Butler Basketball Recruiting: 2020 recruit Eugene Brown sets visit

Butler basketball has seen an uptick in recruiting under head coach LaVall Jordan. Can the program take another step by landing Eugene Brown?

Butler basketball has been one of the nation’s most consistent teams over the past several seasons. And while the program did miss the NCAA Tournament during this past campaign, it is reasonable to assume that the Dawgs will not be kept down for long. Head coach LaVall Jordan is seemingly starting to build a roster with his vision in mind. This has included landing a few highly-touted prospects with more on the radar, including 2020 prospect Eugene Brown III.

With recruiting season in full swing, Butler is looking to add a few crucial pieces for the future of the program. Perhaps most notably, Eugene Brown seems to be one of the top priorities moving forward for the staff. Brown has been heavily targeted by Butler dating back to before this past high school season, and recently received an offer on April 11th.

Ranked as the No. 82 overall prospect in the class by 247Sports Composite, Brown would be a monster snag for the program. With a 6-foot-6 frame, above-average athleticism, and smooth jumper, it is easy to see why the Dawgs are so interested. Although he is recovering from a major leg injury suffered during his junior year, the expectation is that Brown will return better than ever. He is playing for AOT Running Rebels this year on the Nike EYBL circuit.

In addition to fitting what Coach Jordan is looking to build in Hinkle Fieldhouse, Brown also seems to represent the perfect Butler student-athlete with a high GPA.

Brown is reportedly visiting Butler starting on May 2.

To put it simply, this would be a major recruiting win for the Butler program. Within the past two years, Coach Jordan has already landed some of the highest-rated prospects to ever don the Bulldogs’ uniform in Jordan Tucker (transfer from Duke) and Khalif Battle (2019 commit). He has clearly raised the recruiting expectations for the program and Brown could be another strong addition for the future.

It may also be important to mention that Brown is electing to take this visit just one week before he will be in Indianapolis for the Nike EYBL circuit. He will be spending back-to-back weekends in “Naptown” and that might be a sign of how high the mutual interest is between the Dawgs and the talented wing. In addition, Butler would be a great fit with regards to immediate playing time. With Kamar Baldwin, Sean McDermott, and Henry Baddley all graduating after this coming season, there will be room for minutes on the wing alongside Tucker and Battle in 2020-21.

Butler’s early involvement (including already securing a visit) is obviously a positive sign for the program but several other high-major teams are already involved in Brown’s recruitment as well. He has also already received offers from TCU, Xavier, Mississippi State, Middle Tennessee State, Clemson, and South Carolina. It is clear that he will be one of the most highly sought-after players in the 2020 class and continuing to build the relationship and trust level between the staff and Brown could play a major role in potentially securing a commitment down the road.

Eugene Brown III is clearly one of the top priorities for Butler at this point in time. It will be difficult to snag the highly-touted wing due to the abundance of high-major programs in pursuit, but there certainly seems to be plenty of mutual interest. It is a good sign that Brown is already planning on visiting during this coming week and the program has to be hoping to make a strong impression.