Roosevelt Jones: Jones made some major strides in certain areas of his game, and remained stagnant in other areas. After the departure of near 4-year starting point guard Ronald Nored, many thought it would it would be Rotnei Clarke to fill the assists void left by Nored. But it was Roosevelt Jones who showed the ability to handle the ball under pressure and deliver the ball where it needed to be. Yet there is still room for improvement for Jones as a ball-handler and passer, as he only had a 1.22 assist/turnover ratio. In terms of scoring, Jones was even more aggressive getting in the lane for floaters, a shot he has completely mastered. Shooting the ball continues to be a difficulty for Jones, as he has not displayed any ability to shoot a jump shot. Also, he continues to have poor form and inconsistent results from the free throw line. Jones rebounded well for his size getting almost 6 rebounds per game despite only being 6'4. Overall, Roosevelt Jones was one of Butler's better players this season, doing a little bit of everything on offense in addition to being a defensive stopper, as exemplified by the last play of the Gonzaga game. He still has a long way to go to become a complete player, but I am confident that he will be able to lead a younger Bulldogs squad to success next season.
Kameron Woods: I made a point of this all season, but going from 37% from the field as a freshman to nearly 55% as a sophomore is truly remarkable. Woods realized that he was not a good three point shooter, as he attempted only four all season, which certainly helped his shooting percentage. Woods was able to use his long arms to grab many offensive rebounds. In fact, he had more rebounds than points this season. His mid-range jumper developed so much that I believe it is now better than Khyle Marshall's mid-range. To improve for next season, he needs to get stronger so that he can play alongside Marshall in the front court. That will also be a necessity because Butler has no true center next season, so Woods will have to play big the same way Matt Howard did as an undersized center for his first three years.
Alex Barlow: With Butler's depth at the guard spot coming into the season (even after the loss of Chrishawn Hopkins), I wasn't sure how much playing time Alex Barlow would receive. In November, it seemed as though Jackson Aldridge had taken the backup point guard spot from Barlow during the Maui Invitational, but Barlow quickly won those minutes back and eventually got into the starting lineup. Brad Stevens said that Barlow is one of he's ever had at Butler, which is saying something considering that Butler has had some great defensive players in recent years. (Nored, Shawn Vanzant, Willie Veasley). The game winning shot at Indiana, and consistent hustle and effort kept him on the court all season long. I have no doubt that Alex Barlow will continue to lead the more inexperienced players for Butler for years to come and he will continue to have a major impact at Butler.
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