Butler men's basketball opened its season with a 96-60 victory over Lafayette on Monday at Hinkle Fieldhouse.
Star guard Jalen Jackson had 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting, including 4 of 6 from beyond the arc. Freshman Asim Djulovic scored a team-high 19 points on 5-for-7 shooting. Center Drayton Jones had 10 points on perfect shooting with four blocks and a steal.
Here are three things that stood out in Ronald Nored's first game as coach.
Drayton Jones sets the tone on defense
It took just 16 seconds for Jones to make his presence known. He opened the game with a block on Lafayette's first offensive possession. He picked up a steal with 19:04 remaining in the frame. His quick hands led to a Treyson Anderson 3 on the other end, giving the Dawgs a 5-0 lead. The 6-foot-11 center was named to the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference All-Defensive Team in 2025. If he plays like he did Monday all season, he'll have a Big East All-Defensive Team award to put on his shelf. Jones finished the game with 10 points on 4-of-4 shooting and four blocks.
Freshman shines in debut
Djulovic had zero points and four fouls in Butler's exhibition loss to Indiana on Oct. 11. Djulovic scored only eight points o...