Butler Basketball: Can the Bulldogs land another class of 2018 recruit?

Butler basketball has received just one commitment for the 2018 recruiting class so far. Can the Dawgs land one of the high school players they are chasing?

Butler basketball has never been a recruiting powerhouse. Regardless of what recruiting rankings say about the Butlers’ recruits, the players consistently show up and deliver on the court. As fans look forward to the 2018-19 season, it does not look like there are going to be a lot of new faces trotting onto the court at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

As of right now, there are only two new players who will be suiting up for the Bulldogs. The first of these is the only commitment to Butler for the 2018 recruiting class, Markeese Hastings. Per 247Sports Composite ranking, Hastings ranks No. 366 in the class. The other incoming player is Jordan Tucker, a transfer from Duke. Tucker only played 14 total minutes for the Blue Devils in 2017-18 but is a former top-100 recruit. He will join the Bulldogs at the conclusion of the first semester.

With a couple of open scholarships, though, head coach LaVall Jordan is looking to add another recruit for his 2018 recruiting class. Here is a look at the three high school players that are current priorities for the Big East program.

SG Lamar Norman Jr.

6’3″, 175 lbs, No. 338 by 247Sports Composite

Despite a sensational senior season with Godwin Heights in Michigan, the recruiting front for Norman has been somewhat quiet as of late. Originally a UTEP commit, Norman received interest from several programs once he was back on the open market. Butler, UCLA, Michigan State, and Loyola are among the top programs intrigued by his talents. Norman has enough size to play the off-guard position at the college level and is a high-volume scorer.

Norman is a tremendous athlete who has the ability to get to the basket and finish above the rim. There are not many players remaining on the market in this class who can fill up the basket like Norman can. He is a flashier player than most would be accustomed to seeing a Bulldogs’ uniform, but that did not stop Paul Jorgensen from succeeding this past season. In addition, Butler’s odds of landing Norman could be improved by the fact that his high school teammate, Markeese Hastings, is the lone commit in the 2018 class so far for Butler.

If Norman joins Butler for next season, he would likely find minutes as a backup at both guard positions. Aaron Thompson and Kamar Baldwin are locks for the starting lineup in 2018-19, but only Paul Jorgensen has the ability to be a primary ball handler off the bench. Norman’s potential arrival would definitely improve the backcourt options off the bench.

PF Bryce Golden

6’9″, 220 lbs, No. 203 by 247Sports Composite

One of the better frontcourt options remaining on the market for the 2018 recruiting class, Butler is in the final four for Golden. Although most (including myself) believe that Syracuse will be the final destination for the former Pittsburgh commit, there is reason to believe now that the Bulldogs made his most recent cut. Golden is an athletic power forward with the ability to stretch the floor out to 3-point range.

Should Golden commit to Butler, he would be an instant member of the rotation. Both Tyler Wideman and Kelan Martin will not be on the roster next season due to graduation and someone is going to have to play minutes in the frontcourt. Joey Brunk and Nate Fowler are both true centers while players like Tucker, Sean McDermott, and Henry Baddley are better suited to play on the wing. Golden would likely come off the bench but he would be the only true power forward on the roster.

For more on Golden’s recruitment, check out our article here.

PG Jamarius Burton

6’5″, 195 lbs, No. 383 by 247Sports Composite

Burton has tremendous size as a lead guard. At 6’5″, he sees the floor extremely well and has the ability to break down his defenders in attacking the basket. Despite a knee injury that left him sidelined for his entire junior year, Burton impressed scouts during his senior season with Independence High School in North Carolina. He averaged 16.4 points, 7.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 2.2 steals per game while leading his team to the state championship as the MVP.

His recruitment to Butler is a relatively new development but it seems to be moving quickly. News broke of Burton visiting campus in mid-April and that seemed to go well. According to Justin Byerly of Prep Hoops North Carolina, Burton had this to say about his recent visit with Butler: “I enjoyed my Butler visit. Very informational. I enjoyed the coaches and meeting the players. Great university.”

Of the three top targets for the Bulldogs right now, Burton seems like the most likely to commit. However, nothing should be seen as a sure thing. For more on Burton’s recruitment to Butler, be sure to check out IndyStar’s article by David Woods.

C Kaosi Ezeagu

6’10”, 220 lbs, Unranked by 247Sports Composite

The most recent 2018 target for Butler, Ezeagu is known as an interior defender. He already has solid size as a potential center and can sky high to block shots. The Canadian center is a high-energy big man who rebounds and defends extremely well. On the offensive end, Ezeagu has a lot of work to do before he reaches the level of being a threat in the post.

The news regarding Butler’s interest in Ezeagu broke on April 18th, so it is very new. Due to the raw nature of his talent, the expectation should be that Ezeagu will redshirt if he commits to Butler. If this is the case, then he would be a natural replacement in the rotation for Nate Fowler, who will graduate after the 2018-19 season. The Bulldogs already have one Canadian on the roster in Christian David, so this is not unfamilar territory.

Elias Sbiet of North Pole Hoops broke the news surrounding Butler being interested in Ezeagu. According to 247Sports, the other known offers issued to the big man are from Western Michigan and South Carolina. Butler has not offered yet.

Next: 2017-18 player grades for Butler

Butler currently has 11 players on scholarship, meaning there are two available for usage. The hope is that head coach LaVall Jordan is able to snag one of the players mentioned in this article as they all would bring a unique set of skills to the program. Even though all of them are ranked outside of the top-200 nationally, Butler has traditionally done extremely well with three-star recruits. Who is to say that one of these three will not develop into a star under the lights of Hinkle Fieldhouse?