Butler Basketball: 2020 guard Chuck Harris commits to the Dawgs

Butler basketball has experienced a tumultuous offseason. That continued this past week with a commitment from talented 2020 guard Chuck Harris.

This offseason has not been a quiet one for Butler basketball. Following what was a bit of a disappointing campaign, the program has been active in the transfer market and on the recruiting trail. Most recently, head coach LaVall Jordan has been tied to the head coach opening at Michigan, although there is no concrete evidence to this. These rumors, though, might be squashed with the recent news of talented 2020 guard Chuck Harris announcing his commitment to the program.

Ever since taking over as the head coach of Butler basketball, Coach Jordan has been successful on the recruiting trail. He once again struck gold with the commitment of Harris, who is rated as one of the top point guards in the 2020 class. He is ranked as the No. 94 overall prospect by 247Sports and is a superb addition this early in the recruiting season. With several other top prospects on Butler’s radar, it seems as though Harris could be the first building block of what could be the best class in program history.

As a player, Harris is well-known as a two-way prospect. Measured at 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, Harris brings a solid amount of size to the point guard position and he should be an immediate contributor by the time that he joins the program. As is typically the case with Butler guards, Harris is a strong defender that can operate both as a primary playmaker or slasher within the offense. He is also showing improvement with regards to his shot.

His high school coach, Steve Turner, had this to say about the Butler commit (247Sports):

"“You can play Chuck at the point guard position, but I also believe that you can play him off the ball and that he will be just as effective. He is a very strong guard who is excellent at finishing in the paint, and then also he is a very good defender. His commitment to defense is something that I believe will help him play right away at Butler.”"

While playing for Team Takeover on the EYBL circuit, Harris has put up relatively solid numbers. In eight games for the team, he is averaging 6.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game. He has not been a featured member of the offense but has shown flashes and played superb defense. His 11-for-24 shooting from the free throw line, though, definitely could see improvement.

Harris seems like a tremendous fit for the Butler program and he should be an impact player from the moment that he steps on campus. His two-way potential is extremely high and he will arrive at Butler as one of the highest-rated recruits in program history. The expectation should be that he teams up with 2019 shooting guard commit Khalif Battle to form a dynamic backcourt duo for the future of the program. He will also have the opportunity to learn behind Aaron Thompson for one season before taking the reins himself.

Due to the fact that he is such an early commit, it is also reasonable to think that Coach Jordan will be able to build around Harris and put together an elite recruiting class. The Dawgs have already been mentioned as heavily interested in several other top 2020 prospects, such as Eugene Brown and Scooby Johnson.

It is also important to mention the timing of this commitment. There might not be any correlation between the two events, but this announcement certainly makes one think that Coach Jordan is going to be the leader of the Butler basketball program for some time. That would definitely be welcome news to the fanbase.

Coach Turner had this to say about Butler’s recruitment of Harris (247Sports):

"“Coach (LaVall) Jordan really made him recognize how much they wanted him and how much they value him as a player. He has a great opportunity in front of him when he comes in. The opportunity to play at a prestigious program like Butler was big, and they were the one school that really showed Chuck how much he meant to their program.”"

In the end, this is a monster addition for the Butler basketball program. Harris represents the future of the program at the point guard position and he should help in building an elite 2020 recruiting class.