Busting Brackets
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Butler Basketball Recruiting: Class of 2021 Big Board

By Lukas Harkins

INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 15: General view of the interior of Hinkle Fieldhouse seen during the Butler Bulldogs and Seton Hall Pirates game on January 15, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - JANUARY 15: General view of the interior of Hinkle Fieldhouse seen during the Butler Bulldogs and Seton Hall Pirates game on January 15, 2020 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Michael Hickey/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JANUARY 15: Butler mascot Hink is seen. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN – JANUARY 15: Butler mascot Hink is seen. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images) /

Longshot Offers

Trevor Keels – Fairfax, VA – No. 18 overall

Butler offered a scholarship to Trevor Keels back in June 2019. He was already regarded as one of the top players in the 2021 class at the time and he has only raised his stock since then. Now slotted at No. 18 in the 247Sports Composite rankings, Keels has emerged as a five-star talent with several powerhouse programs involved in his recruitment. Even though Keels attends Paul IV (the same school as Aaron Thompson), Butler has not been linked to him in a long time.

Virginia currently holds the lone crystal ball prediction for his commitment, but the likes of Duke, Michigan, Villanova, and Ohio State have all issued scholarship offers as well. Keels will be a star at the collegiate level but Butler does not appear to be his final destination. This is the only current offer that appears to be a longshot at this moment.

Potential watchlist of unoffered prospects

Trey James is a 6-foot-10 big man ranked at No. 160 in the class by 247Sports Composite. He was previously committed to Wake Forest but reopened his recruitment after the firing of head coach Danny Manning. He is an athletic big with the ability to play above the rim, run the floor, and protect the paint. Butler has reportedly reached out to him since reopening his recruitment but there will be a long line of suitors.

One of the more underrated snipers in the class, RJ Keene has seen his recruitment blossom in recent weeks. The 6-foot-7 wing is fresh off a strong season in which he averaged 19.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.1 steals per game for Concordia Lutheran High School in Texas. He was particularly deadly from 3-point range, where he shot 38.4 percent on impressively high volume (352 total attempts). I am uncertain of Butler’s interest level, but Keene was poised for a strong summer with Houston Hoops.

James Graham III is a rising prospect out of Wisconsin that is starting to see an explosion in his recruitment. The 6-foot-8 forward recently received an offer from Maryland to go along with those from DePaul and Rutgers. He is a strong perimeter shooting option with good size and above-average rebounding ability for his position. His stock should only continue to rise. Butler has reportedly expressed interest as of late.

Butler has recently expressed interest in Illinois wing Ben Schwieger. He is a 6-foot-5 shooting guard that is only starting to garner more recruiting attention. He recently received offers from Loyola-Chicago and Milwaukee but is gathering high-major interest. Wisconsin is among the top programs that have started to develop a relationship with him.

Butler reportedly hosted Cameron Palesse for a visit during this past season and has maintained interest. The 6-foot-3 guard from Wisconsin has received his fair share of mid-major interest to this point, with UC-Davis and Valparaiso among the most prevalent.

Prior targets now committed elsewhere: