NCAA Basketball Recruiting: Analyzing top schools for Matt Cross

CHARLOTTE, NC - MARCH 20: A general view of the court before the game between the Georgia Bulldogs and Michigan State Spartans during the second round of the 2015 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena on March 20, 2015 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images) /

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – DECEMBER 30: Coach Jordan of Butler. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /

Butler Bulldogs

Butler launched into this recruitment earlier this summer by offering a scholarship to Matt Cross near the end of April. The coaching staff then followed that up by bringing the talented power forward to campus for an official visit in Mid-June. The program quickly prioritized him after issuing an offer and there is a clear need for another frontcourt piece in Butler’s 2020 recruiting class. Head coach LaVall Jordan is looking for a versatile talent with the ability to run the floor, defend at a high level, and bury open trifectas – Cross definitely fits that mold.

With three early commits from the 2020 class, Butler currently holds the No. 9 overall group in the nation. Myles Tate (No. 111) and Chuck Harris (No. 145) are the two guards that look poised to lead the offense in the future while versatile big Myles Wilmoth (No. 295) could easily play alongside Cross. This class is definitely on the verge of becoming the best in program history and adding Cross would further that idea while also filling a major need for the future. Butler’s 2020 recruiting class is taking shape as a very special group and the coaching staff can be a bit more selective with their targets now that they have three commits. At this point, it seems as though the program is only prioritizing four 2020 prospects and Cross is in that group.

Related Story. Analyzing Butler's 2020 recruiting targets. light

The Dawgs are ahead in the 2020 recruiting game compared to the other five programs in this article but they also probably need to play a bit of catch-up to land this commitment. Butler’s main pitch to Cross will likely center around immediate playing time and the opportunity to grow into a star. Cross showcased his full array of skills on the EYBL circuit and it is no secret that he can be an impact player right away at the college level. Butler will allow him the opportunity to see a major role as a freshman (likely behind senior Bryce Nze in 2020-21) before emerging as the star of the team in the following years.

Butler has been one the most consistently successful basketball teams of the programs on this list in recent memory and they are the only school without a major-conference football team. If Cross is looking for a “basketball school”, this fits the bill.

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