NCAA Basketball: Ranking the state of Indiana teams for 2020-21 season

3. NCAA Basketball state of Indiana power rankings – Butler Bulldogs

Projected Depth Chart

PG- Aaron Thompson, SR / Myles Tate, FR

SG- Jair Bolden, SR / Chuck Harris, FR

SF- Scooby Johnson, FR / Christian David, SR

PF- Bryce Nze, SR / Markeese Hastings, SO

C- Bryce Golden, JR / Jakobe Coles, FR / John Michael Mulloy, SO

Butler’s success in 2019-20 was a complete shock to the college basketball world besides in Indianapolis. A team picked to finish toward the bottom of the Big East climbed to as high as the #5 ranking in the country and finished 23rd, still well above expectations. The new question is what does Head Coach Lavall Jordan have in store for his next act now that Kamar Baldwin and Sean McDermott, his top two players from a year ago have moved on?

Let’s start in the frontcourt where the Bulldogs return what might be the deepest rotation in the state at the Forward and Center position. The team’s third-leading scorer from a year ago in 6’7 Bryce Nze (9.2 pts, 6.6 reb, 1.4 ast) returns as well as 6’9 Bryce Golden (7.9 pts, 3.9 reb, 1.1 ast) who have developed a strong chemistry in the post in 2019-20 as each started every game. The addition of top 150 freshman Jakobe Coles out of Denton, TX will be huge for this roster as well, but even more impactful for Coles as he will have a year to learn behind two of the more experienced bigs in the Big East.

The point guards in this state are awesome and ranking them is an almost impossible task, but senior Aaron Thompson (7.2 pts, 2.9 reb, 4.7 ast) is truly the straw that stirs the drink for Butler. The team’s assist leader is also on the shortlist for preseason Defensive Player of the Year favorites in the Big East, making him the most important point guard in Indiana if nothing else.

Butler’s perimeter also got a major boost in the form of three top-150 freshmen who are ready to play tomorrow in Chuck Harris, Myles Tate, and Scooby Johnson. To top it off, Coach Jordan received a late spring grad transfer commitment from South Carolina sharpshooter Jair Bolden, who averaged 13 points per game at George Washington a couple of seasons ago prior to playing for Frank Martin.

The strategy to replace Baldwin and McDermott looks like it is going to be a “by committee” approach and there is a ton of uncertainty as to who is going to have the ball at the end of the game. Jordan may have to shuffle through his lineup multiple times early in the year to find out, but he has shown the ability to pivot well in his first three seasons at his alma mater. If one or two of the freshman can make an early jump and Nze and Golden can increase their numbers with more opportunities in the paint, the Bulldogs are going to have a chance to make a run at a tournament birth.