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Butler Basketball: 2019-20 season preview for the Bulldogs

By Lukas Harkins

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 20: Kamar Baldwin #3 of the Butler Bulldogs dribbles the ball while being guarded by Brendan Bailey #1 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: Kamar Baldwin #3 of the Butler Bulldogs dribbles the ball while being guarded by Brendan Bailey #1 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 – MARCH 02: Thompson of the Bulldogs controls. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA – MARCH 02: Thompson of the Bulldogs controls. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

Projected starting point guard

Full Breakdown. Point Guard. Junior. Aaron Thompson. Pick Analysis. 2. player. 472

One of the best returning defenders in the Big East, Aaron Thompson looks poised to reprise his role as Butler’s starting point guard this season. An incredibly important X-Factor for the Dawgs, Thompson is perhaps the player with the most potential for year-over-year improvement on this roster.

He is already an aggressive on-ball stopper that boasts great court vision offensively but he definitely needs to take another step as a scorer. AT made strides in this facet of his game last year while improving his scoring efficiency across the board (42.9%->58.1% on 2PA, 13.3% ->33.3% on 3PA, 53.9%->62.5% on FTA) but is still a bit of a liability.

Due to the fact that he is not a reliable threat from 3-point range, defenders significantly sag off him on the perimeter. That will hopefully be improved this season as Thompson only needs to shoot ~35% on 2-3 3PA per game in order to garner more defensive attention.

Additionally, it is reasonable to assume that Coach Jordan will give him more freedom to run the offense this season. Thompson is at his best when handling the ball, attacking the lane, and creating for others. Simply giving him the reins of the offense will help cover some of Thompson’s offensive weaknesses.

Thompson averaged 6.3 points, 2.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 1.2 steals per game in 2018-19. Assuming he commands a higher usage rate this season, watch for him to up his season averages. His development will be key in improving Butler’s offense. His defense is already elite and he will be a vocal leader on that end of the floor this season.