A new era of Bulldog basketball began on Oct. 11, when newly minted head coach Ronald Nored and Butler welcomed the Indiana Hoosiers into Hinkle Fieldhouse for the first time since 1993. IU took home a 96-68 exhibition win in front of a sellout crowd of 9,100 fans.
New faces filled the floor for both teams as the respective head coaches got their first look at how their roster stacks up against an unfamiliar squad. For Nored’s Dawgs, it was transfers who stood out more than anyone.
Junior guard Eduardo Klafke struggled to find his shooting stroke to the tune of 1-8 from the field, but found other ways to influence the game. The Ole Miss transfer tallied a team-high six rebounds to go along with five assists, and was consistently the highest-energy Bulldog on the floor. Klafke’s teammates have no doubt that he will get into rhythm sooner rather than later.
“Anytime he’s open, I think anyone in the locker room is going to tell him to shoot,” graduate guard Jalen Jackson said. “He’s one of the best shooters on our team and I have complete trust in him.”
Meanwhile, Florida Gulf Coast standout Jordan Ellerbee took care of the scoring. He racked up 16 points off the bench, including 15 in the first half to affirm his role as a microwave scorer.
“I feel like I showcased what the team needs me to be,” Ellerbee said. “I follow what my coaches tell me and trust in my teammates.”
Much like Ellerbee, Butler flashed positive signs throughout the first half, heading into the break down just three points. Despite being heavily out-rebounded, the Dawgs made up for those lost possessions by limiting themselves to just one turnover in the opening frame.
“I thought we were really under control,” Nored said. “The times we did run and we did pass, we got easy layups after made buckets, after turnovers [and] after defensive rebounds … We have to be able to sustain that for 40 minutes.”
The wheels fell off in the second half, however. The Hoosiers flipped the turnover battle, scoring 17 points off takeaways to the Bulldogs’ two. Butler saw the slim margin balloon to as many as 33 points behind a 23-1 run that lasted nearly seven minutes and saw Nored’s starters head to the bench.
Among the starters, only Jackson was able to create any semblance of offense after the break, dropping in 10 of his 17 points. Coming off an ankle injury that claimed most of last season, Jackson is grateful to be back on the floor and getting readjusted to the game.
“[I was] just getting used to playing again,” Jackson said. “[It’s been] 300-plus days since I’ve been out there [so I’m] just having that sense of thankfulness.”
While putting up a game-high in points was a personal success for the Bulldogs’ veteran point guard, his impact stretched beyond his own statistics. One of the leaders on the team, Jackson has worked closely with first-year guard Baron Walker in the offseason.
In his college debut against the Hoosiers, Walker was a bright spot amidst a dimming performance by the reserves in the second half. The Noblesville, Ind. native dished out five assists, tying Klafke for the game’s most dimes. The assists came alongside five turnovers, serving as a reminder of Walker’s inexperience, but with his teammates’ help, the young point guard is poised to develop.
“Baron is somebody that I’ve tried to invest a lot of time in,” Jackson said. “This is a big moment for [the first-years]; this is their first college game. Pouring into them [is something] I try to hold myself to.”
Walker will likely play a reserve role this season, making his 19 minutes against Indiana valuable for his development.
Growth is the goal not just for Walker, but across the board for Nored’s unit. The rookie head coach is excited for the Bulldog faithful to watch his team improve.
“We’ve got the best fans in the country, bar none,” Nored said. “The way they showed up today, our guys felt it … It’s what I remember as a player here, this place being packed and people loving Butler basketball. It’s our job as coaches to continue to push our players to get better so that we put a good product on the floor for our fans.”
The next opportunity for the Dawgs to showcase their ability will come on Oct. 18 when the Indiana State Sycamores come to Hinkle for another in-state exhibition.