KMac rings the bell.
3 star late bloomer. Can really score, and shoot the 3.
More of a combo guard.
Rated number 9 in TN, which is a rich area for high school players.
NICE player!
Last edited by rodfromcranston11 years ago, edited 1 time in total.
"If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special" - Jim Valvano
Dave Telep @DaveTelep 16m
Rhode Island did well for itself. Thought Matthew Butler was a baller; a guy that could get buckets. Nabbed him out of Memphis.
John Martin @JohnMartinCA
Just talked to Memphis East 2013 G Matt Butler. Down to Rhode Island and Northwest Florida (juco). Visited URI last weekend.
This tweet was May 8th so I guess he visited two weeks ago.
A little odd, in that he's rated 3 star 74, and 9th in TN.
Wonder if there was an SAT/ACT score problem, and he straightened it out,
like Biggie Minnis did?
It'll be interesting to learn more about his recruiting. I haven't been able to find much on him recently and he didn't seem to have much D-1 interest. Wonder if he's alright academically? I can't imagine Dan taking a risky recruit at this point ....
"Butler, a 6-3 guard from Memphis East High, visited Rhode Island earlier this month and signed a letter-of-intent in the last few days, according to his coach, Vernard Watkins. Butler helped East High to the Tennessee state title in 2012 but a ankle injury limited his production this past season.
Watkins said schools like Georgetown, Memphis, Tulsa and Mississippi had recruited Butler when he was an underclassmen but he was looking at attending a prep school in 2013-14 before URI jumped in."
"Butler, a 6-3 guard from Memphis East High, visited Rhode Island earlier this month and signed a letter-of-intent in the last few days, according to his coach, Vernard Watkins. Butler helped East High to the Tennessee state title in 2012 but a ankle injury limited his production this past season.
Watkins said schools like Georgetown, Memphis, Tulsa and Mississippi had recruited Butler when he was an underclassmen but he was looking at attending a prep school in 2013-14 before URI jumped in."
Looks like an under-the-radar guy as URI looks like the only Div. 1 offer. But I trust Dan and Preston to spot a kid with potential and then work with him. Doesn't have to play as a freshman really. And I think Hurley goes after a 2G for '14, too.
"Every season, college basketball has one or two teams that rise from dormancy to relevancy, squads that make long-awaited charges at the NCAA Tournament and become really fun storylines along the way."
Coach claims Georgetown, Ole Miss, Tulsa and Memphis were recruiting him.
Was injured, but why would everyone just back off him like that?
I'm sure there's a story there, but I trust Dan and Preston.
Gives us a solid guard rotation for next year. He could be a designated bomber
in certain circumstances.
Bill Koch @BillKoch25 9m
#URI source also confirming receipt of Matthew Butler's LOI. #Rams have one scholarship remaining for 2013-14. #GoRhody
Bill Koch Bill Koch @BillKoch25 10m
Watkins on Butler -- 'On the court, if I’m down one, that’s where I want the ball – in Matt’s hands. He'll deliver.' #URI #Rams #GoRhody
Bill Koch Bill Koch @BillKoch25 12m
Watkins on Butler -- 'I think they got a steal – not just a great basketball player but a great guy. Matt’s character is unbelievable.' #URI
Bill Koch Bill Koch @BillKoch25 13m
Per Watkins, Butler had offers from ETSU, UMass, Tulsa, Alabama, interest from Georgetown, Ole Miss, and Memphis. #URI #Rams #GoRhody
Last edited by BFC11 years ago, edited 1 time in total.
Bill Koch @BillKoch25 4m
Watkins on Butler -- 'On the court, if I’m down one, that’s where I want the ball – in Matt’s hands. He'll deliver.'
Bill Koch @BillKoch25 6m
Watkins on Butler -- 'I think they got a steal – not just a great basketball player but a great guy. Matt’s character is unbelievable.'
Bill Koch @BillKoch25 7m
Per Watkins, Butler had offers from ETSU, UMass, Tulsa, Alabama, interest from Georgetown, Ole Miss, and Memphis.
Strengths:
Skilled guard can play either positions out front but has a knack for scoring and seems more comfortable at the two now. Guards tend to be ahead of their larger brethren at this stage of high school and Butler is no exception. He can score in bunches and has a knack for penetrating and finishing with a tough angle or soft kiss off the glass. He rebounds well for a guard and can lead his own break for the score.
Weaknesses:
He is no more than a two dribble guy so his ball-handling will need to improve if he gets the opportunity to play some at the lead guard spot. He is also too good of an athlete to be an adequate defensive player, more effort on the defensive end would benefit him greatly.
Bottom Line:
Strong combo guard with good size and the ability to shoot the rock. Butler seems more comfortable playing at the two but has the ball skills to run the point in relief if called upon. He can shoot from deep and has enough size and strength to get to the rim despite contact and finish in a crowd.
Rod and others had been saying all along that they were looking for a shooter. This kid seems to be it. Love how they stayed patient to get the right fit.
This staff is amazing, in their planning and the way they go about
recruiting.
Preston is a recruiting demon, and Dan closes the deal.
Murray will make us even deeper into the recruiting game.
I'm loving this!
It's nice to see that we're recruiting nationally, too. Michigan, Tennessee, Chicago besides NY/NJ/Philly .... now with Luke Murray on board, we'll have inroads to good New England kids.
"He averaged 14.6 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game as a senior for Memphis East H.S., despite suffering from an season-long ankle injury. As a junior, Butler was a key contributor on the Mustangs 2012 Tennessee state championship squad, hitting 8-of-11 shots from the floor - including 4-of-7 from beyond the arc in the title game against Memphis Central. "
Billyboy78 wrote:Anybody find any stats on this kid? I'd like to see his shooting percentages, especially from 3 and the free throw line.
You basically have to take all high school stats with a heavy dosage of salt, given how great the gulfs in competition are. You also have to figure in the statkeepers, which are oftentimes other high school kids. Raw stats like points per game and free throw percentage are normally fine, but anything with a judgement call (rebounds, steals, assists, blocks) are normally inflated at the high school level, and again, it's tough to compare competition level. Even juco stats are somewhat more standardized.
It's really great to see how our coaches go out and recruit. It reminds me of how "we found" Big O. They are doing their homework and it appears like it's going to pay off. Matthew - bombs away! Welcome to Kingston!
"well my shot is kinda natural," I like that from the interview. He values education, sounds good. I take more of a wait and see approach with these guys that are unheralded.
Hopefully hes a key cog in a final four run some day.
Once more, McNamara fails to mention Oneykaba as a fall signee.
I really like what I'm reading and hearing about this kid.
We have become an East of the Mississippi recruiting school.
They've recruited from Florida to New England, and places like
Chicago, Detroit and Memphis.
Very impressive.
I'm going to take a wait-and-see approach on this kid. He gives Hurley a shooter for next year, which was a need, but I don't know that he'd get on the floor before T.J. at the 2G. And I think Hurley tries to get a stud 2G for '14 when X graduates.
Kids who sign this late, and who don't seem to have a lot of options, set off flags to me. I trust Hurley and Preston but I'm not ready to say the kid is going to be a star.
"Every season, college basketball has one or two teams that rise from dormancy to relevancy, squads that make long-awaited charges at the NCAA Tournament and become really fun storylines along the way."
Also, Butler will need to improve his defense to get lots of playing time. TJ has defense as a core strength and was adding better offense as last season came to a close.
Still, will be nice to bring him to the floor to stretch a defense for periods of time. Hope he likes the Ryan Center's rims!!
Situational players are the boon of having a deep roster.
TJ for defense, and this kid for zone busting offense.
Nothing wrong with that.
We now have Powell, Munford, Minnis, TJ, Matthews, and Butler.
That's SIX guards for two positions.
To me, it looks like big men will be a priority next year, and another SG, since Munford is graduating.
Yes. Very deep roster. And playing time will be based on practice performance, game performance and match-ups.
"Every season, college basketball has one or two teams that rise from dormancy to relevancy, squads that make long-awaited charges at the NCAA Tournament and become really fun storylines along the way."
Was he planning to go the JUCO route to increase his looks, or was he waiting on a late arriving test score? I know some guys who wait up until April or May for a test score. It seems strange that he was waiting for looks if he already had offers from other A-10 teams. Either way, seems like a solid addition.