Butler Basketball: Preview of Bulldogs season-opening game vs Western Michigan

Butler Basketball opens the season against the Western Michigan Broncos.

There is a lot of excitement but also cautious optimism that the 2020-21 college basketball season will be played with minimal interruption. Regardless, in the heart of basketball country, there is a buzz surrounding LaVall Jordan’s Butler Basketball team.

He returns a solid core with three returning starters, headlined by the experienced frontcourt of Bryce Nze (9.2 Pts, 6.6 Reb, 1.4 Ast) and Bryce Golden (7.9 Pts, 3.9 Reb, 1.1 Ast), but the teams’ point guard and unquestioned leader, Aaron Thompson (7.2 Pts, 2.9 Reb, 4.7 Ast), is the key for the Bulldogs.

Thompson was named preseason Big East Defensive Player of the Year by Fox College Hoops but is arguably the best passer in the conference as well making him one of the most important players on both ends of the floor in the league. Jair Bolden, the sharpshooting transfer from South Carolina will join Thompson as a starter in the backcourt.

With uncertainty around who the fifth starter will be as well as the unknowns of Bo Hodges transfer waiver for immediate eligibility, there are still questions about this Butler team. Nonetheless, the Bulldogs are considered a potential contender for the NCAA tournament.

But let’s not get ahead of ourselves. What can we expect from the opener on Wednesday night and the Bulldog’s opponent, Western Michigan?