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Butler Basketball: Previewing Markeese Hastings’ impact for 2019-20

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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DETROIT, MI – MARCH 18: Head coach Jordan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
DETROIT, MI – MARCH 18: Head coach Jordan. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Markeese Hastings redshirted this past season but could be poised to crack the rotation in 2019-20. What might he bring to the table for Butler basketball?

Markeese Hastings is easily the most intriguing “mystery man” on the Butler basketball roster. Originally ranked as the No. 480 overall prospect from the 2018 class, Hastings redshirted last season in order to recover from injury and learn from the rest of the team. Heading into this coming campaign, there is no concrete evidence of who Hastings might be as a player. He is still working back to get to full-contact participation in practice following hip surgery and his timetable for return is something that is definitely worth monitoring.

Although Butler is already pretty set on the wing with Jordan Tucker, Sean McDermott, Henry Baddley, and Khalif Battle, it would be good to see Hastings reach 100%. Even if he is not receiving consistent playing time, his impact in full-contact practice is worth noting as he can push the main wings on the team. Hastings is a physical presence with an intriguing all-around game.

Considering Hastings is yet to take the court at the college level, there is plenty of mystique surrounding what he might be able to bring to the Dawgs. While he was not a highly-rated recruit out of high school, he posted his fair share of impressive performances prior to heading to Indianapolis.

Perhaps most notably, Hastings was the MVP of Michigan’s win in the 2018 Prep Ball Stars Midwest Challenge. He posted 22 points and multiple rebounds while sharing the court with elite-level recruits such as Marcus Bingham Jr., Trevion Williams, and Thomas Kithier.

If that performance is a sign of what he will bring to Butler when healthy, then Hastings might be the most underrated player on the roster. He will be just a redshirt freshman this season so any flashes of brilliance would be great signs moving forward.

Now, without any further ado, let’s dive a bit deeper into Hastings to analyze his potential impact for the Dawgs in 2019-20.