnson, Butler’s strength/conditioning director, and practice in the team defensive scheme, Golden should be improved this season. He does not project as an elite defender but he could be a sneaky shot-blocker with his athleticism.

He is also not afraid to be physical underneath. As a result, I would expect that Golden holds his own on the defensive end while committing his fair share of fouls. The young forward has significantly bulked up with regards to muscle mass since arriving on campus and that should pay dividends right away. With his combination of athleticism and size, Golden should be able to defend both power forwards and centers during this season and the future. That positional versatility will help him find more consistent minutes as a reserve and will also make him a more valuable member of the rotation.

Considering Butler already features a few solid go-to scorers this year, Golden’s defensive impact will be the most important part of his development. As already mentioned, it would be great if Golden is able to supply a few buckets per game as a reserve but being able to hold down the paint defensively with one or both of Nze/Smits on the bench would be a major development. That would be a pretty significant jump from the small sample size we saw a season ago but that’s not impossible.