Baylor Bears’ Jared Butler Enters History Books Alongside Kevin Durant Following Win Over Kansas

Published 01/19/2021, 12:00 PM EST

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USA Today via Reuters

The Baylor Bears continued to make their presence felt in the NCAA as they trounced the Kansas Jayhawks. It was a statement win for them, and the star of the show was junior guard Jared Butler.

He had 30 points while shooting 10-14 from the field and 7-9 from three. Along with this efficient shooting display, he also had 8 assists and ran the Bears’ offense.

There was no stopping Butler as he entered history books by being the only player in Division 1 along with Kevin Durant to have multiple 30 point games against Kansas.

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It was a brilliant show of shot-making and also shot-creating from the young guard. His drives to the rim were dangerous, and he split the Kansas defense on multiple occasions to finish at the rim. Butler also had no qualms about shooting from deep range and casually sunk those three-pointers.

Is Baylor Bears star Jared Butler a frontrunner for the National Player of the Year?

In his first 2 seasons at Baylor, Butler shot less efficiently and was just a decent playmaker. This season, he has been the opposite.

He is currently shooting 45% from three for the season and is also averaging an impressive 5.4 assists per game. His steals have also shot up, and he is currently averaging 2.5 per game.

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This season, with his playmaking, Butler has added a new dimension to his offense, and this has been key to the Bears’ form so far.

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He is leading their offense and has taken them to a 13-0 start to the season. The Gonzaga Bulldogs are cruising at 13-0 as well, but Butler and the Bears are closely keeping up.

USA Today via Reuters

So Butler could be a frontrunner for the National Player of the Year award if the Bears can continue this run. He withdrew his name from the draft to help the Bears win the NCAA title, and so far, he is doing everything right in that quest.

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It will be interesting to see where he lands in the NBA Draft. Will the NBA scouts be repelled by his age, or will they go based on his ability strictly? He has the potential to be a solid combo-guard for any team, and can definitely be a steal.

 

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Aaron Mathew

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Aaron Mathew is a sports analyst at EssentiallySports. A graduate in Mass Media from Xavier’s College, Aaron has been a part of EssentiallySports since May 2020 where he covers both NBA and NCAA basketball news, and has also covered NBA 2K. In the past, Aaron has worked at the Sports Desk of Mumbai Mirror.
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