Busting Brackets
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Butler Basketball: Takeaways from home loss to Seton Hall

By Lukas Harkins

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 15: Shavar Reynolds #33 of the Seton Hall Pirates battles for a loose ball against Jordan Tucker #1 of the Butler Bulldogs in the second half of the game at Hinkle Fieldhouse on January 15, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Seton Hall defeated Butler 78-70. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 15: Shavar Reynolds #33 of the Seton Hall Pirates battles for a loose ball against Jordan Tucker #1 of the Butler Bulldogs in the second half of the game at Hinkle Fieldhouse on January 15, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Seton Hall defeated Butler 78-70. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JANUARY 15: Tucker of the Bulldogs handles. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JANUARY 15: Tucker of the Bulldogs handles. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

2. Butler is still developing.

While it is best to “learn while winning”, losses sometimes teach teams a lot about themselves as well. For Butler, it has proven on several occasions this season that it belongs among the best teams in the country (Seton Hall does as well, for that matter). Even with this defeat, the Dawgs are still 15-2 (3-1 BE) and worthy of being mentioned among the Top 10 teams in the country.

But for those that have watched Butler since the opening tip of the season, it is clear that the team is still growing with each game by developing more balance and finding more potential go-to players. Kamar Baldwin is obviously a star. Everyone knows that. Even while receiving the brunt of defensive attention from most opponents, Baldwin can still get his buckets. He posted 19 points against Seton Hall on 7-for-14 shooting and made a bunch of crucial shots. His play isn’t a surprise.

The big difference-maker for the future is clearly Jordan Tucker. The junior forward has been excellent throughout this season while accepting his role as the team’s sixth man but he is now starting to emerge as a very consistent and dynamic scoring threat. Tucker is finishing at the rim with a bit more consistency and can get his shot off from three in a hurry. He shoots on the move well while coming off screens at 6-foot-7 and can be very difficult to stop as a result.

Tucker is averaging 10.7 points and 5.4 rebounds per game while shooting 45.7% from three over Butler’s last seven games. This is no longer just a flash-in-the-plan. He has arrived.

Tucker brings a different dimension to Butler’s offense as he is breaking out of his shell to become a go-to scorer when Baldwin is on the bench. He also supplies defensive rebounding (had 10 boards vs. Hall) and his defensive effort/ability is night and day compared to last season. If he continues to grow his game, that will help Butler win more games this year but also raise the ceiling for next season as well. Tucker is very important and he is taking a major leap right now.