Butler Basketball: Why Kolby King is the most important team transfer for 2024-25

Formerly one of the finest Cinderella stories in the land, Butler is in quite a different situation these days. Once a regular contender in the Big East, the Bulldogs have struggled for consistency in recent years, even under Thad Matta, who rejoined the program back in 2022. The former Ohio State coach started his head coaching career with his alma mater and is back to rebuild the success that was lost, but is this the year where it finally turns back in that direction?

The first thing to note about the Bulldogs is that this team will return two of their most talented players from last year’s 18-win campaign. Pierre Brooks and Jahmyl Telfort are both wings that can score and do incredible things on offense. Not only were they last season’s top two scorers, but they’re the only returners who averaged at least 6 points a game, as Butler shed Posh Alexander, DJ Davis, and Jalen Thomas in the offseason. There are several other returning faces deeper down the rotation, including 7-footer Andre Screen and freshman big man Boden Kapke.

A few new faces have entered the fray for Butler and three notable players landed in Indianapolis from the Transfer Portal. The first of those was certainly the most notable name, as Patrick McCaffery gained notoriety playing under his father at Iowa in recent years. Butler’s second offseason addition was Jamie Kaiser, a small forward from Maryland who had limited run as a freshman despite being a Top 100 prospect.

The third and most notable transfer is Kolby King, a 6’2 point guard from Florida who showed promise as an underclassman. King was a reserve guard for St. John’s as a freshman before leaving after a coaching change. His sophomore season was marked by increased opportunity and success, as he became a major factor at Tulane. Though it wasn’t the best year for the Green Wave as a team, King excelled while averaging 10.4 points and 3.6 rebounds while making 38% of his 3-pointers.

There are several reasons why he’s a great new piece for the Bulldogs, and his versatility is one of the biggest factors. He can score from basically anywhere on the court, has solid ball-handling skills, and also secured decent steals numbers last season. The Bulldogs can employ him at both backcourt positions, but will really appreciate the role he can play in replacing Alexander at the point.

His addition is especially notable with Butler’s returning stars both being wings, with loads of talent in the frontcourt. King fills the hole as a natural and athletic guard and should fare well even at his third school in three years. You’ll certainly see both Brooks and Telfort more prominently than him this season, but don’t be surprised if King is the third-leading scorer. If he can continue to grow and diversify his game, then he can be an elite tool in the Big East.

The opposite could transpire, and King could struggle to adjust to basketball at a higher level. Obviously, this could happen with any recruit, but there’s undeniable reason for excitement with him at the point. The major question here becomes if Butler has accrued enough talent to actually compete in this league, especially when they’ve been worlds behind programs like UConn, Creighton, and Marquette in recent years. Is King the player they need to get them back to the NCAA Tournament?