Butler Basketball: How could grad transfer Brock Stull help the Bulldogs?

Butler basketball is in the running for yet another grad transfer. This time it comes in the form of former UW-Milwaukee Panther Brock Stull.

On April 23, news broke that UW-Milwaukee was losing its three leading scorers from 2017-18 to transfer. Included in this group was 6’4″ combo guard Brock Stull. Considering the star guard is graduating this spring, he is eligible to transfer as a graduate student this offseason. Several major conference programs have already moved with haste to contact Stull regarding his future in college hoops.

Even though UW-Milwaukee struggled in the past two seasons, Stull was a household name in the Horizon League. As a full-time starter for 66 games, the guard averaged 13.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 3.0 assists per game. He was consistently an on-court leader for the Panthers despite playing under three different head coaches. Thankfully, that number may not need to increase to four coaches despite his decision to transfer.

Stull had arguably his most productive season as a sophomore under head coach LaVall Jordan, who is now the top dawg at Butler University. This relationship prompted the Bulldogs to be one of the first teams to reach out to Stull after he opened his recruitment as a transfer.

What are Stull’s biggest strengths?

The calling card of Stull’s game is his 3-point shooting. Over the past two seasons with UW-Milwaukee, he attempted 5.1 3-pointers per game, connecting on 38.5% of those shots. Considering the high volume at which he attempted trifectas, maintaining that level of efficiency is extremely impressive. In addition, Stull was often the focal point of opponent’s scouting reports due to his deep range and craftiness in creating his own shot, making it even more difficult to get shots off.

However, there is much more to Stull’s game than just spotting up from deep. At 6’4″, he brings excellent size to the guard position and uses this to his advantage on the glass. Stull averaged 5.8 rebounds per game over the last two seasons, a number that definitely jumps off of the stat sheet for a guard. His rebounding is a valuable asset because it allows him to jumpstart the fastbreak without needing an outlet pass from a big man.

From there, Stull’s playmaking skills take over. While his assist-to-turnover ratio is not spectacular, Stull has solid court vision and is willing to find teammates in the halfcourt and in transition. He has an excellent understanding of the game and is especially dangerous in ball-screen opportunities. He has a quick trigger from beyond the arc but is also unafraid of attacking the basket or hitting the roll-man in stride on his way to the basket.

What role would Stull fill for the Bulldogs?

If Stull ends up at Butler, he would fill a valuable role in the rotation. While the Bulldogs might not be able to offer him a starting position due to the presence of Aaron Thompson and Kamar Baldwin in the backcourt, he would receive his fair amount of minutes. He would add another veteran option off the bench for head coach LaVall Jordan as a primary ball handler. As of now, Thompson is the only true point guard on the team and Stull could be inserted as an off-ball shooter alongside the starters or as the primary facilitator for the bench unit.

In today’s age of basketball, there is no such thing as too much shooting. With Stull on the floor, it is possible for Coach Jordan to deploy a lineup with five dangerous shooters on the floor. Just imagine the floor spacing with shooters like Stull, Baldwin, Paul Jorgensen, Sean McDermott, Nate Fowler, and the surprisingly accurate Henry Baddley in the rotation. Oh, let’s not forget about incoming mid-season transfer Jordan Tucker, who is known as a smooth shooter from deep.

Okay, maybe I got a little carried away there but the idea of adding another shooter with playmaking abilities is enticing. Even though Stull is not a top-notch defender, he is more than capable of holding his own and functions well within team defensive schemes. In addition, it is a rare occasion that Thompson and Baldwin, both of whom are elite defenders, are on the bench at the same time. This means that Stull would always be on the floor with another lockdown guard.

Why might Stull choose Butler?

For starters, Stull’s familiarity with Butler’s coaching staff is a plus. Stull has experienced his fair share of coaching turmoil during his college career and reuniting with former coaches would make logical sense. In addition to head coach LaVall Jordan, Butler is also home to Omar Lowery and Will Vergollo, both of whom were assistant coaches at UW-Milwaukee. Stull has extensive experience with all three of these coaches and those relationships could go a long way.

When speaking of Butler’s head coach, though, it is important to note Jordan’s excellent reputation both as an assistant and head coach in regards to working with guards. As The Daily Michigan put it, Jordan is “The Guard Whisperer.” In particular, he has been attributed as a key factor in the development of Michigan guards Trey Burke, Nik Stauskas, and Zak Irvin. Furthermore, Stull himself had his best collegiate season under the tutelage of Coach Jordan.

Of course, there is more than just the coaching staff for Stull to like about Butler. First and foremost, it is a basketball school through and through. Hinkle Fieldhouse is one of the most storied basketball venues and Butler is among the consistent programs in the country. If Stull becomes a Bulldog, he will be able to play in one of the nation’s best conferences while more than likely making the NCAA Tournament for the first time in his career.

What can other schools offer Stull?

However, Butler is not the only school with coaching connections hoping to bring in Stull. Rob Jeter, who is now an assistant coach at Minnesota, was the head coach at UW-Milwaukee who recruited Stull and spent two seasons (one was a redshirt year) developing the guard. If coaching familiarity is a major factor for Stull, the Golden Gophers could end up being the toughest competition for Butler.

Should Stull be looking for a starting job at a major conference program, then a school like Wichita State may surge to the frontrunner spot. The Shockers are dealing with major roster turnover, especially in the backcourt, this offseason. Stull would be able to provide stability for one year while playing in the American Athletic Conference. As an added note, Butler and Wichita State have been in three recruiting battles recently, all of which ended with 2018 recruits committing to the Shockers.

Next: 2018 Big East recruiting classes

Overall, though, Stull to Butler would be a mutually beneficial commitment. For Stull, he will be able to reunite with former coaches, receive valuable playing time at a high-major, and likely compete in the NCAA Tournament. For Butler, the team would be able to add a playmaking sharpshooter to improve the backcourt depth. In addition, signing a grad transfer like Stull allows Coach Jordan to have more flexibility for his 2019 recruiting class.