Butler Basketball Recruiting: 2020 guard Myles Tate commits to the Dawgs

Butler basketball head coach LaVall Jordan just added another piece to his 2020 recruiting class in Myles Tate. What will the guard bring to Hinkle?

Butler basketball head coach LaVall Jordan is on the verge of landing the program’s best ever recruiting class. The Dawgs’ leader has been extremely active over the last few months and that has resulted in three early commits. Myles Tate became the most recent addition to the class by making his final college decision following his official visit to Butler University over the weekend of August 2-4. Considering Butler only offered him a scholarship on June 26, it is clear that the coaching staff made a quick impact on the young star.

A tremendous three-level scorer with blossoming playmaking abilities, Tate has been steadily rising up the recruiting rankings for the past several months. Due to strong play and continuous improvement, he has skyrocketed to No. 103 in the class, an increase in 75 spots since the inception of 247Sports’ 2020 rankings. It is important to note, though, that this could just be the start of his rise. He has shown an incredible amount of promise in a variety of ways as of late and Coach Jordan should be able to tap into his potential during his collegiate career.

Considering Tate is already a three-time state champion as the lead guard for Dorman High School, it is clear that he is a proven winner. He excels in a variety of skills on the court, but is perhaps most known as a scorer. Tate can simply fill it up at all three levels as a bona fide bucket-getter. He is a very dangerous shooter from the behind the arc and uses his elite-level speed to blow by defenders en route to finishes at the rim. Additionally, he does not back down from a  challenge on the defensive end of the floor as he is seemingly always adding to his game.

Looking ahead to the future of the Butler basketball program, Tate looks poised to a major piece of the puzzle. Due to his abilities as a self-creating scorer, Tate has the ability to succeed at either guard slot. This versatility will allow him to fit seamlessly alongside fellow 2020 commit Chuck Harris as Butler’s future dynamic backcourt duo. Harris, who is ranked at No. 130 in the class, is well-known as an impressive playmaker and defender. He will likely take the reigns as the initiator of Butler’s future offense while allowing Tate to be one of the go-to scorers.

Even though they would not form the tallest backcourt, Harris/Tate could play off each other’s strengths remarkably well. Additionally, it is important to mention that running the offense through two highly-capable ball-handlers (and 2019 commit Khalif Battle) will allow Butler to play at a much faster pace. It appears as though Coach Jordan has a clear vision for the future of the program under his leadership and he is recruiting the right pieces to fit his scheme.

This theory holds true with regards to the other commit in this class. Myles Wilmoth, a 6-foot-10 big man from New York, might not be ranked as highly as these guards but has an insanely high ceiling. He already runs the floor quite well, boasts plenty of length, and has a ton of two-way potential as a shot-blocker and stretch forward. This also fits Butler’s mold of finding up-tempo players with the ability to make defensive impacts.

With regards to Butler’s upcoming recruiting efforts, the program still has (at least) two scholarships to work with in the 2020 class. Although it is possible that Coach Jordan holds onto one of these for a potential incoming transfer, the program does seem to be in a good position for a few other targets. These include the likes of power forward JaKobe Coles (No. 131), wings Eugene Brown (No. 116) and Carlos “Scooby” Johnson (No. 120), and point guard Mike Miles (No. 139), to name a few. There are definitely other names in the mix as well, but those seem to be some of the top priorities at the moment as they are all extremely talented and would fill positional needs for the future.

As of right now (August 5), Butler’s 2020 recruiting class is ranked at No. 4 in the country. By adding a couple of those names above, Coach Jordan could easily secure the program’s highest-rated class in history.

While there is clearly plenty of time remaining in the 2020 recruiting class cycle, Butler basketball is off to a superb start. Myles Tate is an exceptional addition at this point in time and he could emerge as a major star down the road. Harris will be his backcourt running mate but it is important to mention that he could also form a dangerous scoring duo with Khalif Battle as well. These are exciting times to be a Butler basketball fan as it seems as though Coach Jordan is not only landing top-rated players but also those that believe in his vision for the future. Tate fits that mold.