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Butler Basketball: Takeaways from home win over Creighton

By Lukas Harkins

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 04: Kamar Baldwin #3 of the Butler Bulldogs celebrates with fans after the game against the Creighton Bluejays at Hinkle Fieldhouse on January 4, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Butler defeated Creighton 71-57. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 04: Kamar Baldwin #3 of the Butler Bulldogs celebrates with fans after the game against the Creighton Bluejays at Hinkle Fieldhouse on January 4, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Butler defeated Creighton 71-57. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JANUARY 04: McDermott of the Bulldogs passes. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JANUARY 04: McDermott of the Bulldogs passes. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

2. Upperclassmen leaders lifted the team.

Butler is a very experienced team led by key upperclassmen in just about every single game. That was the case against Creighton as well as the Dawgs’ main four vocal leaders all showed up with solid performances. Most notably, Sean McDermott put forth an outstanding performance while coming up with timely buckets and a ton of rebounds. The 6-foot-6 senior wing wound up with 18 points and 11 rebounds on 7-for-11 shooting. He also did not commit a single turnover.

Additionally, Butler’s backcourt duo of Aaron Thompson and Kamar Baldwin once again performed well. Neither was perfect in this game but their leadership on both ends of the floor took center stage. Thompson committed four fouls and was thus limited to only 28 total minutes but he consistently attacked the basket and finished with 10 points on 5-for-8 shooting inside the arc. His ability to pick his spots offensively is hard to argue with.

Baldwin, on the other hand, gutted this game out despite being a game-time decision due to an ankle injury. Although the senior did not look like himself in the first half as he missed his first nine shots, he showed his star qualities when it mattered most. Baldwin scored 20 points on 7-for-13 shooting in the second half alone as he carried the offense on several occasions. Kamar “Big Shot” Baldwin did it again.

Lastly, it is no secret that junior forward Bryce Nze has emerged as a leader on this team. Even though this is just his first season with the Dawgs, Nze has earned the respect of his teammates and is quite vocal on both ends of the floor. He led the team with a +18 rating in 31 total minutes while recording nine points, seven rebounds, and a huge block.