Butler Basketball: Nike EYBL Dallas updates on recruiting targets

Several Butler basketball recruiting targets took the court at Nike EYBL Dallas. How did each of them perform and what might be in store moving forward?

The Nike EYBL circuit is incredibly popular for some of the top prospects in the country. Throughout the course of the spring, several prospective collegiate recruits take the court for their respective AAU teams in hopes of not only helping their teams win but also gaining the attention of Division-1 programs. For Butler basketball, in particular, several hot targets took the court, including recent point guard commit Chuck Harris.

Each healthy player participated in all five games and made an impact in one way or another. While others exceeded expectations, some struggled with their shots throughout the weekend. Either way, it was intriguing to watch them all play and gauge their impact on the court. (I was not in Dallas for the competition but I made a point to stream at least three games for each of these players.)

Let’s take a look at how some of Butler’s targets performed at EYBL Dallas. (Note: All recruiting rankings were found via 247Sports and all stats were found on the EYBL website.)

Chuck Harris (2020) – Team Takeover

PG | 6-foot-1 | 170 lbs | No. 96 overall | COMMITTED

Chuck Harris is a winner. One of the best pure point guards in the 2020 class, Harris dictates the floor at a high level and that much was evident during this past weekend. Although he is not a tremendous scorer, Harris has excellent court vision and passing creativity, both of which often lead to easy baskets for his teammates while he is on the floor. It also doesn’t hurt that he showed flashes of being a superb defender throughout EYBL Dallas. Team Takeover went 4-1 on the weekend and now sit at 9-4 over the course of the spring.

As already pointed out, Harris’ playmaking was what stood out most to me this weekend. He plays with great pace and his quickness is elite. While some of his passes might be described as “risky”, his pinpoint accuracy is on display when you consider his 21-to-4 assist-to-turnover ratio on the weekend. Harris is the first committed piece to Coach Jordan’s 2020 class and the coaching staff should be able to place strong shooters and scorers around him.

Eugene Brown (2020) – AOT Running Rebels

SF | 6-foot-5 | 170 lbs | No. 81 overall

Eugene Brown did not play during this event due to the fact that he recently had surgery to remove the screws placed after suffering a knee injury early in his junior high school season. His team, though, still performed relatively well behind the dynamic backcourt duo of BJ Boston and Sharife Cooper. AOT finished the weekend with a 4-1 record, moving their total record to 8-5 on the year. There is the potential for Brown to return to action at the EYBL finals at Peach Jam.

Moving back to Butler’s recruiting, Brown took an official visit to campus in early May and it is assumed that there is still heavy mutual interest. Brown would be an incredibly valuable addition to the program due to his high skill level, especially as a perimeter shooter. There are several other high-majors involved in this recruitment as he also holds offers from programs such as Clemson and Georgia Tech.

Nijel Pack (2020) – Indy Heat

PG | 6-foot-0 | 165 lbs | No. 213 (247Sports)

As one of the major breakout stars on the EYBL circuit so far this year, Nijel Pack once again put together a great session in Dallas. Although Indy Heat only went 3-2 on the session, his impact was felt throughout with solid play as a scorer and playmaker to help clinch a spot at Peach Jam. Despite the fact that he is not rated very highly, he has played especially well on the circuit so far and should garner far more interest that only two high-major offers (Butler and Kansas State).

https://twitter.com/NijelPack24/status/1125560072485134336

Over the course of the five contests, Pack averaged 20.0 points (.386/.333/1.00), 3.8 rebounds, 4.0 assists (to 2.4 turnovers) and 1.6 steals across 29.6 minutes per game. Although he did suffer some down games with regards to his shooting with the floor, Pack also came up with a couple of big games on the weekend. He is much more of a scorer compared to Harris and more major programs should start to take attention as he continues to guide Indy Heat into Peach Jam.

Tyler Beard (2020) – Brad Beal Elite

PG | 6-foot-2 | 175 lbs | No. 75 overall

Another highly-rated point guard, Tyler Beard made some nice plays during the course of the weekend although he struggled with his shot. He did not see the court for as many minutes as the other guards on this list but still had his fair share of impact moments. He is a hard-nosed defender and solid playmaker, although he did struggle with his assist-to-turnover ratio in Dallas. This could be influenced by the idea that these were among his first games with Brad Beal Elite on the circuit.

In the five contests this weekend, he posted averages of 4.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.8 assists (to 2.0 turnovers) in 16.6 minutes per game. These numbers may have simply been a result of struggling from the floor as he shot just 7-for-22 from the field, including missing all three of his 3-point attempts. This might not have been Beard’s best statistical weekend but he is still a really solid point guard with a bright future. Brad Beal Elite went 2-3 in the session.

Luke Goode (2021) – Indy Heat

SG | 6-foot-5 | 175 lbs | No. 69 (247Sports)

With Justin Powell out for the weekend due to an injury, 2021 prospect Luke Goode was called into action for the team and he responded in a big way. Although already well-regarded within his own class, he was quite solid as a perimeter weapon for the team. He is not much a playmaker but can definitely let it fly from distance and showed no confidence issues as he averaged over five 3-point attempts per game.

https://twitter.com/luke_goode21/status/1128033026787692549

Additionally, he played well enough to consistently garner minutes for the team. While playing 25.6 minutes per contest, the 6-foot-5 wing averaged 9.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.0 assists (to 1.2 turnovers) on the weekend. While the majority of his attempts were from beyond the arc, this was an efficient spot on the floor for him as he shot 10-for-26 (38.5%) from distance. Goode was particularly impressive on the weekend while playing up a year and is definitely on Butler’s radar.

Coach Jordan offered a scholarship to Goode in mid-May.

Caleb Furst (2021) – Indy Heat

PF | 6-foot-8 | 205 lbs | No. 32 overall

Ranked as one of the top power forwards in the 2021 class, Caleb Furst‘s numbers were not particularly great this weekend but it is important to mention that he was also playing up a year. With his sturdy 6-foot-8 frame and fluid game, it is easy to see why he is garnering attention from some of the top programs in the country. Butler offered all the way back in last summer and it would be a surprise if they did not show continued effort in this recruitment. Furst’s all-around skill is evident and he has the makings of a really good college player.

Over the five games, Furst recorded averages of 7.0 points and 5.6 rebounds per game while struggling with his shot and ball control. He finished just 9-for-24 (37.5%) from the floor on the weekend on committed 12 turnovers. This might not have been his best weekend but his skill level is off the charts. He is definitely one of the best players that I have seen in the 2021 class. As already mentioned, Indy Heat finished 3-2 in Dallas.

On the whole, Butler’s targets posted relatively strong weekends at EYBL Dallas. Chuck Harris looked like a very strong playmaker and defender while Nijel Pack once again showed his scoring proficiency. The 2021 members of the Indy Heat roster also flashed what might be in store for the future in Hinkle Fieldhouse.