Butler had five players enter the transfer portal with the conclusion of the season. Photo courtesy of Butler Athletics.
The conclusion of the season does not mean the madness stops for college basketball, it is really just beginning.
For Butler, there are a lot of changes already happening to the roster. Landon Moore, Boden Kapke, Augusto Cassio, Kolby King and Ryan Cate have all entered the portal so far. On top of this, with seniors Pierre Brooks, Patrick McCaffery, Jahmyl Telfort and Andre Screen all exiting, head coach Thad Matta has already been at work.
The first player coming out of the portal to Butler is Yame Butler from Drexler. Last season, the 6 foot 5 guard averaged just over 13 points. The Bulldogs are getting a physical guard who uses his strength to get down hill and attack the basket. He’s also a capable deep shooter, shooting over 36% from deep.
Next is junior guard Jalen Jackson. At Purdue Fort Wayne, Jackson averaged over 19 points and shot 48% from the field. Jackson immediately becomes one of the top candidates to lead Butler in scoring next season. Jackson has a quick first step and excels at finishing at the rim, shooting 57% at the rim.
The third and final player the Bulldogs have picked up is Gonzaga transfer Michael Ajayi. Nicknamed “Mr. Everything,” Ajayi will bring defense and energy to Butler. He’s a capable scorer but his rebounding is what stands out. He averaged 9.9 rebounds per game last season with the Bulldogs.Looking forward, Kapke’s departure leaves Butler with no big men on its roster and one open roster position. The search will be on to fill this roster spot for Matta and the Dawgs.
