Butler Basketball Recruiting: Class of 2021 Big Board

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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JANUARY 22: General view of a team banner hanging. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

John Poulakidas – Naperville, IL

SG | 6-foot-5 | 175 lbs | No. 144 by PrepHoops

Butler was the first high-major program to really start to prioritize John Poulakidas. The Dawgs first hosted him for an unofficial visit in February 2019 and he took an official to Indianapolis a few months later. He earned a scholarship offer on that second trip, the first that he received from a high-major program. Poulakidas’ recruitment has since exploded with several other highly-regarded programs reaching out to him.

Although unranked by most recruiting services (No. 144 by PrepHoops), Poulakidas is the type of wing that really pops on the court. He is a smooth-shooting lefty with deep range and the ability to light it up in a hurry. He is at his best as a 3-point sniper but is also quite crafty off the dribble. Poulakidas has a deep bag of tricks as a scoring threat off the dribble and he is an above-average passer for his position as well. He can definitely fill it up and has shown diligence in improving as a defender.

Poulakidas put together a strong overall junior season with Neuqua Valley High School (Naperville, IL) over the past few months. This included a 49-point performance that showcased his all-around scoring ability from anywhere on the court:

It certainly feels as though Poulakidas is one of the top targets for Butler in this class. He is an elite sniper from beyond the arc and that could be exactly what Coach Jordan is looking for. The Dawgs already have a bunch of unselfish pieces with versatile games and Poulakidas also fits that mold. He took another unofficial visit to Butler earlier this year, marking his fourth time on campus.

The Dawgs are in need of a “sniper” in the 2021 class and Poulakidas would fill that need perfectly. He mentioned to me in early February that Butler, Loyola-Chicago, TCU, and Wake Forest were prioritizing him most at the time. You can find my whole interview with him here.

It is reasonable to believe that Poulakidas would be an excellent fit in Butler’s system with his size and quick release. He would fill a valuable role in this class and would pair nicely with the 2020 additions.