Butler Basketball: Takeaways from Gavitt Games victory over Minnesota

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - FEBRUARY 20: Kamar Baldwin #3 of the Butler Bulldogs attempts a shot while being guarded by Sacar Anim #2 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) /

3 of 6

PHILADELPHIA, PA – MARCH 02: Baldwin of the Bulldogs drives. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /

2. Kamar Baldwin is out for revenge.

In a rare occurrence, Butler basketball missed the NCAA Tournament last season. Heading into this campaign, the Dawgs were not highly-regarded by any members of the media and felt disrespected as a result. Even though it is early in the season, it appears as though Kamar Baldwin is out to prove everyone wrong. This victory was, of course, a team effort but Butler’s star shined brightest when it mattered most.

Butler’s offense sputtered throughout most of this game but Baldwin put the team on his back for a significant stretch of the second half. KB may have ended the game with 24 FGA and zero assists, but he took exactly what the defense gave him. Minnesota allowed Baldwin to consistently probe the inside of their defense and he made them pay. After the Gophers took a 39-38 advantage with under 10 minutes to play in the game, Baldwin propelled an 8-0 run in the span of two minutes with three mid-range jumpers.

He also went on to put up a personal 6-0 run just a few minutes later to put Butler on top by 10 points. The Dawgs never looked back from there as they closed the game with a few big shots and quality free-throw shooting. Baldwin finished the game with 27 total points, 16 of them in the final 10 minutes of the game on 5-for-8 shooting from the field (5-for-6 FT). The senior superstar carried the Bulldogs’ struggling offense down the stretch of the contest as he seemingly willed the team to victory.

Baldwin’s tendency to go into “hero ball” mode was criticized throughout last season but it appears as though he has changed his mentality for this season. Although the numbers from this game might not indicate this, the eye test showed Baldwin’s trust in his teammates. He might have taken 24 total shots but rarely forced the issue. When he was bumped off track or defended at a high level, which did not happen all that often, Baldwin passed out of those situations more often than not.

It is hard to find fault in a lot of his field-goal attempts, partially because many found the bottom of the net, but also because he played within the flow of the offense. Minnesota consistently allowed Baldwin to get to his favorite spot on the court and he did not disappoint as a finisher. You cannot fault a player for consistently taking what the defense gave him. Minnesota’s overly aggressive defensive scheme anchored by an elite shot-blocker in Oturu forced Butler to win its one-on-one opportunities to score – Baldwin had the best matchup.

With McDermott and Tucker struggling from the field (3-for-13 combined), Baldwin needed to step up and he did just that. No need to overthink this.