Butler basketball has been superb on the recruiting trail over the past few months. In-state shooting guard Jayden Taylor is now the first 2021 commit.
Butler basketball head coach LaVall Jordan is starting to seriously find a rhythm on the recruiting trail. In addition to already holding three strong commits from the 2020 class, the Dawgs’ leader just snagged his first commitment from the 2021 group. Jayden Taylor, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard from Indiana, announced his intentions to play for Butler on Sept. 19.
Landing an in-state product this early in the recruiting season is a major win for the program. Coach Jordan’s strong recruiting over the past few months is definitely creating a buzz with the fanbase as the future is looking brighter and brighter by the day. Butler will be losing Jordan Tucker, Christian David, and Aaron Thompson after the 2020-21 season. Taylor should be able to easily slide into a solid role in the backcourt right away as a freshman.
Although Taylor is currently unranked by 247Sports, this is not uncommon for 2021 prospects at this point in the year. He is playing high school basketball for Perry Meridian and also held scholarship offers from Miami (OH), IUPUI, and Bradley. He is a proven shot-maker at all three levels and will add another scoring dimension to Butler’s offense in the future. He is also a hard-nosed defender dedicated to staying in front of his man.
While playing in the UAA this summer, Taylor was quite solid for G3 Grind in 16U. This was his real “coming out party” and a major reason for Butler’s interest in the rising guard. Across 11 contests with the team, Taylor averaged 11.6 points (.560/.556/.806) and 4.5 rebounds per game while showcasing his strong defensive ability. He should only continue to grow over the next few years.
Coach Jordan has a great reputation with regards to developing guards and Taylor should thrive in his system. With Khalif Battle (2019 commit), Myles Tate (2020), and now Taylor roaming the wing, the Dawgs have a future built on high-level scoring guards. Chuck Harris, another 2020 commit, looks poised to be the point guard of the future that will distribute to this trio.
Watch for Butler to play with more and more pace in the next few years as Coach Jordan is starting to construct the roster to his liking. Taylor fits this mold perfectly and should be a highly impactful player by the time he arrives on campus for the 2021-22 season.
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I caught up with Jayden Taylor following his commitment to talk about his game and what was appealing about playing for Butler. (This interview has been edited for clarity.)
Q: How does it feel to be committed to Butler, a school so close to home for you?
A: “It’s a dream come true to know that my family will be able to continue to come to my games. Just like the last 10 years of my life. So it feels amazing.”
Q: How would you describe your playing style? What are some of your strengths and areas that you are looking to work on?
A: “I would say I’m an all-around player. I can really do it all on the court. My strengths are playing defense and getting to the rim and finishing. I would say I need to work on becoming a consistent shooter.”
Q: With regards to your decision, what aspects of Butler as a school and basketball program stood out to you? What was the pitch from the staff?
A: “I really like the history of Hinkle. It’s amazing to me. The pitch was the coaching staff’s consistency. They showed unlimited love from the beginning. They want me to be a key scorer in the offense and defend hard.”
Q: When you look forward to your future with the program, what do you want to be known for in a Butler uniform?
A: “I want to be known as the guy who always goes hard and has great energy on the court! I can promise to Butler Nation that I’m going to control all the things I can control!”
Butler is currently in great shape on the recruiting trail. In addition to holding a strong 2020 class, Jayden Taylor is an awesome addition for the future. He will fill a positional need right away as a freshman and will mark the second in-state commit for head coach LaVall Jordan in three years. If he is able to attract more high-level talent from Naptown in the near future, that bodes well for the program.