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Butler Basketball: Previewing Aaron Thompson’s impact for 2019-20

By Lukas Harkins

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 20: Aaron Thompson #2 of the Butler Bulldogs dribbles the ball while being guarded by Markus Howard #0 of the Marquette Golden Eagles in the first half at the Fiserv Forum on February 20, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 20: Aaron Thompson #2 of the Butler Bulldogs dribbles the ball while being guarded by Markus Howard #0 of the Marquette Golden Eagles in the first half at the Fiserv Forum on February 20, 2019 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images) /
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PHILADELPHIA, PA – FEBRUARY 10: Thompson of Butler passes. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – FEBRUARY 10: Thompson of Butler passes. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Aaron Thompson is entering his third season as Butler basketball’s point guard. How might he impact the team during this coming campaign?

Point guard play is absolutely vital to success in college basketball. Year in and year out, the best teams in the country are led by experienced and talented lead guards with the ability to take over any game with their scoring, defense, or playmaking. While Butler Basketball point guard Aaron Thompson might not be a star, he is entering his third season as the primary playmaker for the Dawgs and is already an elite-level defender. Thompson has made significant strides with his all-around game since arriving on campus and it is reasonable to place high expectations on him now that he is entering his junior year.

Over the course of last season, Thompson posted solid numbers. While starting all 33 contests for the team, he averaged 6.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game. All of these numbers were significant improvements from his freshman year and he also showed made substantial strides with regards to efficiency.

Thompson recorded shooting slashes of just .396/.133/.539 (FG/3P/FT) as a freshman but followed that up with a .532/.333/.623 during this past season. While he is still not a major threat from beyond the arc, he finished on nearly 60% of his 2-point attempts while exhibiting a strong assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.08.

Looking ahead to his junior campaign, it is reasonable to expect that Thompson will take another significant leap. He will once again start alongside Kamar Baldwin and they will combine to form one of the most experienced and talented backcourts in the Big East. If Thompson is able to realize his offensive potential this year as a distributor and tertiary scoring threat, then Butler will be in for a stronger season than many anticipate.

It might seem strange to call a two-year returning starter one of the “X-Factors” for a team, but that is the case with Thompson. Although already a solid contributor, AT could emerge as one of the best playmakers in the conference this season and that would greatly change the way Butler’s offense runs.

Now, without any further ado, let’s dive into breaking down Thompson’s potential impact for this coming season. (This is the third part of an offseason series that will involve breaking down each member of the Butler basketball roster for this coming season. Stay tuned for more in the coming weeks.)