Butler Basketball: 2022-23 season preview for the Bulldogs
Potential Starting Lineup for the Bulldogs
Point Guard – Eric Hunter Jr.
It has been a long time since the Bulldogs had questions at point guard. Aaron Thompson played in 139 games across five seasons at Butler – tied for fourth in program history – and was pretty rock solid the entire time. Matt has replaced one high-level defender with another in Purdue transfer Eric Hunter. Jr. Hunter was one of the best defensive guards in the Big Ten last season and a member of the All-Defense team.
One thing Hunter will do well that Thompson never did, is shoot. In an albeit smaller sample size, Hunter shot 43 percent from the 3-point line last year on just over two attempts per game. His most important job might have more to do with Chuck Harris than anything else. Hunter’s job this season is to take any pressure off of Harris that doesn’t have to do with scoring. Facilitate, defend, shoot.
Shooting Guard – Chuck Harris
And Chuck? You score. The Big East All-Freshman team member clearly took a step back in year two. Points, assists, overall field goal percentage, and 3-point efficiency all went down. A lot of that has to do with how hard it was to create open looks in the Butler offense last season. Harris was forced into a lot of contested shots and, predictably, his stats suffered as a result.
Harris has the potential to be a first-team All-Big East player as a junior. His preseason predictions largely have him as one of the 10 best players in the league. He’s led the Bulldogs in scoring each of the last two seasons and his improvements in year three might be the single most important component when defining the ceiling of this Bulldog team. No one else can create shots on this roster as he can. Luckily for Harris, there are other guys that can worry about everything else.
Small Forward – Simas Lukosius
Lukosius has the Butler fan base excited. The Lithuanian showed a lot of potential last season as a playmaker who is always under control. His 27 points, seven rebounds, and two assists in the Big East tournament might’ve been the highlight of the Butler season. He briefly entered the transfer portal after Jordan was fired, but announced his return 10 days after Matta was hired. That might end up being the most important recruiting the new head coach did this summer.
In the expanded role, Lukosius should improve on his 6.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game. His playmaking abilities on the offensive end are enticing, but an improved three-point shot would really help the sophomore take a step forward. He shot just 26.8 percent from deep last season on 3.3 attempts per contest. Playmakers are always great, playmakers who can also shoot are deadly and his improvement could mean the Bulldogs start four respectable 3-point shooters.
Power Forward – Ali Ali
Akron transfer Ali Ali is the second of three transfers likely to start for Matta’s squad. The incoming senior took a major step forward last season for the Zips. He nearly doubled his points from two seasons ago while also upping his efficiency and 3-point shooting. He averaged 13.9 points, 2.5 assists, and 2.9 rebounds in his All-MAC campaign. He’s in Indianapolis because of his shooting and size combination. At 6’8, he slides into the four-spot nicely alongside a rim protector in Manny Bates.
Ali is a big part of the frontcourt that is simply different from Butler frontcourts of late. The Andrew Chrabascz, Bryce Golden, Bryce Nze-type big men are not the norm in Indianapolis this season. The Bulldogs’ frontcourt is going to be defined by long, lanky arms, athleticism, and, in Ali’s case, scoring pop. He’ll bring versatility and excitement to a frontcourt that hasn’t had that in a while.
Center – Manny Bates
The Bulldogs don’t employ shot blockers. They just don’t. Butler hasn’t finished in the top 200 in block percentage since 2016 and they haven’t cracked into the top 100 at any point in the KenPom era. There’s a really good chance that will change this season with the addition of Manny Bates. Bates missed basically the entire season at NC State last year due to a shoulder injury, but in 2020-21 he ranked 18th in the country in block percentage. As a result, the Wolfpack were top 50 in block percentage and top 100 in defensive efficiency. Last season, Kevin Keatts’ squad was 246 in defensive efficiency and outside the top 300 in 2-point field goal defense.
Bates will fundamentally change the way the Bulldogs play defense. We’ve already talked about Butler’s interior defense struggles a season ago and we’ll expand on that in a moment, but Bates should immediately change the dynamic of what interior presence means for Butler. When there are shot blockers, it creates a trickle-down effect for the entire unit. Defense is just easier when there’s a player to contest shots at the rim no matter what.