Butler Basketball: Takeaways from win over Louisiana Monroe

NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 09: Aaron Thompson #2 and Kamar Baldwin #3 of the Butler Bulldogs fight for the ball with Collin Gillespie #2 of the Villanova Wildcats in the second half during semifinals of the Big East Basketball Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 9, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images) /

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – FEBRUARY 06: Coach Jordan of the Bulldogs reacts. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

1. “The Butler Way” is on full display.

Butler has displayed tremendous mental fortitude throughout this season. Following a disappointing campaign a year ago, the team seems to be approaching every single game with a chip on its shoulder. They are coming out of the gates with tremendous energy for each contest and are looking to make an impact on everyone watching. The team prides itself on the defensive end of the floor and is seriously looking like some of the Butler teams of old.

Head coach LaVall Jordan is clearly playing a major role in this but it is vital to note that seemingly everyone on the roster has bought in. Kamar Baldwin and Aaron Thompson represent two superb vocal leaders on both ends of the floor and the team understands that it is just that: a team. It doesn’t appear as though anyone is on the court looking to “get theirs” as the ball swings side-to-side on each possession and everyone is locked in on the defensive end of the floor.

Butler has returned to its roots this season and is looking like a potential Top 10 team in the entire country. With regard to this particular game, it was reasonable to think that Butler might put out a “letdown” performance after seeing its jump in rankings across the internet from voter polls to efficiency metrics. Additionally, with the conference schedule looming next week, the team could have come out a bit sluggish by looking ahead.

Yet, the Dawgs just casually put together another tremendously efficient performance to walk away victorious. They are displaying a “one game at a time” mentality and it is paying off so far.

Following this performance, I asked Coach Jordan about what has impressed him about this group through the opening two months of the season. His answer essentially summed up what has made the start of this campaign so special to those watching:

"“[Our] resiliency and response. Even in a game like tonight where some of the open looks weren’t falling, they stayed committed to the defensive end and responded well. And then the leadership. While there’s execution and playcalling, what really gets you the results is the ability to respond when somebody pressures you and you can’t run the play that you called…We’ve learned some lessons along the way, and our leadership is where it should be and I think it can get even better.”"