Butler Basketball: Previewing John-Michael Mulloy's impact for 2019-20

Butler Basketball: Previewing John-Michael Mulloy’s impact for 2019-20

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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DETROIT, MI – MARCH 18: Head coach Jordan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

On the defensive end…

Strength will also be an issue for JMM on the defensive end of the floor. Although he is quite athletic with the ability to switch on the perimeter and block shots inside, he could really struggle when tasked with the physical matchups of the Big East. Nonetheless, it is important to mention that Mulloy is not one to back down from a challenge.

With regards to this coming season, Mulloy will likely redshirt or see very limited minutes. The Dawgs already have the center spot of the rotation relatively filled with Derrik Smits, Bryce Nze, and Bryce Golden. As a result, Mulloy’s focuses this season will mostly be on developing his game.

Thankfully, those three aforementioned bigs all bring a little something different to the table. This will allow Mulloy to be constantly challenged with different matchups while also helping those other bigs improve. Smits is a 7-foot-2 interior scoring threat with plenty of experience and craftiness, Nze is an undersized but very physical big that does an exceptional job on the glass, and Golden can stretch the floor with consistency out to 3-point range.

Mulloy’s defense will clearly be tested in a variety of ways this season even if he is not seeing in-game action. This will greatly help his development moving forward.

If Mulloy is forced into major minutes as a freshman, he will likely struggle to match the physicality in the Big East but could show flashes of his potential moving forward. There are definitely signs that he can be a solid presence on this end as he brings enough athleticism to be a switching candidate and reasonable rim-protector.