Butler's doing it
Jimmy Butler entered last season an unknown quantity. He emerged a pleasant surprise.
Billed primarily as a scorer coming out of Tyler Junior College, the 6-foot-6 wing man instead developed into MU's second-best rebounder and a huge source of energy as the Golden Eagles' sixth man.
On a team woefully devoid of depth or consistency aside from Lazar Hayward on the boards, Butler was a revelation in many respects. He was also the consummate team player, taking his cues from seniors Jerel McNeal, Wesley Matthews and Dominic James both in the practice gym and on the court and applying them with more success as the year progressed.
With those three and Dwight Burke having since graduated, and only three seniors returning -- led by Hayward -- Butler is well aware it's going to be incumbent upon him to do the same and pass on what he learned to the Golden Eagles' seven newcomers next season.
"I learned a lot, and it was fun," said Butler in between workouts earlier this week of his rookie year at MU. "But at the same time, it was ‘get to work.’ I’ve learned a lot from school, the seniors that just left. They taught me a lot about everything. I think it’s my job to do what they did for me for the new guys coming in.
"They’re going to be in the same position I was over the summer last year. They’re going to have to come on and step into a lot of different roles, and we’re going to need them. So we’re going to need them to pick it up kind of at the pace that I did, and be ready for everything."
Unbelievably even-keeled on the court -- especially in some clutch situations -- Butler excuded a quiet confidence that belied his age last season. While he might never be an outwardly vocal leader like Matthews or Hayward, he believes he can
"Actually it’s going to be a little bit of both – I’m going to have to show and tell," Butler said. "Being around Lazar helps a lot too, because he’s a real vocal person. Over this past year everybody was like, ‘You’re going to have to talk more, you’re going to have to do this more,’ and I feel like I’m being a lot more vocal.
"I’m working on that kind of thing, and that’s something you have to work on also – it’s not just what you do with the ball. Being a leader is something I’m going to have to work on a lot, and I guess I’m going to have to be ready for that role."
Butler averaged 5.6 and 3.9 rebounds as one of five MU players to play in all 35 games. He also shot a solid 51.4% thanks to a remarkable ability to score on the interior among much taller timber. He refused most times to take anything but point-blank shots, many of which were set up off his 75 offensive rebounds -- second only to Hayward's 99.
Butler's inside-out mentality on offense also helped get him to the free-throw line 112 times, where he knocked down a rock-solid 76.8% of his attempts.
"It was surprising, but when I think about it at the same time it’s not, because I’d go against Jerel, Wes, Dominic and Lazar every day in practice, and they’re not giving me anything," said Butler when asked about his year as a whole. "I always thought before I laid down at night, ‘If you can do what these guys are doing, because every time I come into the gym, one of those four are in there, every time. They were always, ‘You’ve got to do this, this is what we need you to do.’ When it came to the opponents, they were like, ‘This guy does this,’ and that helped me.
"The way I ended the season, I wish I could have done more early on. Yes, it was surprising, but at the same time, I worked for it, and just did what I did every day in practice."
Having saved some of his best performances for MU's biggest games -- 12 points and 14 rebounds against Syracuse, six points and 10 rebounds at Louisville, 11 points and nine rebounds against St. John's and 19 points against Villanova (both in the Big East Tournament) -- Butler has plenty to build off of heading into his junior season.
"It gives me a lot of confidence," he said. "But at the same time, it gives me a lot of space for error – I have to work on a lot of things. Everybody knows what I do need to work on, and that’s what I’m doing right now in the off-season. I just hope to come out and take one of the roles that Wes or Jerel had, or maybe a little bit of Lazar, and contribute whatever I need to contribute to the team."
Jokingly, I asked Butler if those double-digit rebound games might work against him heading into this season, with Buzz Williams expecting such productivity on a regular basis out of his first-ever signee as head coach of the Golden Eagles.
"I don’t think it’s bad at all," he said with a smile. "I think it makes me want to push more to get a higher amount of rebounds. With Lazar out there, I feel like me and him are always competing for every loose ball and every rebound. If he’s getting 12, I’m going to try to get 13. If he gets 15, I’m going to try to get 16.
"Whatever it takes – me and him are always going to go at it. And then the new guys that are coming in, I hope they’re going to get in that too, where you want to be better than the next guy, but still a good teammate."
Butler is already back on campus with all of MU's returnees, as well as newcomer Dwight Buycks, working hard under the watchful eye of strength and conditioning coach Todd Smith. As far as what he'd like to improve upon for next season, Butler quickly listed a few areas.
"Of course, my three-point shooting – getting it off quicker," said Butler, who was 0 for 4 from beyond the arc last year. "Ball handling, help defense. Not really on-the-ball D, because I think I’m OK at that, but helping out my teammates when they get beat or in trouble, or the other team has a mismatch and I’ve got to help off my man. I’ve got to get better at that type of stuff."
With so many new faces coming in, and only Hayward penciled in at this point as a guaranteed starter, there's sure to be plenty of jockeying for roles and playing time in the months to come.
Knowing Williams' belief in not changing things when they're working, that could mean he'll place a higher value upon Butler's ability to come off the bench as the sixth man and provide instant energy and consistency.
But on the other hand, as one of only a handful of truly experienced players returning, and with his unique skill set, Butler could also just as easily stake a claim to a starting job.
"I’m not going to say it matters, as long as we get what we need done by winning – I could care less if I’m starting or the sixth man," he said. "I haven’t talked to Buzz much about it, but I’m pretty sure he knows what’s best for me and for the team. He’ll tell me whenever the time is right.
"But I’m going to work hard. I would like to start, but if that’s not what my teammates think, and they feel I give energy coming off the bench, that’s what I think I’ll do."
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