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Butler Basketball: 2020-21 season preview for the Bulldogs

By Drew Schmelzer

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 30: A general view of a Butler Bulldogs flag seen during the game against the Marquette Golden Eagles at Hinkle Fieldhouse on January 30, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 30: A general view of a Butler Bulldogs flag seen during the game against the Marquette Golden Eagles at Hinkle Fieldhouse on January 30, 2019 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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Feb 12, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Butler Bulldogs head coach LaVall Jordan Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 12, 2020; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Butler Bulldogs head coach LaVall Jordan Mandatory Credit: Thomas J. Russo-USA TODAY Sports /

Season Outlook

Butler’s Ceiling- #4 in the Big East and NCAA Round of 32

The Bulldogs are undervalued every year by the pundits and typically prove them wrong. With that said, it is realistic for Butler to reach this ceiling, but in order for that to happen Bryce Golden needs to become “the guy”. Aaron Thompson and Bryce Nze are not going to be able to shoulder much more offensively, but Golden has the ability to be a 15 points and eight rebounds forward in a Big East that lost a lot of front court talent from 2019-20.

Secondly, three freshmen need to be able to play a role in the rotation. Butler is just not deep enough for one of them (Harris, Tate and Coles) to completely drop out of it. They don’t need to be great, but at least one must play starter minutes and the other two need to find ways to be productive even if its just as role players. Myles Wilmoth is more of a project and any contribution from him will be icing on the cake.

If these things can come to fruition this is a sneaky dangerous team with the high level of defense that it plays.

Butler’s Floor – #8 in the Big East and NIT

I don’t see how the Bulldogs finish below DePaul, St Johns, or Georgetown. There is just too much turnover in each of those camps and the Bulldogs return a pretty decent roster with some experienced guys. Aaron Thompson is not going to let the Dogs fall to the cellar of the Big East as a senior, but they do look limited offensively.

It’s hard to know how Jair Bolden will transition from the SEC to the Big East and if he can’t be the same type of outside shooting threat, Butler is going to be in a lot of trouble. There are literally no other proven college basketball shooters on this roster. If he is able to be consistent from downtown, it will open up opportunities for others to do the same. Unfortunately (or fortunately) for Bolden, there will be some pressure on him to keep them from falling to this floor.

Next. Preseason Big East power rankings for 2020-21. dark

This is a middle-tier Big East team, and that is not a bad thing as this is going to be a conference that contends for 4-6 bids year in and year out. That gives them a shot, and the pieces are there for a successful season. Most will undervalue these guys though, yet again, and we will see if this crop of Bulldogs is good enough to shatter the low expectations that they’ve become accustomed to.