Busting Brackets
Fansided

Butler Basketball: Breaking down the 2018-19 roster

By Lukas Harkins

PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 10: Head coach Jordan of the Butler Bulldogs looks on against the Villanova Wildcats at the Wells Fargo Center on February 10, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA, PA - FEBRUARY 10: Head coach Jordan of the Butler Bulldogs looks on against the Villanova Wildcats at the Wells Fargo Center on February 10, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 30: Butler Bulldogs fans celebrate. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 30: Butler Bulldogs fans celebrate. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Despite suffering two key losses, Butler basketball returns a ton of talent from last season. What should fans expect from each member of the team?

Butler basketball is less than one month away. Now that the seemingly never-ending offseason almost over, it is time to start previewing the upcoming season. And even though the program had to wave goodbye to Tyler Wideman and Kelan Martin this offseason, there is still plenty of talent returning. Additionally, head coach LaVall Jordan has a few new pieces joining the roster for this upcoming year. If these players are able to gel quickly with the rest of the team, Butler should be in for another strong year.

Over the course of the 21st century, the Bulldogs have been one of the best programs in all of college basketball. Regardless of coaching staff, conference affiliation, or expectations, Butler has seemingly always been in contention for an NCAA Tournament bid. For this season, in particular, the Bulldogs have enough talent to potentially compete with the best in the Big East Conference. If this is the case, then Butler should be a shoe-in for the Big Dance. In order for this to happen, though, the roster needs to come together to build a great team.

Now, let’s dive into the roster and set some expectations for those poised to guide the team this season.

RS Bryce Nze: After spending the last two seasons at Milwaukee, Bryce Nze elected to transfer this offseason, eventually joining the Butler program. Even though he will have to sit out this season due to transfer rules, Nze can make an impact on the team outside of games. Nze is a superb rebounder and he will be able to push Fowler and Brunk inside during practices. He will not play any minutes this season but his impact could be felt.

SO Campbell Donovan: The only walk-on on the roster, Campbell Donovan is a Hinkle favorite. It is extremely unlikely that Donovan will play any significant minutes this season but his 3-point shooting will keep defenders honest in practice. Considering the Big East is traditionally one of the beter perimeter shooting conferences in the nation, Donovan could help Butler gameplan for snipers.