Butler Basketball: Impact of landing transfer forward Bo Hodges

Butler basketball recently added sit-out transfer Bo Hodges to its roster. How will the 6-foot-5 forward make a difference in Indianapolis?

Butler basketball entered this offseason with the knowledge of losing four seniors to graduation, including leading scorers Kamar Baldwin and Sean McDermott. Making up for their absences was going to be difficult enough, but the program has high hopes for its best-ever recruiting class (on paper) heading to Indianapolis this fall.

Additionally, though, the coaching staff did a great job in the transfer portal replacing the likes of Khalif Battle (transfer) and Jordan Tucker (turning pro) as other departures. South Carolina graduate transfer Jair Bolden was the first to commit to Butler for his final season and now East Tennessee State’s Bo Hodges will be joining him, as announced on Twitter.

While Bolden is already a lock to play right away next season, Hodges is currently listed as a sit-one, play-one transfer. Considering his former head coach left schools this offseason (ETSU->Wake Forest), there is a possibility that Hodges will receive a waiver to play in 2020-21.

Either way, this is a huge addition to Butler as Hodges feels like a perfect match. Hodges is a tough competitor on the court that can make his impact on both ends while also being held in high regard for his character as a teammate. Those traits are all emblematic of what Butler prides in its players and Hodges seems to be an instant culture-fit on paper.

Furthermore, there is no doubt about the fact that he is a proven high-level performer. Over the course of this past season, Hodges put up strong averages of 12.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.5 assists, and 1.4 steals per game as one of East Tennessee State’s top performers. That is certainly saying something considering the Buccaneers had been 30-4 (16-2 SoCon) prior to the cancelation of the NCAA Tournament.

Where does Hodges excel on the court?

Diving a bit deeper into his game, it is easy to see the appeal with Hodges. He brings a well-built 6-foot-5 frame to the table and is able to excel at many different positions while on the floor. He can essentially cover 2-through-4 with relative ease and his defensive versatility is constantly on display. With his quick feet and strong build, he is not only able to defend guards on the perimeter but also holds his own underneath as a small-ball power forward for long stretches.

Thanks to great instincts and long arms, he comes away with his fair share of steals and blocks as well. In addition to his one-on-one stopping ability, Hodges is a superb defensive rebounder for his position. He plays with an outstanding motor and seeks out loose balls very well. To put it simply, Hodges makes winning plays on the defensive end of the floor.

Offensively, Hodges is best known as an aggressive finisher at the rim. In fact, he shot 105-for-155 (67.7 percent) in “at-the-rim” situations during this past season and that is flat-out elite. Although he is not a shooting threat from distance (25.0 percent), he will occasionally knock down the open trifecta or mid-range jumper. In general, though, he is most deadly attacking off the bounce or finishing after cuts.

Hodges is an excellent athlete and that is evident on both ends of the floor. He is particularly adept at changing directions and speeds while driving as he creates lanes for himself to get inside. Most notably, he boasts a dangerous crossover that he likes to utilize around the elbow to generate space and momentum to the basket. Once there, he is unafraid of rising up for emphatic slams.

Butler has experienced plenty of success with transfer additions in the past and Hodges could be the next in that line. He seems to exhibit the skills and traits to succeed with the Dawgs and fills obvious needs for either of the next two seasons (depending on waiver). His two-way impact and winning history bode well for him being a strong contributor at the Big East level.

Where does he fit in the rotation?

If eligible for 2020-21…

…then Hodges will likely slide into the starting “3” spot from the opening tip of the campaign. While starting three “non-shooters” (Nze, Thompson, Hodges) could be a cause for concern, it is hard for me to imagine a situation in which Hodges would come off the bench. He is simply way too talented and brings so much to the court even though he is not a perimeter threat.

If he is eligible immediately, then there will be even higher hopes for Butler to be an elite defensive team. With AT, Hodges, Nze, and Golden, the Dawgs could be among the best in the nation on that end of the floor to make up for some spacing/scoring issues offensively. It is important to mention, though, that while not a shooter, Hodges would add a bit more scoring punch to the rotation as well.

This situation is possible considering his previous head coach left ETSU and Hodges could apply for a waiver to play right away.

If playing in 2021-22…

…then Hodges will add much-needed experience to a very young rotation. The Bulldogs will be graduating four seniors after this coming season, leaving just Golden/Mulloy/Hastings as the current upperclassmen for 2021-22. Adding Hodges to that bunch would really help the team’s experience and he could be a true leader on both ends of the floor for the youngsters.

Depending on the development/emergences of Scooby Johnson and Jakobe Coles, Hodges could start at either the “3” or the “4” spot in the rotation, in my opinion. His hard-nosed defense and aggressive attacking should set a great example for the rest of the roster and I think that he would be an ideal fit as a veteran for that campaign.

While many fans might be hoping that Hodges is able to play right away, which would definitely help Butler for this coming season, he might be an even better fit with a sit-out year.

https://twitter.com/ball_bo/status/1264995709356593153

On the whole, Bo Hodges is an excellent addition to Butler’s roster either as a sit-out or an immediately eligible player. For the time being, he will be sitting out this coming year, but that doesn’t mean this addition isn’t exciting. He feels like a good fit on paper and it will be interesting to see how he makes his mark with the Bulldogs.