Joey Brunk: A Big Man with a Big Heart

By Sarah Bahr

JO-EY! JO-EY!

Twenty-one-year-old Butler men’s basketball center Joey Brunk has just checked into the game, and the cheers from the 9,100 fans packing Hinkle Fieldhouse are thunderous.

"He’s so likeable that people cheer like crazy just when he enters the game,” Butler Associate Athletic Director John Dedman says. “Luckily Nate [Fowler] understands that fans aren’t cheering that he is going to the bench.”

Brunk pushes a soft, loose wave of what Twitter users have called the “golden mane” and “the best hair in college basketball” away from his face, a grin peeking through his Matthew McConaughey-inspired beard and mustache, and steps to the line. Swishes the free throw.

Tonight, he can’t miss.

An hour later, he walks off the court, through the locker room …

… and heads back to his dorm, where he’ll strip off his size-17 sneakers, maybe read some poetry or a JFK biography (“He’s my favorite president”) before curling his 6-11 frame into a bed not made for a man who could nearly stand head to head with a small adult elephant. In the morning, it’ll be time to teach poetry to second-graders.

In a Class of His Own

Brunk, an Elementary Education major and aspiring teacher, spent last semester student teaching in a second-grade class at the Butler University Laboratory School on Wednesdays.

His first full-class lesson was an introduction to emotion poetry.

“I was a little worried they might come in with negative attitudes, but they enjoyed it,” Brunk says. “I had them read a poem and then act out different emotions—I was the photographer, and everyone else was an actor.”

“It got lots of laughs.”

Brunk says there aren’t a lot of men in elementary education—last semester, he was one of only two guys in his elementary-education class.

“The kids thought it was cool that I was a guy teaching them,” he says. “I tried to be cool, whether it was talking ESPN, last night’s NBA games, or SportsCenter highlights.”

But as he rests his fist on his chin in a pose reminiscent of Rodin’s The Thinker sculpture, the mid-morning sunlight streaming into Hinkle Fieldhouse streaking his wavy hair, it isn’t hard to believe the hard-charging center whom Butler Director of Basketball Operations Brandon Crone calls a “gentle giant” is a poetry aficionado.

“He’s so patient,” Crone says. “He just has a presence. I have a 3-year-old son, and Joey’s always one of the first to give him high fives and hugs in the locker room.”

No one in Brunk’s immediate family is a teacher, but after volunteering in a fifth- grade class at Southport Elementary School a few days per week his senior year of high school, he was sold.

“I wanted the kids to be able to have a positive role model,” he says.

It’s a role Brunk also tries to play for his younger brother, Johnny, a sophomore guard at Roncalli High School, about 20 minutes south of Butler.

Being able to stay close to Johnny was one of the reasons Brunk, a four-star prospect out of Southport in 2016, chose Butler over offers from a bevy of Big Ten schools, including Indiana and Purdue. “I went to Butler so I could see my brother play,” Brunk says. “I grew up in a family where everyone was at everyone else’s stuff.”

Which meant his Friday nights were never exactly, umm, wild.

“I was expected to be at every one of my brother’s Little League games and practices,” Brunk says. “And he attended all my practices and workouts.”

But supporting his younger brother has never been a chore for the Butler big man.

“He was there to support me, so I want to support him,” Brunk says.

Family first.

So it was never a question for Brunk to forego the remainder of his first-year season to spend time with his dad after Joe Brunk was diagnosed with brain cancer in November 2016.

His Biggest Fan

Brunk has been to the Indianapolis Zoo no fewer than 500 times.

He would go with his family once or twice a week from age 2 on, always wanting to look at the same things—the lions, tigers, and his current favorite animal, the red panda. And the animal-lover also says his parents enabled a fearsome Zoobooks addiction.

“They paid for a monthly subscription, and it went on so long that I’d have three copies of the exact same issue,” he says.

He honors his dad by visiting a local zoo with Butler play-by-play radio announcer Mark Minner whenever the team travels for a tournament. It’s a way for Brunk to keep his hero with him.

Brunk and his dad, a two-time NAIA All-American at Hanover College, bonded over basketball from the beginning. They attended games at Hinkle Fieldhouse together, and Joe Brunk was his son’s first AAU coach.

“He was my biggest critic—and my biggest fan,” Joey Brunk says.

His dad would pick him up from middle school every day and drive him to the gym for workouts, a dedication that paid off when Brunk was a Top 100 recruit and one of the three finalists for the statewide IndyStar Mr. Basketball award as a high school senior. “There were lots of mornings when—God bless both my parents—they’d get up at 5:30 AM to drive me to the high school for a workout,” Joey Brunk says. “My dad would rebound for me, and my mom would pack me breakfast, lunch, and something for the way home from school so I could eat again before going to the gym.”

Joe Brunk was there to watch Joey’s Southport team beat Ben Davis 60-57 for the sectional championship during Brunk’s senior year—and Joey hoped he’d one day get to watch Butler win an NCAA Championship.

Then, in November 2016, his dad was hospitalized while visiting friends in Las Vegas.

“It was completely unexpected,” Joey Brunk says. “I flew to Nevada right away.”

The diagnosis? A brain tumor.

Brunk stayed at his dad’s side in Southport for the next six months, foregoing the remainder of his first-year season to spend the last moments of his dad’s life with his hero.

“We laughed; we cried; we told stories,” Joey Brunk says. “There was never any dead airspace.”

Joe Brunk died April 15, 2017, at age 56.

But, true to his dad’s mantra of living with passion, Brunk made a vow: He wouldn’t be depressed.

He’d be the Energizer Bunny.

Butler’s Energizer Bunny

Drop in on a Hinkle Fieldhouse practice, and you’d be hard-pressed to find a happier guy than Brunk. He wears his dad’s No. 50 jersey, another reminder of the man who helped him achieve his dream of playing Division I basketball.

Brunk doubled down on his dedication to the sport this summer, using the offseason to transform his body with as many as four workouts each day, ranging from hot yoga to shooting with his brother at Roncalli. He dropped 10 pounds, from 240 to 230, and increased his maximum bench press from 230 to 260 pounds.

And it’s paid off: He’s averaging 8.6 points per game this season, compared to last year’s 1.3. His average rebounds per game are up to 4.4 from 1.8. And his average minutes per game have quadrupled, from five to 20. The NCAA granted Brunk an additional season, awarding him a hardship waiver for his first year, as he only played in seven games before stepping away to be with his dad. That means he’s a redshirt sophomore this season, with two years of eligibility remaining.

Crone says that, despite his dad’s death, nothing about Brunk’s personality has changed.

“He’s the same Joey I’ve known for five years,” he says. “He’s the Energizer Bunny in the locker room.”

“Dad and I always talked about living your life in a way that you’re excited to wake up,” Joey Brunk says. “There are lots of people who would die to be in this position.” Ad New Colors Within a New Future. You Can Succed! Midland Credit Online LEARN MORE

Kamar Baldwin learning to be a Batman after years as a Robin

David Woods, Indianapolis Star Published 10:41 a.m. ET Jan. 18, 2019 | Updated 10:46 a.m. ET Jan. 18, 2019

INDIANAPOLIS – Get this out of the way: Kamar Baldwin is not leaving Butler early for the NBA.

“I haven’t given it any thought. I’ll be a four-year guy,” he said.

As a third-year college player, the 6-1 guard is adjusting to what predecessor Kelan Martin once faced: Moving up from a Robin to a Batman role. Not only that, the restrained Baldwin is emerging as a more vocal leader.

More: If preseason snubs bother Kamar Baldwin, he sure isn't saying so (https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/butler/2018/10/26/butler- basketball-star-kamar-baldwin-unfazed-skeptics/1731558002/)

More: Butler snaps road losing streak as Jordan Tucker breaks out vs. DePaul (https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/2019/01/16/butler- basketball-snaps-road-losing-streak-jordan-tucker-breaks-out/2593075002/)

There have been bumpy moments, as evidenced by games in which he scored six points at Saint Louis and nine at Florida. He shot 3-of-17 and 3-of-12 in those two road defeats. Buy Photo

Butler Bulldogs guard Kamar Baldwin (3) is celebrated after hitting a three-pointer against the Creighton Bluejays during the second half of game action between Butler University and Creighton University, at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019. The Butler Bulldogs defeated the Creighton Bluejays 84- 69. (Photo: Leah Klafczynski/for IndyStar)

But his game is evolving into what was projected when picked preseason Big East player of the year by Sports Illustrated. He has become more efficient in conference play, and he recently took it upon himself to call a players-only meeting.

“It was a team thing,” Baldwin said. “I think we grew from that.”

The Bulldogs (11-7, 2-3) will attempt to continue growth in Saturday’s Fox-TV game against St. John’s (15-3, 3-3) at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Red Storm have their own all-around guard in Shamorie Ponds, who was limited to two points at Butler last year. Butler coach LaVall Jordan has been prodding Baldwin to step up as a leader, as he did with Martin. The coach has sought that not only in games, but in the locker room.

“Everyone sees him as quiet,” Jordan said. “And he is. But especially in the last 2 ½ weeks, he’s really asserted himself in practices and meetings.”

In 2018, Martin became Butler’s first conference scoring champion in 31 years, and attention paid to him freed up Baldwin. If Baldwin could be accused of trying to do too much this year, it is because Butler needs him to do, well, everything. Buy Photo

Butler Bulldogs guard Kamar Baldwin (3) attacks the hoop against the Creighton Bluejays during the first half of game action between Butler University and Creighton University, at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019. (Photo: Leah Klafczynski/for IndyStar)

He leads the Bulldogs in points (17.0) and rebounds (5.6), and nearly in assists (4.1). In statistical ratings by kenpom.com, Baldwin is behind only Ponds and Marquette’s Markus Howard in the Big East. He is atop every scouting report. Jordan said teams used to assign the top perimeter defender to Martin, and now do so to Baldwin.

“I would say I’m more comfortable with it,” Baldwin said. “When I drive, I have all 10 eyes on me from the other team. When I drive, it causes help and creates open shots for my teammates.”

He saw for himself what happened when defenses focused on Martin, who last year averaged 21.2 ppg and sank 95 3-pointers.

“Because if he got hot, he can go for 30 or 40 quick,” Baldwin said.

Butler’s offense can stagnate when Baldwin attempts to beat defenders off the dribble and thrives when the ball moves. Jordan has asked Baldwin to make decisions quicker.

ESPN analyst Jimmy Dykes criticized Baldwin’s 3-point form during the Bahamas tournament. The ambidextrous player shoots left-handed with an exaggerated cocked-arm motion. For the season, his 3-point percentage is .289 (22-of-76). Jordan has encouraged Baldwin to be “shot-ready” when open behind the arc.

Buy Photo Butler Bulldogs guard Kamar Baldwin (3) shoots foul shots against the Creighton Bluejays during the first half of game action between Butler University and Creighton University, at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana on Saturday, Jan. 5, 2019. (Photo: Leah Klafczynski/for IndyStar)

Baldwin had one of his best all-round games in Wednesday’s 87-69 victory at DePaul: 17 points (on 8-of-11 shooting), a career-high 14 rebounds, five assists. In five Big East games, he is averaging 20.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 5.0 assists and shooting 50 percent.

Of the six Michigan players who went to the NBA while Jordan was an assistant coach there, he said the one who most resembles Baldwin is Trey Burke, the 2013 national college player of the year. They are similar in body types, Jordan said — Baldwin is more explosive — and can finish around the basket because of their length. A DV E R T I S E M E N T

Offseason weightlifting has strengthened Baldwin, who said he can more easily play through contact. Jordan said he has not specifically tried to prepare him for the NBA, but to continue development. Baldwin has already exceeded projections, considering he was ranked 123rd in the 2016 class by Rivals and 155th by 247 Sports.

He has made clutch shots throughout his college years, including a three-point play in the last minute at Xavier that could have secured victory Sunday. He scored 14 of his career-high 32 points in the closing five minutes of a Big East tournament victory over Seton Hall last March.

“You don’t want him to be passive,” Jordan said, “because he needs to be aggressive and assert himself.”

Bulldog bits

St. John’s is 0-4 in its past four games at Butler, losing by an average of 23 points. … Through 25 of 90 Big East Conference games, home teams are 14- 11. … In NCAA tournament mock brackets posted by ESPN and NBC, Butler was among the first four out. … Butler’s Big East outcomes have duplicated last year’s: home win over Creighton, road win over DePaul, home loss to Georgetown, losses at Seton Hall and Xavier.

Contact IndyStar reporter David Woods at [email protected] or call 317-444-6195. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.

St. John's at Butler

Tipoff: 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Hinkle Fieldhouse.

TV/Radio: FOX/WXNT-1430 AM. Saving Butler's Sean McDermott: 'Please don’t tell him he can’t play.'

David Woods, Indianapolis Star Published 8:00 a.m. ET Nov. 8, 2018 | Updated 12:35 p.m. ET Nov. 8, 2018

ANDERSON — Sean McDermott wanted to play basketball, no matter what doctors said. Basketball is his passion.

But before that, he wanted relief from the pain. He texted his mother:

Buy Photo No one understands what I’m going through.

(Photo: Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar) Sean McDermott wanted to live. Not just live. Live like he once did.

Five years later, he is doing so. It has taken that long to recover from a staph infection that left him unable to walk, that could have killed him.

Now a Butler forward, McDermottt played hoops all along, willing himself onto the court on days he should have been in bed. He became “a fourth of the player I was before I got sick,” he conceded.

More: Butler basketball looks for Sean McDermott to fill void (https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/butler/2017/10/04/butler-basketball-looks- sean-mcdermott-fill-void/731410001/)

How could anyone know what he was going through? Tear an ACL, and you are out for a year. Broken leg, a few months. Ankle sprain, a few weeks.

A total body rebuild is tough to explain.

“I felt kind of alone,” he said.

As his health improved, his mother’s worsened. Kim McDermott was diagnosed with cancer. She promised her two sons she would beat it.

And she did.

Heading into his junior season, Sean McDermott is poised to become the comeback story of college basketball. He supplied a preview of who he could be last season.

The Bulldogs open Saturday against Miami of Ohio at Hinkle Fieldhouse. If they reach the NCAA tournament for a record-tying fifth year in a row, McDermott’s labor will be largely responsible.

“The things he’s been through, when you watch him play, you see it come out,” coach LaVall Jordan said. “He’s giving everything he has.”

Stricken by mysterious ailment In October 2013, McDermott was heading into his junior season at Pendleton Heights and was among the touted prospects in the state’s 2015 high school class. Purdue was recruiting him, and he was a guest of Indiana for Hoosier Hysteria.

He was coming off a summer in which he shot 43 percent from the 3-point line. His AAU team, Grassroots Indiana, featured eight future Division I players. He was called “little Dunham” because his accuracy resembled that of Kellen Dunham, a Pendleton star who left Butler as the No. 3 scorer in school history.

“Sean was just steady. He never had a bad game,” said Jim Reamer, his AAU coach. “There were just so many ways for him to contribute.”

But on Nov. 16, he did not feel that way at all. Pendleton High practice had been so miserable that coach Brian Hahn was all over him, which was unusual.

McDermott was driving home with his younger brother, Chayce, now a pitcher at Ball State. Chayce asked to stop at a Wendy’s in Anderson. Sean was so exhausted that he stayed in the car. He slept for 45 minutes while his brother ate. When they stopped by the sports center managed by their mother, Sean stayed in the car, shivering.

That night, Sean's sweat soaked his quilt.. His parents took him to the emergency room at Anderson’s Community Hospital the next day. The diagnosis was dehydration, and he was put on intravenous fluids.

The IVs did not help. He couldn't lift himself off the couch. His joints ached. His mother had to drag him to the family van for the trip back to the hospital.

“That’s really when the pain got so bad, I can’t even describe it,” Sean said.

Doctors said he had a virus, and it would run its course. His blood was tested.

On Nov. 20, four days after Sean’s symptoms began, he was back in the hospital. In a barely audible voice, he asked:

“Am I going to get better, mom? I don’t feel like I am.”

The decision was made to send him to Riley Hospital for Children in Indianapolis. Possible diagnoses: cancer, leukemia or macrophage activation syndrome, a childhood rheumatoid disease that can be fatal. A helicopter was proposed to airlift him to Riley.

Instead, McDermott’s mother called coach Hahn, who drove from Carmel to Anderson and was met at the hospital by Kevin Bates, an assistant and now head coach at Pendleton Heights. Paramedics and the two coaches carried the player on a stretcher to an ambulance.

McDermott doesn’t remember everything that came next, but that ride remains vivid. The ambulance was traveling nearly 100 mph, weaving through traffic.

“I could remember my mom was nervous because we were flying down the interstate,” he said.

At Riley, doctors determined a staph infection had entered his bloodstream. Such infections are caused by germs on the skin of even the healthy. Usually, such bacteria cause no problems or only minor skin infections.

In McDermott's case, if another day had passed and the infection had reached his heart, he could have died. It was only because he was so fit, his mother said, that her son survived.

Antibiotics were prescribed. McDermott was relieved he did not have cancer. What made the infection so virulent remains mysterious.

“So they’ll probably never know,” he said.

He pleaded to remain stationary rather than submit to an MRI. It hurt to breathe.

His father, Mike, was at Riley every minute he was not working at United Parcel Service. His mother stayed by his bedside, day and night, fearful of her son’s condition. What if something happened while he was asleep?

“Any time he moved, he screamed a scream you’ll never forget as a parent,” his mother said.

Sean was hospitalized for more than week. Chayce would go to school, travel to Riley, sleep on the hospital room floor all night, then do it again the next day. Sean said details of his condition were kept from him. He was more concerned about his family’s response anyway. Never, he said, had he seen his parents cry until those days in the hospital.

The infection left him in what his mother described as a “newborn” state. Even on crutches, he could barely walk because he could not lift his feet. He shuffled. Climbing two steps was “torture,” he said. He does not remember all the hospital visitors. There was one thing his mother made sure the doctors did not say:

“Please don’t tell him he can’t play. Please don’t ever say that.”

He needed a goal. That goal was to resume playing basketball.

'He's always loved being part of a team' Buy Photo

Indiana All-Stars Sean McDermott, left, of Pendleton Heights, and Joel Okafor of Richmond, enjoy a moment after defeating the Kentucky All-Stars on June 13, 2015. (Photo: Robert Scheer / The Star)

When McDermott left the hospital after more than a week, he could take only a half-day of school. He had lost nearly 20 pounds, down to 155 on a 6-5 frame. Still, he insisted on attending basketball practice, even if just to watch. He said he would never again miss a practice.

“The best therapy for Sean was always to be with his teammates,” his mother said. “He’s always loved being part of a team.”

The Arabians went to another school to watch an opponent together, and players circled McDermott so they could catch him if he fell. Returning to action seemed out of the question. Hahn prepared to play the season without him.

McDermott missed six games. That’s it. He acknowledged he returned too soon.

In his first game, he sank four 3-pointers in the first half against Pike. He was back . . . but not really. He felt terrible.

“I didn’t feel like myself at all. Couldn’t move. I hit shots, but I was hitting them with my eyes closed because people were running at me.”

By halftime, he was drained. He played a couple of minutes in the third quarter, none in the fourth. Somehow, he averaged 14.6 points a game that season, and Pendleton Heights was 16-8.

College recruiters did not abandon him.

Buy Photo Pendleton Heights guard Sean In fact, McDermott performed well on the spring AAU circuit. He visited Purdue, then Butler, and had an unofficial McDermott looked to move the ball against Pike in 2014. (Photo: visit scheduled for Indiana. Recruiting him to Butler were coach Brandon Miller and assistant Michael Lewis, and Brent Drinkut/IndyStar) McDermott already knew Dunham. Upon seeing her son's enthusiasm after the scholarship offer, Kim McDermott knew he would choose the Bulldogs.

McDermott said growing up in Indiana and following the Bulldogs’ 2010 and 2011 runs to NCAA championship games influenced him. There was so much history at Butler, he said.

“Just the grit that Butler showed kind of resonated with me, with the fight that I had gone through,” he said. “I felt like this was definitely the best place for me, and it didn’t take long for me to know that.”

Before the November signing day, Miller took medical leave, and Chris Holtmann was appointed interim coach. McDermott could have reneged on his commitment but said he did not consider it. It is not about the head coach, he said.

“This place is Butler, and it’s always going to be the same,” McDermott said.

Hahn said the illness made it difficult to evaluate McDermott’s potential. The teen had shooting touch, length, smarts, ambition. He was “going to make it work,” Hahn said.

Butler coaches had weighed whether to offer Carmel’s 6-6 Ryan Cline, who signed with Purdue, or McDermott. Holtmann, now at Ohio State, said the Bulldogs tried to look beyond the illness.

“Ultimately, it was the right decision, in large part because of who Sean is, but also because of his physical dimensions,” Holtmann said.

McDermott was better in his senior season but still not what he once was. He averaged 16 points and 6.6

Buy Photo rebounds, shot 34 percent on 3s and helped the Arabians finish 17-7.

Butler guard Sean McDermott (22) He made the Indiana All-Star team, a selection that was lambasted on social media. McDermott conceded he did laid in a basket around Morehead not feel comfortable on the court. He never had a chance to become the high school player he could have been, State Eagles guard A.J. Hicks (0) in their game at Hinkle Fieldhouse his mother said. on Dec. 19, 2017. (Photo: Matt Kryger/IndyStar) “People have doubted me forever. It’s not unusual,” he said. “I like it. I appreciate it. I like proving the people who believe in me right, not necessarily proving people that don’t wrong.”

He intended to play for Butler as a freshman. Indeed, before a November tournament game in Puerto Rico, Holtmann told him to be ready to play.

Upon return to Indianapolis, though, the mutual decision was made to redshirt Sean and let him continue rebuilding his body. He traveled with the team. During pregame workouts and shootarounds, he ran up and down stairs of arenas all around the Big East. As it turns out, he broke his right wrist in a practice and could not have played anyway.

McDermott's mother had her own battle

Sean McDermott’s relationship with his mother is special. . She was his first coach. She was tough, and she knew the game better than anyone else in the gym.

The former Kim Darner helped Anderson Highland reach the 1987 state championship game and played at Indiana State. She belongs to one of Indiana’s foremost families of basketball. Her father, Alan Darner, coached Pike to boys state championships in 1998 and 2001. Her brothers are Green Bay coach Linc Darner, a former Purdue captain who led Florida Southern to an NCAA Division II title, and Tige Darner, who played at Appalachian State.

McDermott said his mother was “all over us” when she coached, and he used to talk back. That is, until his mother took him to the women’s bathroom and washed his mouth out with soap.

Sean and Kim McDermott both “I probably deserved it,” he said. fought off severe health issues. (Photo: Courtesy of In fall 2016, he was preparing for what would be his first college season. She was preparing for the fight of her McDermott family) life. On Oct. 28, she was diagnosed with thymoma, which affects 1 in 1.5 million people. The thymus is an organ of the immune system; thymoma is a tumor originating from the thymus. She also developed pure white cell aplasia, affecting her bone marrow. It is also rare, and she estimated she was one of five people in the world to have both conditions.

She had a grapefruit-sized tumor in her chest. There had been signs something was wrong, from toenails falling off to rashes that looked like ringworm and staph infections in both feet. Her body could not repel anything.

More painful than all that was telling her sons. Kim did not want to deliver the news to Sean on campus because she didn’t want him to have constant reminders of that’s-where-my-mom-told-me-she-had-cancer.

Instead, she told Sean and Chayce at a Penn Station in Broad Ripple the day after the Bulldogs’ first exhibition game. Sean stood, left the table and went out the door to the parking lot.

“I can’t lose you, I can’t lose you,” he repeated.

Only days before, the father of teammate Joey Brunk had been diagnosed with cancer. Brunk’s father died in April 2017. How much must be endured?

Kim battled in her own way – by wearing a mask to work and at Butler games, by laughing with friends and family.

“So it was good. It was good,” she said.

The thing is, she did not look sick. She kept her hair. She kept her schedule. She kept her faith.

She said she felt guilty “because other people have had to go through so much.” Yet not many faced what she did.

She went into Feb. 2 surgery believing she would lose her diaphragm nerve, part of her heart sac and two-thirds of a lung.

Instead, doctors removed the tumor and left behind 10 percent of the thymus. Kim goes for checkups every four months, and soon that will become every six months. It was an outcome exceeding the family's prayers. As she had promised her sons, she beat it.

“There was never a doubt in my mind,” McDermott said.

The next two seasons can be special

Kim missed a month of the 2016-17 season but returned in time to follow the Bulldogs through a Sweet 16 run. Sean totaled two minutes in three NCAA tournament games but entered 2017-18 as a starter. His movement resembled what it had been heading into his junior year at Pendleton Heights, Hahn said.

McDermott was thriving in his expanded role – he had successive games of 17 points each – and looked like the player he was four years before. Then he was set back, again, by an ankle injury.

And again, perhaps he returned too soon. But his tap-in as regulation time expired capped a 20-point comeback and allowed the Bulldogs to open Big East play by winning 91-86 at Georgetown in double overtime.

To prove himself, though, “I was trying to force things,” he said. By mid-February, he resumed his starting role.

Beginning with a Jan. 31 game at Marquette, where he shot 3-of-3 on 3s and scored 13 points, he clicked. A 16-game sample would be representative, combining his final 13 games with the three he played before he was hurt: 9.6 points a game and 50 percent shooting on 3s (35-of-70).

If he had done that over an entire year, he might have been preseason All-Big East. He is “very undervalued” said Clark Kellogg, the longtime CBS analyst.

McDermott has grown to 6-7 and built himself to 190 pounds. His maximum reps for 185-pound bench press have increased from eight to 13. He can still run a mile in 5 minutes, 30 seconds. He spent the summer practicing to create his own shot so Butler has a late-clock option other than Kamar Baldwin.

It could be stated McDermott’s college basketball career is just now beginning. The next two seasons, he said, can be special for him and his Bulldogs.

“I think I serve an awesome God who’s blessed me greatly even to have the opportunities that I have to be here,” he said. “But beyond that, the journey the past five years is a blessing. I think I learned so much from the time I was sick, the time when I was recovering. “It might sound crazy, but I’m thankful. Not thankful that it happened, but that I’ve been through it. Because I gained a perspective that I wouldn’t have if it didn’t happen.”

Contact David Woods at [email protected] or call 317-444-6195. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007. Paul Jorgensen’s new role at Butler just requires him to be himself (again)

By Dustin Dopirak (/author/dustin-dopirak/) 6h ago

INDIANAPOLIS — Paul Jorgensen finds it almost insulting to be asked if he’s prepared for this.

The Butler fifth-year senior guard is taking on the most expansive role he’s had as a college player. He’s the closest thing the Bulldogs have to a Robin for their Batman (do-everything preseason All-Big East guard Kamar Baldwin), so Jorgensen has to shoot, score, create, handle and distribute more frequently than he ever has.

The Bulldogs are low on multi-dimensional offensive players, and they will be until Duke transfer Jordan Tucker becomes eligible when the fall semester ends in mid-December. They have a lights-out jump shooter in redshirt junior wing Sean McDermott, a capable pass-first point guard in Aaron Thompson and two solid, nearly interchangeable post men in Nate Fowler and Joey Brunk. The Bulldogs have valuable reserves as well, but they all become much more dangerous if someone other than Baldwin can create his own offense, score at all three levels and create for others. It’s working well so far, as Jorgensen is averaging 18.5 points per game through Butler’s first six games.

Looking at his stat sheets from previous seasons, it seems reasonable to ask if Jorgensen is ready for that kind of role. He was the Bulldogs’ third scoring option last season, but he took more than half his shots from beyond the 3-point arc, which suggests a lot of catch-and- shoot. In the first two seasons of his career at George Washington, he attempted 10 or more field goals in a game just twice.

But if you’re sincerely questioning whether he can do this, Jorgensen would like to direct you away from his numbers and to the line in his bio that tells you he’s from New York. He would also like to note that you don’t gain much respect on the Harlem blacktops he used to frequent by sitting in the corner and waiting for the ball to find you. If there wasn’t some wiggle and some flair to his game, if the 6-foot-2, 185-pounder from the west-side-of-the- Hudson suburb of New City, N.Y., couldn’t create space, attack the rim and make shots, he would’ve been laughed out of Manhattan at 16.

This role isn’t an adjustment, Jorgensen says. The roles he has had to play for the last four years were.

“I’m finally showing what I was doing my whole life,” Jorgensen says. “You know what I mean? In college, it’s a lot about if you get the opportunity to do something. That’s what I was doing in high school, and growing up in New York, that’s what it was. Now I get to do it again. I get to come back to my old self.”

Jorgensen is the latest in a line of athletes in his family. His father, Eric Sr., played football, basketball and baseball at Clarkstown South High School in West Nyack, N.Y., just north of New City, and played football at The Citadel when Bobby Ross was the coach and Frank Beamer and Ralph Friedgen were assistants. Paul’s brother, Eric Jr., played soccer at Manhattan College and then Dominican College. His sister, Dana, was a four-year swimmer at Holy Cross. Paul might have had a college future in other sports. He was a strong soccer player and such a dazzling shortstop that Eric Sr. initially thought baseball would be his college ticket.

However, Paul decided around his sophomore year to focus on basketball, and Eric Sr. decided that even though his son would be well-schooled at Don Bosco Prep just across the border in Ramsey, N.J., some of his education had to come from across the Hudson. Eric Sr. was a pure jump-shooter in high school, and he noticed when he went to camps in the area that the players from the five boroughs of New York had a lot more to their game than he did.

“The kid was a great baseball player, but when he made the choice to say, ‘This is where I want to go,'” Eric Sr. says, “to help him, I said, ‘Well, we gotta get a little more city- oriented.'”

Getting more city-oriented meant summer travel ball with New Heights NYC, a grassroots team headquartered on 118th Street in the East Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan, but it also meant going to the city’s famous playgrounds, joining summer leagues or just getting some good run in whatever pickup games might be going on.

More than anything, it meant taking on the defining characteristic of New York City basketball — aggression.

“If you’re in the suburb where we were and you beat somebody going to the basket, then you beat them,” Eric says. “You go into the city, you’re going to beat the person, but he is right behind you attacking you and making it hard. It’s just a little more test. And not only that, you have a little more athletic kid coming at you beside the kid you beat, so you’re getting it from two angles.”

Playground basketball has been dying a slow death for years. Especially in big cities, NBA and top college players used to frequently show up in summer playground leagues. Fewer NBA players have seen that as worth the risk, the NCAA has enacted strict guidelines with regard to summer leagues and the increasing expanse of the grassroots travel circuit has brought more high schoolers indoors for the summers. The kids who aren’t playing with those travel teams have individual trainers, or they might be spending their summer weeks with trainers and their weekends on the circuit. “When I was growing up, every park would be filled with kids playing,” says Kevin Diverio, Jorgensen’s coach at Don Bosco Prep, who is entering his 24th season at the helm. “And now everything is structured. There’s somebody telling you what to do. The whole idea of just playing pickup basketball is almost foreign now. Driving around here, there’s not a lot of people playing in the parks. You have all these trainers. All of the sudden someone needs to tell you how to dribble when you used to just go learn how to dribble.”

However, there’s still a vibrant playground basketball scene in New York City, even if its heyday has passed. So if you want to throw yourself into the fire and force yourself to develop creativity with your handle, a fearlessness with your offensive game and a thick skin, Manhattan playgrounds are as good a place as any to do that. They’re also a good place to go if you keep in mind what it’s like to play basketball freely without the constraints of being part of an offensive system.

So Jorgensen found games and played in leagues at Dyckman Park at 207th Street, Tri-State Park at 145th Street and Lenox Avenue and, from time to time, the famed Rucker Park at 145th and Frederick Douglass Boulevard, which for decades has hosted NBA superstars, from Julius Erving to LeBron James.

“I saw a lot of kids who were training, and I tried to train too, but I always thought it was important to actually play and not become like a robot,” Jorgensen says. “I knew a lot of kids who were really good at drills, and were just kinda good at drills. I kinda wanted to be a basketball player.”

Jorgensen remembers getting booed in one of his first city playground games when he dribbled the ball off his foot, but instead of allowing the pressure to get to him, he relished the notion of being out there on his own and having to earn his credibility. So he kept showing up, kept getting better with the ball and in due time was embarrassing defenders with his handle and proving to the fans that he knew how to put on a show. He developed more street cred as he got older and earned a nickname from a hype man at a summer all-star game: “Prince Harry from Harlem.”

“A lot of times when I went to the city, I was an underdog,” Jorgensen says. “Especially in the beginning, nobody knew who I was. It’s pretty intimidating playing at 145th and Lenox in Harlem at 9 o’clock at night and you show up and everyone’s like, ‘Who’s that dude?’ It teaches you to play tough and play hard on every possession.” Jorgensen’s coaches could see the value of his outdoor game when he moved indoors. He was fearless with the ball in his hands, determined to do whatever it took to score whether that meant getting to the rim, pulling up from mid-range or hitting 3s. He wasn’t as good a shooter as he is now, but that didn’t chasten him in any way.

“He had a real belief in himself,” says Adam Berkowitz, a coach and associate executive director with the New Heights program and a former managing editor of the New York Daily News. “I think the best basketball players believe in themselves first and foremost and don’t put too much credence into what other people say or think about them. I think that’s always been Paul’s best attribute. He could have a game where he’s missed eight shots in a row, but if he’s open the ninth time, it’s going up. He’s always played that way. He’s always had a little swagger. He’s got a little shit to his game, as they would say in New York.”

In July 2013, Jorgensen helped New Heights to the Adidas Super 64 championship in Las Vegas — the biggest grassroots event under the Adidas banner — with 18 points in the final to beat a Milwaukee Rebels team led by Kevon Looney, who played at UCLA and is now with the Golden State Warriors. Jorgensen averaged more than 17 points per game in each of his final two seasons at Don Bosco, earning second-team all-state honors as a senior.

“When he came back, he was incredibly fast with the ball,” Diverio says. “And it was more just the ability to learn to change speeds and play a little bit more under control. When he started to develop that as a junior, he started to become a special player for us. What he was really used to was just creating offense on his own. He was more of a slasher, a finisher around the rim, and he started developing his jumper year by year and by his senior year he became a phenomenal shooter.”

Jorgensen’s complete package of offensive skills earned him the attention of most of the mid- major schools in the Northeast, including a few teams in the Atlantic 10. He just happened to pick the one that put the least value on freedom and creativity.

When looking at schools, Jorgensen was trying to play in the most prestigious conference that would take him while also getting the highest quality education he could. Being in the Northeast gave him a lot of options. Ivy League schools including Harvard, Columbia, Princeton, Brown and Yale were interested. The Jorgensens weren’t certain he’d be admitted there, but he had plenty of offers from the Patriot League and other mid-majors (including Northeastern in Boston) to consider as well. He was strongly considering Bucknell, but the Bison filled the scholarships they had allotted for guards before he made his decision.

George Washington, on the surface, appeared to give him everything he wanted. The Colonials were coming off an NCAA Tournament appearance in 2014, and academically, the school was perfect because Jorgensen was interested in political science. George Washington is in Washington, D.C.’s Foggy Bottom neighborhood, home to the U.S. State Department and near the White House.

“I just wanted to play basketball and really show what I can do,” Jorgensen says. “Everything was right there. I didn’t know what I wanted to do, but then I was like, ‘This (political) stuff is really cool. I’m right next to the White House. The President is rolling through my classes with barricades and stuff.’ It was pretty cool.”

But the one thing he didn’t really consider was how he would fit in the flex offense of GW coach Mike Lonergan. Because basically, he didn’t.

Lonergan used Jorgensen as a point guard, and the point guard’s role in the flex is basically to bring the ball up, get it into the high post as soon as possible, and then start screening and cutting. Taking 3-pointers and scoring at the rim are encouraged, but breaking down your man off the dribble is not.

It can be an effective offense, and it was very effective for a George Washington squad centered around forwards Tyler Cavanaugh, Kevin Larsen and Patricio Garino. The Colonials reached the NIT in each of Jorgensen’s two seasons and won it in his sophomore year. But Jorgensen was completely out of his element.

“I would watch them play,” Diverio says, “and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, this is so not Paul.’ It was very, very controlled, patterned. And they had some very good low-post players they leaned heavily on. (Lonergan) had some success there so you can’t question that, but I just don’t think it was really a good fit for Paul basketball wise.” Jorgensen averaged 3.6 points in 10.2 minutes per game as a freshman, then scored 4.9 points per game in 15.7 minutes as a sophomore in 2015-16. He decided to move on. Lonergan was fired in September 2016 amid allegations of verbal abuse of players. He sued for wrongful termination, and he and George Washington settled out of court. Jorgensen says that situation had nothing to do with his decision to move on, but he didn’t believe the offense was a fit.

“It did help me get better at some things,” he says. “I think I became a better screener, and I think I became a little bit better of a cutter. But it just wasn’t my game. As you can see, I like to get up and down the floor, pick and roll, reads. It wasn’t a lot of reads. It wasn’t a lot of instinctual stuff. It was more, ‘Do this, do that. That’s what the play is.’ That just didn’t fit my game. Because, especially, I was always creative, and it was hindering my creativity. It just wasn’t me.”

Becoming himself again meant going somewhere that only resembles New York in the sense of how much it cares about basketball.

When Jorgensen first saw the number of then Butler coach Chris Holtmann pop up on his phone, he figured he was about to be sold anything but a basketball scholarship.

“I’ll never forget the day I saw the 317 number,” Jorgensen says. “I looked at my phone, it says, ‘Indianapolis, Indiana.’ I’m like, ‘This has got to be a solicitor or something like that. What do they want me to buy?’ I picked it up like, ‘Hello.’ He’s like, ‘Hey, this is coach Holtmann.’ I’m like, ‘Wuh, What?'”

Though leaving the East Coast meant going far away from his childhood home, it also helped bring his family back together. Jorgensen’s parents were and are still happily married, but his mother, Anne, had left her position as a professor of nursing at Columbia University to be the director of neonatal advanced practice at Indianapolis’ Riley Hospital for Children and moved to Indianapolis while the rest of the family stayed in New York. Paul stayed at his mother’s house while on his visit to Butler and thought about how well the arrangement could work out. He committed to Butler over offers from Hofstra and Northeastern and Eric Sr. has since followed his wife and son to Indianapolis. “I felt like she was alone out here,” Paul says. “So me coming out here was maybe meant to be.”

He was expected to be a point guard and was being groomed for that role throughout the 2016-17 season while sitting out under NCAA transfer rules. However, Holtmann left to become the coach at Ohio State and successor LaVall Jordan saw an even more wide-ranging skill set when he got to Butler from Milwaukee.

“He just gave me a blank slate,” Jorgensen says. “‘Who is this kid? We don’t know, but let’s judge him on the first day we see him.’ He said, ‘What are you good at? Let’s see what you’re good at.'”

Jordan saw a player who was a better scorer than his stats at George Washington suggested, and he pushed him to be a better defender. He started to let him loose as a redshirt junior last year, when he averaged 10.2 points per game playing behind Baldwin and Kelan Martin. This year it’s already evident Jorgensen will get more freedom. He had a career-high 27 points against Ole Miss and has scored at least 12 points in every game.

“Paul’s a great player,” Baldwin says. “He can get his shot any time he wants. It helps when those shots are going in for us. You can’t leave him even when he’s not making them because he can get hot at any moment. Just for him to be aggressive and confident in himself is great for us.”

And that works for Jorgensen, because that’s exactly what he wants to be. He may be far away from New York, but he feels more at home than he ever has as a college player.

“When I got here, that’s when I started getting better again,” Jorgensen says. “Feeling like myself. I felt like Paul Jorgensen.”

(Top photo: Kevin Jairaj/USA Today)

What did you think of this story? Aaron Thompson seizes leadership role in second year as Butler’s floor general

Jordan Guskey, Indianapolis Star Published 4:53 p.m. ET Dec. 4, 2018 | Updated 4:56 p.m. ET Dec. 4, 2018

INDIANAPOLIS — LaVall Jordan often asks his floor general who the best point guard is on the court, and Butler sophomore Aaron Thompson will always answer it’s the one that wins.

Thompson started 32 of Butler’s 35 games as a freshman. He helped guide Butler to a 21-14 record and appearance in the NCAA Tournament’s Round of 32. And as the 247Sports Composite three-star recruit set the program’s freshman record for assists, with 118, he also finished second on the team in steals. Buy Photo

Watch: LaVall Jordan on loss to Saint Louis: ‘They were tougher’ (Photo: Matt Detrich/for IndyStar) (https://www.indystar.com/videos/sports/college/butler/2018/12/02/lavall-jordan-loss-saint-louis-they-were- tougher/2180934002/)

Insider: Dawgs get pushed around, can't buy baskets in dismal loss to Saint Louis (https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/butler/2018/12/01/butler-basketball-cant-buy-basket-64-52-loss-saint-louis/2174376002/)

But as Thompson approached his sophomore season, he didn’t look back on his stats as the benchmark he’d set for his individual success. He cares about wins. So he hit the gym to work on what would help the Bulldogs most, and challenged himself to assume the type of presence he needed to have among his teammates. A DV E R T I S E M E N T

“He’s going to impact the game defensively, we know that, that’s who he is and he relishes that end of the floor,” Jordan said. “I think just his vocal command of the group, getting everybody organized, making sure that there’s an understanding, coming over and having a conversation with the coaches throughout the game about what he’s seeing on the court, he just continues to make strides.” Thompson, like any of his teammates, is not a finished product. Butler (5-2) has only played seven games and endured one true road test. The extent of Thompson’s capabilities as a leader may not be known until he goes on the road in Big East against Xavier, Seton Hall and Villanova. The matchup against Brown on Wednesday should do more to help the Bulldogs recover from a crushing defeat at Saint Louis on Saturday than anything.

But Butler’s previous loss, to Dayton in the Bahamas, showed how critical communicating well with Jordan can be during any given game. And the two wins that followed against Middle Tennessee and Florida showed how fast Thompson can adjust. Thompson went from not registering any points or assists against the Flyers to eight assists against the Blue Raiders and seven points, five rebounds and three assists against the Gators.

Nov 21, 2018; Paradise Island, BAHAMAS; Butler Bulldogs guard Aaron Thompson (2) looks to pass as Dayton Flyers guard Trey Landers (3) defends during the first half at Imperial Arena. (Photo: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports)

And even though his teammates struggled against Saint Louis, he tied a season-high of 11 points and career-high of three steals. If the latter continues against Brown, which averages 15.6 turnovers each game, Butler should extend its non-conference home winning streak to 47 games.

“(Thompson)’s great because he knows when to attack, when to pull it out and run the offense,” junior guard Kamar Baldwin said. “He’s kind of like the floor general for us, just gets everyone into best positions.”

Thompson is shooting the 3 better, too. He’s not setting himself up for a spot in an end-of-year 3-point shooting competition, but he’s already hit more (3) through seven games this season than he did all of last season (2).

It has forced defenders to crowd him more on the perimeter which, as early as the game against Florida, began to open up room for his teammates.

“I just feel like if I’m able to hit those open ones, maybe one or two a game, I just feel like that’d open up the driving lanes and gaps for some of my teammates like Kamar,” Thompson said. “He’s a drive first guy. So, if he’s trying to get to the basket and my man’s in the gap it’ll be harder for him.”

Jordan said Thompson is in the gym as much as any of the other Bulldogs players, if not more so. And if he’s going to be the front porch of the defense and offense, the first person opponents have to deal with on each end, and succeed, that’s to be expected.

Thompson isn’t the new guy anymore. The new-place, new-face jitters are gone.

“I feel like being a point guard you always have to have your voice heard, and I think me and Kamar have done a good job of that,” Thompson said. “Just make sure the guys hear us and understand where we’re coming from. Not always just trying to get on them but encourage them as well.”

Follow IndyStar sports reporter Jordan Guskey on Twitter at @JordanGuskey or email him at [email protected]. Butler coach LaVall Jordan rips pants during win: 'I literally coached my butt off'

Jordan Guskey, Indianapolis Star Published 3:29 p.m. ET Jan. 5, 2019 | Updated 4:26 p.m. ET Jan. 5, 2019

INDIANAPOLIS — It's all the referee's fault.

Well, sort of.

During the second half of Butler's win against Creighton at Hinkle Fieldhouse, Bulldogs coach LaVall Jordan Buy Photo squatted in an attempt to not get too animated because of a bad call — well, a call he disagreed with — and ... his pants ripped. (Photo: Leah Klafczynski/for IndyStar) More: Creighton coach Greg McDermott recaps loss to Butler (https://www.indystar.com/videos/sports/college/butler/2019/01/05/creighton-coach-greg-mcdermott-recaps- loss-butler/2491160002/)

More: Butler stifles Creighton on way to season’s first Big East win (https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/butler/2019/01/05/butler-bulldogs-beat- creighton-bluejays-big-east-conference-win/2450509002/)

"Upon that movement I felt and heard a sound and I thought of Ed Cooley right away so I’m going to text coach Cooley because I knew the game plan immediately," said Jordan, referring to the Providence coach's wardrobe malfunction during the Big East Tournament last year. "I started to yell back at the bench to grab a towel. They thought it was just because I was sweating."

Jordan started off his postgame press conference by saying, "I literally coached my butt off and I think the guys played their butts off."

Creighton coach Greg McDermott had some fun with it, too.

"If that happened to me," McDermott said, " I know that towel he had wasn’t near big enough."

Fullscreen

Butler smothers Creighton for Big East victory Jorgensen, Tucker give Butler some needed New York swagger

David Woods, Indianapolis Star Published 11:29 a.m. ET Jan. 8, 2019 | Updated 11:45 a.m. ET Jan. 8, 2019

INDIANAPOLIS – Nothing says New York basketball like: The Knicks. The Garden. Rucker Park.

Or Butler Bulldogs.

Don’t think so? The Bulldogs feature two New Yorkers, equaling the number of scholarship Hoosiers. On this Buy Photo team, Butler would not be Butler without city swagger.

(Photo: Mykal McEldowney/IndyStar) Senior guard Paul Jorgensen and sophomore forward Jordan Tucker make the first of three stops in metropolitan New York when Butler meets Seton Hall on Wednesday night at Newark, N.J. Butler, which has a five-game road losing streak, is 4-1 at Seton Hall.

More: Butler switches up its starting five and regains its swagger against Creighton (https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/butler/2019/01/05/butler-bulldogs-beat-creighton-bluejays-big-east-conference-win/2450509002/)

More: Butler coach LaVall Jordan rips pants during win: 'I literally coached my butt off' (https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/butler/2019/01/05/butler-coach-lavall-jordan-rips-pants-against-creighton-bluejays/2491188002/)

Neither “Paulie” nor “J-Tucks” chose Butler out of high school, ending up in Indianapolis via transfer. Their high school teams once played each other in a nonleague game, and they have had some of the same coaches and trainers. A DV E R T I S E M E N T

Jorgensen acknowledged the “huge love for basketball” that Hoosiers have but said it is the same for New Yorkers.

OK, not all is the same. You’ll hear more about “point gahds” in New York than about the picket fence. Jorgensen said teammates tease him about his wardrobe, specifically UGG boots, and the way he pronounces some words. And, yeah, New Yorkers can be cocky.

“It’s hard-nosed. Tough kids, kind of always coming at you,” Jorgensen said. “Everybody thinks they’re good in New York. Everyone has that attitude. ‘No matter who you are, I’m better.’ “

Jorgensen’s hometown is New City, N.Y., 18 miles north of the Bronx. On outdoor playgrounds, he acquired the nickname “Prince Harry of Harlem.” His hair was longer and reddish then, and he resembled the British prince. He played for Don Bosco Prep, an all-boys Catholic school in Ramsey, N.J. He transferred to Butler after two college seasons at George Washington.

Buy Photo Butler Bulldogs forward Jordan Tucker (1) carries the ball against Georgetown Hoyas forward Josh LeBlanc (23) during the first half of game action between Butler University and Georgetown University, at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana on Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019. The Butler Bulldogs fell to the Georgetown Hoyas 84- 76. (Photo: Leah Klafczynski/For IndyStar)

Tucker, of suburban White Plains, N.Y., said New Yorkers play with confidence, “no matter if you’re a one-star or five-star” prospect.

Junior forward Sean McDermott, of Pendleton Heights High School, said Jorgensen and Tucker radiate confidence. There is a ripple effect.

“You notice it more in the locker room than probably on the court. They’re Butler guys who play Butler basketball,” McDermott said.

It was a year ago that Tucker, who was leaving Duke, decided to make his college home at Hinkle Fieldhouse. On his recruiting visit, he asked two other Easterners, Jorgensen and Aaron Thompson of Glenn Dale, Md., about adjusting. If it worked for them, Tucker reasoned, it could work for him.

Not that all New Yorkers are necessarily more confident than ballers elsewhere. Jorgensen acknowledged it does help him, though.

“This team has really good chemistry,” he said. “Basketball is basketball everywhere. Everyone is really cool with each other and respects each other’s game. We all just want to do the same thing. We want to win. That helps us come together, no matter where you’re from.”

Jorgensen is Butler’s No. 2 scorer (13.5) and came off the bench for the first time in Saturday’s 84-69 win over Creighton. He has scored eight or fewer points in five of the past six games, shooting 10-of-33 (.303) in those five. Tucker, growing into his role, has scored 44 points in 87 minutes over six games and shot 11-of-26 (.423) on 3s. Buy Photo Butler Bulldogs guard Paul Jorgensen (5) carries the ball against Georgetown Hoyas guard Jahvon Blair (0) during the second half of game action between Butler University and Georgetown University, at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana on Wednesday, Jan. 2, 2019. The Butler Bulldogs fell to the Georgetown Hoyas 84- 76. (Photo: Leah Klafczynski/For IndyStar)

Jorgensen said the Bulldogs’ Eastern influence will grow if they continue winning. They have another player from the region, Khalif Battle of Trenton Catholic (N.J.), in the 2019 recruiting class.

Tucker, who played his senior year of high school in Georgia, knew he wanted to return to the East. Having the Big East tournament at Madison Square Garden was “a big thing for me,” he said.

Evidence of the foothold the new Big East has in New York is that the conference averaged 18,790 fans per session at last year’s conference tournament, most in the nation. TV ratings were highest since 2013-14 realignment. And the Big East recently extended its contract with MSG through 2028.

“Basketball heads, guys who love the game, just come and watch. You don’t get that everywhere,” Tucker said.

In Indiana and New York, you do.

Bulldog bits

Symir Torrence, a guard ranked 51st in the 2020 class by 247 Sports, committed to Marquette. He had also visited and considered Butler. Torrence, of Syracuse, N.Y., is a junior at Vermont Academy, alma mater of the Bulldogs’ Christian David. . . . Seton Hall is the first of three successive road games for the Bulldogs. They play Sunday at Xavier and Jan. 16 at DePaul. . . . Butler’s Kamar Baldwin made the Big East weekly honor roll. Baldwin also made it Nov. 19 and Jorgensen on Dec. 10. . . . Butler has dropped to 57th in the NCAA Evaluation Tool (NET). Butler is 43rd in RPI, which was formerly used by the NCAA.

Contact IndyStar reporter David Woods at [email protected] or call 317-444-6195. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.

Butler asking guard Kamar Baldwin to nd his vo… Top Stories Topics Video Listen

Butler asking guard Kamar Baldwin to nd his voice on court By MICHAEL MAROT October 24, 2018

Trending on AP News

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Indian man, woman killed in fall from Yosemite park overlook INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Butler guard Kamar Baldwin spent his first two seasons working in relative silence.

He was content scoring points, dishing out assists, defending hard by Tabo and keeping quiet around more experienced players.

This year, the Bulldogs need Baldwin to add a few other things to his repertoire — like speaking up and speaking out. It may not be the most natural transition for the soft-spoken junior from Georgia, but Click to copy it’s a step he must make if the Bulldogs hope to contend for a Big East title and make it back to the NCAA Tournament. RELATED TOPICS

LaVall Jordan Indiana Indianapolis Kamar Baldwin

“Did he tell you that? Did you believe him?” coach LaVall Jordan

joked when told Baldwin promised to be more vocal this season. “I’d Ad ✕ say guys generally don’t talk for one of two reasons — either they don’t know or they don’t care. He’s been here long enough to know and he definitely cares. He’s passionate about this game and he wants to win.”

Nobody doubts Baldwin’s skills. But over the last two seasons the 6-foot-1 guard tended to lean on Butler asking guard Kamar Baldwin to nd his vo… Top Stories Topics Video Listen Kelan Martin as the top scoring threat and Tyler Wideman to be the physical presence inside, knowing both could get younger players to follow their lead.

Now that job falls to Baldwin — a two-year starter and one of the best all-around players to suit up for the Bulldogs. Baldwin is one of the few freshmen who worked his way into the starting lineup and continued to thrive as a sophomore.

He starts this season with the fourth-highest, two-season scoring total (893 points) in Butler history and was selected to last year’s Big East all-tournament team. His scoring average jumped from 10.1 points to 15.7, his assist total more than doubled, his rebounding improved and he’s averaging more 1.5 steals per game during his career.

And the supporting cast looks pretty good, too.

Starters Aaron Thompson and Sean McDermott both return as does guard Paul Jorgensen, a part-time starter last season. Forwards Nate Fowler and Joey Brunk add size as their minutes increase and then there’s the wild card — 6-foot-7 forward Jordan Tucker, a transfer from Duke who becomes eligible in December.

But Baldwin understands that for the Bulldogs to succeed, he needs to find his voice.

“I want to be a more vocal leader,” he said. “It’s something I’m working on.”

YEAR 2

Jordan acknowledged this season will be different. It’s the first time he’s ever started a second season in the same place as a head coach.

“I think voices have picked up because they know what to expect from the staff,” Jordan said. “They know what’s coming in terms of a practice plan, they know what to expect in terms of meetings, so they can get each other organized a little more because of that.”

TUCKER TIME

Everybody’s eager to see what Tucker adds after sitting out the second semester last season and the first semester this season. Tucker played just two games with the Blue Devils, scoring 12 points. Even Jordan isn’t entirely sure what to expect because he said Tucker spent more time working on the scout team last year, running opposing offenses, than working in the Bulldogs’ system. But he was considered a top 75 recruit coming out of high school and Jorgensen Butler asking guard Kamar Baldwin to nd his vo… Top Stories Topics Video Listen believes Tucker will fit right in.

“He’s a great kid who can really shoot the basketball,” said Jorgensen, who helped convince Tucker to join the Bulldogs. “He’s big and he brings size to us.”

IN THE MIDDLE

With Wideman gone, the Bulldogs will ask Fowler and Brunk to do the dirty work inside. Fowler, a 6-10 junior, is a natural scorer and added strength to improve as a rebounder. Brunk, a 6-11 redshirt sophomore, was a prized recruit out of Indianapolis who already likes getting physical and now will get a chance to play more minutes. The Bulldogs like using big guys to stretch the floor and stress rebounding as a group — a tradition Fowler and Brunk hope to continue.

THE SCHEDULE

Butler opens the season Nov. 10 against Miami (Ohio) and faces Mississippi, Dayton, Indiana and Florida in non-conference games. There’s also a potential showdown with Virginia in the Battle 4 Atlantis. The biggest home game will be Jan. 22 when defending national champion Villanova visits Indy. But they close the regular season with a brutal five-game stretch: at Marquette on Feb. 20, home against Providence on Feb. 26, at Villanova on March 2, home against Xavier on March 5 and at Providence on March 9.

___

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New strength coach gives Butler basketball more bite to its bark

David Woods, Indianapolis Star Published 11:47 a.m. ET Nov. 29, 2018 | Updated 6:50 p.m. ET Nov. 29, 2018

INDIANAPOLIS – Matt Johnson is an Easterner. He was born in upstate New York, played college basketball in Pennsylvania, and worked at jobs in Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Washington, D.C.

Johnson, 33, was overseeing a six-person staff and 27 sports as director of strength and conditioning at George Washington University. He conceded he had other job inquiries but was disinterested in leaving.

Buy Photo Then the Butler Bulldogs called. Would he be interested in a new position? Train men’s basketball players, and nothing else? Move nearly 600 miles to Indiana? (Photo: Matt Detrich/for IndyStar) “I just had a feeling like, ‘This was it. This was the opportunity,’“ Johnson said.

More: New NCAA rankings show Butler could use some road wins (https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/butler/2018/11/26/new-ncaa-rankings- show-butler-could-use-some-road-wins/2117927002/)

More: Ralph 'Buckshot' O'Brien was All-American at Butler, then NBA player (https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/butler/2018/11/27/ralph- buckshot-obrien-all-american-butler-then-nba-player/2128307002/)

Subscribe: Get the best Butler coverage around for this special price (https://offers.indystar.com/specialoffer?gps- source=CPNEWS&utm_medium=onsite&utm_source=news&utm_campaign=NEWSROOM&utm_content=GreggDoyel)

The position was created at the request of coach LaVall Jordan, a longtime devotee of the Butler Way, a system that supposedly never changes. Except this sport always changes.

Butler has always emphasized player development. So in a way the change underscored a long-held philosophy. Johnson said his program is not a six- week boot camp but a long-term model.

“My goal is, I want people to see an elite athlete. A different athlete in a Butler uniform in the next couple of years,” he said.

He arrived on campus on July, and within weeks Butler players were speaking about his influence. Butler already had a training plan organized by Jim Peal, who was in charge of all 20 varsity teams. Butler players show off the results of an offseason with a new strength coach. (Photo: Courtesy of Butler Athletics)

That was part of the issue. Jordan sought a strength coach wholly devoted to basketball.

Johnson threw himself into his task, as did Butler players.

“The first two weeks, I was kind of like, ‘Oh man, what did we get ourselves into?’ “ junior guard Kamar Baldwin said.

Jordan and Johnson said the players “bought in” to the program immediately.

Players’ gains have been measurable despite limited time in a new program. Often, Johnson said, players’ weight remains the same even as their bodies are redefined.

For instance, Baldwin actually lost one pound to 192, but he lost nine pounds of fat and gained a pound of muscle. Body fat declined from 16.8 to 13.4 percent.

Duke transfer Jordan Tucker weighs 215, the same as before, but dropped body fat from 16.1 to 12.5 percent. Freshman Bryce Golden lost 16 pounds of fat, gained eight pounds of muscle, and went from 21.9 to 15.3 percent body fat.

“He is an unbelievable worker,” Johnson said of the freshman, who has not played in a game yet after offseason shoulder surgery.

It is not all about weightlifting, either. Johnson has introduced GPS tracking devices worn by players during practice. The STATSports technology is inserted in a compression garment behind their necks and could be compared to an odometer.

The Bulldogs train on an underwater treadmill and VersaClimber, a fitness machine that simulates running but with low impact. The latter is a device championed by LeBron James.

Johnson is meticulous about nutrition. He shops weekly for healthy snacks — sandwiches, cheese sticks, yogurt, Buy Photo chocolate milk — for the locker room’s refrigerator. (Baldwin is partial to Jimmy Dean sausage-and-egg sandwiches from the microwave.) The coach examines postgame menus and X’s out choices that he deems GPS device worn by Butler players. (Photo: David deleterious. Woods/IndyStar)

A DV E R T I S E M E N T

Protein shakes are available after workouts. Proper foods are “the premium gas you put in your Lamborghini,” Johnson said.

He grew up as passionate about fitness as Hoosier youths are about basketball. He loved hoops, too, but he did not dream about the NBA. He dreamed about being a strength and conditioning coach.

He had been interested in it since he was 12, following his father to the gym. Johnson’s father, William, is a Vietnam War veteran, part of an underwater demolition team and longtime fitness enthusiast. As a self-described “slow, un-athletic kid,” Johnson traveled 40 minutes from his home in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., for speed and agility training under Lee Taft. Coincidentally, Taft, 52, now operates an athletic consulting business out of Greenwood, working with colleges as well as teams in Major League Baseball, the NFL and NBA.

Johnson, at age 15, told Taft he wanted to do what he did.

“I remember thinking, ‘This is a guy who could do this as a profession,’ “ Taft recalled.

Johnson continued throwing himself into training, then majored in exercise science at Marywood University in Scranton, Penn. He played little for two seasons but ultimately became the basketball team’s captain at the Division III school.

He earned a master’s degree in kinesiology at Bridgewater (Mass.) State College and worked with basketball and hockey teams at Boston College. Doing so influenced him, Johnson said, because “you have to design a program that will push them.”

Coincidentally, Butler basketball players Paul Jorgensen and Kethan Savage were at George Washington while Johnson was there. Johnson said building relationships with athletes is as important as the training itself. On a year-round basis, the strength coach is around athletes more than their coaches.

“I’m not going to demean a kid. I’m not going to be negative,” Johnson said. “That’s not my style. Other people Buy Photo have their style. That’s not mine.”

A sign outside Matt Johnson's Hinkle Fieldhouse basement Jordan credited Johnson and trainer Ryan Galloy for enhancing the Bulldogs’ recovery in the Bahamas, where office. (Photo: David they beat Florida 61-54 Friday night (https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/butler/2018/11/23/kamar- Woods/IndyStar) baldwin-leads-butler-comeback-over-florida-battle-4-atlantis/2058920002/) in their third game in 53 hours.

Butler’s training plan for the rest of the season is on a color-coded calendar, and there aren’t many “green” days left. Those are intense and mostly for offseason. Red (light) and yellow (modest) days remain.

Besides, the Bulldogs are not trying to be stronger weightlifters. Their workouts are specific to basketball, and some are even fun: obstacle courses, tug of war, water balloon fights.

“I didn’t come out here not to get the job done,” Johnson said. “I came out here to turn some heads, to make people proud and to have an impact on this program.”

Contact IndyStar reporter David Woods at [email protected] or call 317-444-6195. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.

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See your 2018-19 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team Bryce Golden continues legacy of No. 33 for Butler men’s basketball

Basketball Rotator Featured Articles Sports Winter Sports 10 hours ago

Bryce Golden during a workout at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Golden is in his first season as a Bulldog. Jimmy Lafakis/Collegian file photo.

JAROD LIPSON | STAFF REPORTER | [email protected]

If you were looking for Bryce Golden at age 14, it wouldn’t be hard to find him.

The first place you’d look would be in the backyard of his home in Winchester, Virginia. There, with a hoop set up and a basketball in his hands, you’d most likely find Golden with his brother, Grant.

The two couldn’t get enough basketball.

“It was really one of the only things we did,” Golden said.

Basketball wasn’t just a game for the Golden brothers; it was a distraction. The brothers’ father, Craig, had been hospitalized following a failed kidney transplant and their mother, Ellen, spent much of her time with him.

The family’s home in Virginia was more than two hours away from the hospital in Richmond. Every week, she would make the drive back and forth to try and be in each place as much as she could. “It was tough on all of us,” Golden said. “Me and my brother, we became pretty close from the situation and it even strengthened our relationship with our mom too because she made sure we were still doing what we were supposed to be doing.”

Golden said that basketball made the situation a little less tough.

“I don’t want to say it made me like forget about it for sure because it’s always something in the back of your head, but it made it easier to just deal with it, you know, there’s always something to do,” Golden said. “Always something.”

Craig recovered and was back home in time for Golden’s start of high school. The newfound stability allowed Golden to play basketball at Saint James School, a boarding school that he said helped him develop as an athlete and as a person.

Craig is still very present in his sons’ lives. He’s attended and tweeted about Butler practices at Hinkle Fieldhouse, praising the “Mikan Drill” while watching Golden perform it.

Ellen Depoy-Golden continues to be involved in the boys’ lives as well. In a way, she is on the court with them even when she is not present for a game. Her favorite number is three.

So, when Grant was choosing a number on the basketball team at the University of Richmond, he thought back to this time in their lives and chose 33.

When Golden got to Butler, he decided he wanted to do the same.

“It’s something that the three of us have together,” Golden said. “Both of us honor our mom by wearing it, so it’s definitely something we talked about a little bit but it was definitely more my decision just to wear it and you know, that’s my mom.”

****************************************************************************************************

Before the 2002-03 Butler basketball season, the Bulldogs made a list of goals for the year on a whiteboard in the locker room. Among them was to reach the NCAA Tournament.

One player took issue with that. Joel Cornette, a senior, did not see this team as a tournament team. He erased it from the board and replaced it with his vision. “National Champions,” he wrote. For a team that had missed the tournament the year prior, this was a bold claim.

“People would probably think, ‘The audacity of this guy to think that Butler could get to such great heights.’ But that’s what a fierce competitor my brother was,” Joel’s brother Jordan Cornette said. “And the belief that he had in this program, probably came before the program had the belief in itself.”

Butler would not become national champions that year, but they did reach the Sweet 16. It was arguably the program’s most successful campaign since the 1929 season, in which they were designated collegiate national champion by the Veteran Athletes of Philadelphia.

The season, in many respects, was a turning point for the program. A program that hadn’t won an NCAA tournament game since 1962 would see 17 such victories in a 10-year span starting then.

Brandon Crone, a senior in high school during Cornette’s senior year, had committed to play basketball at Butler already. “The program that he helped build up — because the program was trajecting up with him — was a lot because of his belief,” Crone said. “I think belief in himself, belief in Butler and then just the passion he played with.”

Crone said that Cornette didn’t keep that passion to himself.

“He will go down for me as one of the best pregame speakers you could ever have,” Crone said. “That guy would really fire you up. He just spoke with so much passion and it all came from a place of wanting Butler to win. That’s how much he loved this place.”

Cornette had such an impact on a young Crone, that Crone decided to take an extra step to preserve Cornette’s passion and belief. So, for all four seasons at Butler, Crone wore the No. 33 just as Cornette did.

Years passed, and Butler basketball continued to gain relevance. But then, on Aug. 16, 2016, Cornette passed away at age 35.

Cornette’s message became even more important. Passion. Belief.

The team still holds onto these tenants and instills it in its players.

“With coach [LaVall] Jordan being teammates with him, a lot of that [what Cornette stood for], we try to put through to our players,” Crone said.

Cornette’s legacy extends beyond the No. 33. But the number is a tangible, physical thing that does its best to represent at least some of it.

For Butler’s basketball program, the No. 33 is Joel Cornette, it is the passion and belief that he stood for and it’s the program’s longlasting rise due to his efforts.

****************************************************************************************************

Can the number simultaneously represent all of these things within the confines of Hinkle Fieldhouse?

That was the question that faced the entire program when Golden expressed his desire to wear it this offseason.

Golden contacted the Cornette family to discuss it.

“He asked the Cornette family for permission, which I thought was honorable,” said LaVall Jordan, current head coach and former teammate of Joel Cornette.

After meeting Golden and hearing his reasoning, the Cornettes agreed that it would be fine for him to wear it.

Even if the family didn’t say so, the number comes with strings attached. Golden will have to prove that he deserves it.

“You definitely feel like you got to bring energy every night,” Golden said. “Like he would. It definitely gives me a little boost every time I go out and practice or play, whatever it is.”

Crone said he thinks Golden is up to the challenge. “Bryce plays with a lot of passion as well, plays really, really hard and I think he definitely is a player that can kind of live up to that number,” he said.

Jordan sees similarities between the two already.

“Golden is a phenomenal young man in terms of their similarity as people,” Jordan said. “There’s a big, big, big spot in my heart for [Cornette] and his family. [Golden and Cornette] are ultra, ultra competitive. So it fits in terms of the 33 number.”

Basketball may just be a game and 33 may just be a number, but every time Golden puts on the No. 33 jersey at Hinkle Fieldhouse, to Golden, to the Cornettes, to Crone, to Jordan and to Butler basketball, it will mean so much more.

Follow Jarod on Twitter: @jrodscenarios

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FEATURED Spider Grant Golden, at 6-10, always had somebody his size to push him: his 6-9 'little' brother, Bryce

By JOHN O’CONNOR Richmond Times-Dispatch 18 hrs ago As the Golden family moved to four homes in Virginia and one in North Carolina, there were two constants: a basketball hoop on the property or very near it, and a set of brothers who used it to play one-on-one.

Grant Golden, the University of Richmond’s 6-foot-10 redshirt sophomore forward who recently turned 21, competed against Bryce Golden, 19 and a 6-9 freshman forward at Butler University, a Big East Conference member located in Indianapolis, Ind.

“Couple of ghts. Couple of sts throw. It got ugly at times. But we were always just trying to push each other and make each other better,” Golden said. “I would never be the player I am today without him, and I’m sure [Bryce] he would say the same about me. I appreciate everything he’s done for me.” Golden is the Spiders’ leader in scoring (17.7 ppg) and rebounding (7.1 rpg), the 265-pound centerpiece around whom Richmond (7-11, 1-4 A-10) is trying to resurrect. He’s having an all- Atlantic 10-type season and is capable of making additional developmental steps as a facilitator and defender, in the estimation of UR coach Chris Mooney. He believes Golden can turn into “a bit of a shot-blocking presence.”

Golden said his highest priority is “rebounding, because we’re, obviously, undersized. As the biggest guy on the team, I have to take that personally.”

Bryce Golden, a 250-pounder and higher-ranked recruit than his brother, has played in only a handful of Butler games as he recovers from oseason shoulder surgery. He declined the opportunity to redshirt.

The Goldens, who call Winchester home, played together at a boarding school in Hagerstown, Md., St. James. As their recruitment increased, so did speculation they would choose the same college.

“We had talked about it. Everybody had talked about it,” said Golden, who redshirted as a true freshman at UR after collapsing on the Robins Center court during a game against Texas Tech on Dec. 17, 2016. He underwent a cardiac ablation procedure to correct an accelerated heart rate, which caused his collapse.

In November of 2017, as Grant started his redshirt freshman season at UR, Bryce signed with Pittsburgh. That was one of numerous high-level Division I schools that oered scholarships.

“It was down to Pitt and Richmond,” Grant Golden said.

When Pitt dismissed Kevin Stallings as coach following last season, Bryce Golden received his scholarship release and then signed with Butler. Richmond was again in the mix, Mooney said.

Bryce is viewed as more of a traditional low-post player than Grant, who regularly handles the ball on the perimeter and shoots jump shots.