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Butler Basketball: Takeaways from overtime home win over Marquette

By Lukas Harkins

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 15: Kamar Baldwin #3 of the Butler Bulldogs reacts after hitting a three-point shot against the Seton Hall Pirates in the first half at Hinkle Fieldhouse on January 15, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 15: Kamar Baldwin #3 of the Butler Bulldogs reacts after hitting a three-point shot against the Seton Hall Pirates in the first half at Hinkle Fieldhouse on January 15, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JANUARY 24: McDermott of the Bulldogs dribbles. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JANUARY 24: McDermott of the Bulldogs dribbles. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

1. The senior class stepped up in big moments.

Kamar Baldwin. There are simply not enough words in the dictionary to explain how sensational Butler’s senior superstar was down the stretch of this game. Despite struggling through the first 30 minutes of the contest, Baldwin absolutely exploded when it mattered most and killed Marquette with “Mid-Range Mania”. As I have stated on a few occasions already this season, Baldwin is the type of pick-and-roll operator that turns an inefficient shot that defenses are willing to surrender into their nightmares.

Over the final 10:42 of the game (2H and OT), Baldwin scored 20 points on 7-for-11 shooting (8-for-10 FT) while chipping in six rebounds and two blocks as well. Baldwin has had many sensational games during his career with Butler but this was easily one of the best. He was absolutely deadly and made some shots that just made you shake your head in disbelief. He finished the game with 31 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists while spending plenty of time defending Markus Howard.

It is vital to note, though, that Baldwin was not the only senior that stepped up big in this game.

Henry Baddley, after not seeing much playing time during the first two months of this season, epitomized the “next man up” philosophy in this game with Christian David (ACL: season) and Aaron Thompson (wrist: day-to-day) out. He played 30 minutes and made a ton of winning plays, as was evidenced by his +11 rating on the court. Baddley was excellent in defending Howard and was consistently active offensively. He made several back-cuts, buried a trifecta, and came away with three steals.

Additionally, Sean McDermott returned to his usual high level of play after struggling a bit in recent weeks. He finished the game with 16 points and 9 rebounds on efficient shooting marks. Marquette did a nice job limiting his 3-point opportunities, but McDermott was able to score at the rim on a couple of back-door cuts. His growth to become more than just a standstill shooter has been a major reason for Butler’s success this season and that continued against MU.

Derrik Smits, the fourth senior on the roster, also was fairly impactful. Butler turned to a small-ball lineup for most of the game but Smits recorded a couple of nice assists and made nice post moves in his playing time. He did not finish at the rim well, but he helped set the physical tone of the second half by attacking the basket ferociously.