INDIANAPOLIS – This is perhaps what a college basketball coach wants in an opener:

A victory, but one in which he will have teaching moments upon film review.

Kelan Martin had 20 points and nine rebounds, helping LaVall Jordan win his Butler coaching debut 82-64 over Kennesaw State before a Hinkle Fieldhouse sellout of 9,138 Friday night.

It was the Bulldogs’ 36th consecutive nonleague home win, fourth-longest active streak in the nation. They are home again Sunday night against Princeton.

"Obviously, we've got a lot of getting better to do," Jordan said.

Butler built a 25-point lead in the first half but saw that margin shrink to 10 in the second. Kennesaw State’s James Scott scored 22 of his 26 points in the second half.

Paul Jorgensen, who had to sit out last season after transferring from George Washington, had 14 points and four assists. Tyler Wideman added 13 points.

"They've got all the tools," said Kennesaw State coach Al Skinner, who formerly coached in the Big East at Boston College. "They've got the big people who rebound the ball. They've got a stud (Martin). You need one of those to be competitive in that league."

Three takeaways:

Defense and free throws? Ugh

Close games often come down to defense and free throws. This one was not close, but Butler was deficient in both areas. A 25-point lead to was trimmed to 57-47 with 12 minutes left.

On defense, communication can be as important as athleticism.

"I keep telling the guys, we can't text each other when we're out there," Jordan said. "We're growing in that area. We've got to have loud voices. We have a little bit of a quiet group."

Scott’s second-half outburst underscored the fact Butler’s defense is not yet strong enough to restrain opponents while its own shots aren’t dropping. Butler was pesky enough that the Owls committed 17 turnovers.

"In the second half, they got rhythm," Jordan said. "We didn't do enough in that moment to break the rhythm and get them uncomfortable. Toward the end there, it changed a little bit back, where we started to dictate more. That's got to be us for an entire game."

Even that lapse had its benefits because Jordan said Wideman intervened and spoke to his teammates during a timeout.

"Which is something we need him to continue to do as a leader," Jordan said. "Got our energy back going for that first unit. We were able to get back where we were."

Free throws?

Some of these players never will be accurate, but Butler needs to be better than 12-of-23 (52 percent). Martin, who was 11-of-11 in last week’s exhibition victory over Lincoln Memorial, was 5-of-8.

Hurryin’ Bulldogs

Is Dawg racing legal in Indiana?

Seriously, Jordan’s ambition of making Butler a better transition team showed merit. Early, the Bulldogs repeatedly turned missed shots and turnovers into baskets.

"When we get stops, we're allowed to go out and run," Wideman said. "When the other team scores every time, you see a slower pace."

The Bulldogs began by shooting 79 percent (11-of-14), mostly on open looks or layups. In the first half, they outscored Kennesaw State 10-0 on fast-break points and 22-2 off turnovers. Little more than five minutes into the season, Butler led 22-6.

"I think the difference was the run-outs that they got," Skinner said.

Aaron Thompson continued to show poise and judgment as a freshman point guard. That allows Kamar Baldwin to play off the ball, which is more natural. Baldwin, hampered by fouls, finished with seven points, three assists and three turnovers in 21 minutes.

Thompson de-committed from Pittsburgh and came to Butler late in the recruiting process. He had seven points and five assists in 24 minutes. Call him a going-away present from former coach Chris Holtmann.

Centers of attention

Butler will not necessarily employ Wideman and Nate Fowler simultaneously, but that big-man combo is potentially potent.

Wideman did not oppose the kind of size he will face in the Big East, so that partially explains his 6-of-7 shooting. Yet he has been an undersized post player for so long, it seemingly does not matter.

Fowler is almost an automatic two points near the basket, and he is one of Butler’s most accurate 3-point shooters. He scored nine points on 4-of-5 shooting.

Jordan said using the two posts together is an option.

"It gives us some versatility," he said. "It depends on who we're playing against and match-ups that we like to be able to use that lineup."

Call IndyStar reporter David Woods at (317) 444-6195. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.

BUTLER 82, KENNESAW ST. 64

KENNESAW ST. (0-1) — Jones 0-2 3-4 3, Clarke 2-5 0-0 4, Scott 10-19 2-2 26, Masterson 2-5 2-2 7, Lockley 0-3 2-4 2, Mbuyamba 0-0 0-2 0, Jarrett 5-13 2-3 15, Hooker 3-7 0-2 7. Totals 22-54 11-19 64.

BUTLER (1-0) — Wideman 6-7 1-1 13, Martin 6-15 5-8 20, Baldwin 3-8 0-1 7, Jorgensen 5-8 3-5 14, McDermott 0-3 0-0 0, Brunk 3-4 0-0 6, Fowler 4-5 0-0 9, Thompson 3-7 1-5 7, David 0-1 0-0 0, Baddley 2-3 2-3 6, Gillens-Butler 0-3 0-0 0. Totals 32-64 12-23 82.

Halftime—Butler 48-24. 3-Point Goals—Kennesaw St. 9-18 (Scott 4-9, Jarrett 3-6, Masterson 1-1, Hooker 1-2), Butler 6-25 (Martin 3-9, Fowler 1-2, Baldwin 1-4, Jorgensen 1-4, David 0-1, Baddley 0-1, Gillens-Butler 0-1, McDermott 0-3). Fouled Out—None. Rebounds—Kennesaw St. 24 (Jones 8), Butler 36 (Martin 9). Assists—Kennesaw St. 9 (Masterson 4), Butler 17 (Thompson 5). Total Fouls—Kennesaw St. 21, Butler 18.