what do we know about Jimmy Butler?

[TVDirector]

starting to hear (from other boards, etc.) that's he coming to MU.
anyone have a profile?
 

[🏀]

Little more details on 'Butler'?

[bma725]

Not much info out there on him because he's a JUCO, but he's a good player.  6'5, somewhat skinny.  Truly a combo guard, he's probably more natural as a 2, but has good court vision and can play the 1 as well.  Good shot from the perimeter, can score in bunches.  Was Tyler's leading scorer this year and just had some absurd games.  NJCAA All American Honorable Mention.

No academic issues, full qualifier out of high school, wanted to go to Mississippi State but they ran out of scholarships and he chose to go the JUCO route rather than signing with a low D1 school or going to a Prep School.  Currently has offers from Kentucky, Clemson, Mississippi State and Iowa State.  He's already made visits to Mississippi State and Iowa State.  Not sure about Clemson and Kentucky.  Would have 3 years of college ball left.

http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20080209/SPORTS06/385823584

[Coobeys Oil Depot]

If he wanted to go to Mississippi State, anyone know if he's related to Jackie Butler? Jackie was committed to the Bulldogs a few years ago and jumped to the NBA before the league put the age allowance rule in place. I wonder if they're from the same family or just a coincidence that they both have the JB initials and wanted to play for Stansbury.

As for others, isn't Vanderbeeken the guy we really want. 6'8'' big who can roam outside? Nice to pick up players but we have a lot of 2 guards and wings.

If Hazel and Mbakwe stay and Taylor accepts, then we are finished with recruiting. Do people feel good about a class that includes 6'3'', 6'5'', 6'7'', and 6'10''? We'd really need Mbakwe to step in and develop a post game.

[Phi Iota Gamma 84]

If there is a chance to get Martin from Purdue I put my effort there.  He was a top 10 out of HS wing last year.

[bma725]

If there is a chance to get Martin from Purdue I put my effort there.  He was a top 10 out of HS wing last year.

Almost no chance at Martin.  He wants to go to a school where he would be the star and the focal point of the offense.  That's not going to happen at MU.

[bma725]

As for others, isn't Vanderbeeken the guy we really want. 6'8'' big who can roam outside? Nice to pick up players but we have a lot of 2 guards and wings.

If Hazel and Mbakwe stay and Taylor accepts, then we are finished with recruiting. Do people feel good about a class that includes 6'3'', 6'5'', 6'7'', and 6'10''? We'd really need Mbakwe to step in and develop a post game.

Vanderbeeken would be a nice get, but I don't know that his skill set really would fit with the other players on the team.  He's not really a true 5, he's a 4 that just happens to be 6'11.  He's not particularly quick or strong defensively, he's not athletic.  He's not a back to the basket guy, he's a mid range jumper and occasional 3 pointer guy....actually he's a lot like Mike Kinsella, without the injury history.  Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I don't know how that fits in with a team that wants to run.

[TVDirector]

did cracked sidewalks pull their announcement?
not on the board anymore

[Pakuni]

Jimmy likes "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air," Tracy McGrady and Jesus Shuttlesworth.

http://www.apacheathletics.com/roster/3/4/976.php

[groove]

Jimmy likes "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air," Tracy McGrady and Jesus Shuttlesworth.

http://www.apacheathletics.com/roster/3/4/976.php

George: "what was his name again?"

Jerry: "Jimmy"

George: "Jimmy, right."

Jerry: "I dunno how you could forget . He kept reffering to himself in the third person.

"Jimmy's under the boards. Jimmy's in the open. Jimmy makes the shot."

[lurch91]

Jimmy likes "The Fresh Prince of Bel Air," Tracy McGrady and Jesus Shuttlesworth.

http://www.apacheathletics.com/roster/3/4/976.php

George: "what was his name again?"

Jerry: "Jimmy"

George: "Jimmy, right."

Jerry: "I dunno how you could forget . He kept reffering to himself in the third person.

"Jimmy's under the boards. Jimmy's in the open. Jimmy makes the shot."

Jimmy's down!

[TVDirector]

great...
another Chuckie.


Chuckie doesn't do that.....

[rocky_warrior]

If Hazel and Mbakwe stay and Taylor accepts, then we are finished with recruiting. Do people feel good about a class that includes 6'3'', 6'5'', 6'7'', and 6'10''? We'd really need Mbakwe to step in and develop a post game.

Uh...with Christopherson leaving we have 1 more scholarship to give.

I'll try to keep the scholarship table updated - but with things changing so fast, don't be surprised if it falls behind...
http://www.muscoop.com/index.php?page=8

[oldwarrior81]

SR:  James, McNeal, Matthews, Burke
JR:  Hayward, Cubillan, Acker
SO:  Fulce, Mbakwe, Hazel, Butler*
FR:  O'Tule, Taylor*

That's the limit of 13 if both Butler and Taylor decide on MU.

[MUViking]

As for others, isn't Vanderbeeken the guy we really want. 6'8'' big who can roam outside? Nice to pick up players but we have a lot of 2 guards and wings.

If Hazel and Mbakwe stay and Taylor accepts, then we are finished with recruiting. Do people feel good about a class that includes 6'3'', 6'5'', 6'7'', and 6'10''? We'd really need Mbakwe to step in and develop a post game.

Vanderbeeken would be a nice get, but I don't know that his skill set really would fit with the other players on the team.  He's not really a true 5, he's a 4 that just happens to be 6'11.  He's not particularly quick or strong defensively, he's not athletic.  He's not a back to the basket guy, he's a mid range jumper and occasional 3 pointer guy....actually he's a lot like Mike Kinsella, without the injury history.  Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I don't know how that fits in with a team that wants to run.

Have you seen Vanderbeken play?  I have.  He is VERY athletic for a 6'11" post.  He's also more skilled than Kinsella.  Not a bruiser by any stretch, but your comments make me believe you haven't seen him play.  Vanderbeken's visiting UCONN right now, if that tells you anything.

[bma725]

As for others, isn't Vanderbeeken the guy we really want. 6'8'' big who can roam outside? Nice to pick up players but we have a lot of 2 guards and wings.

If Hazel and Mbakwe stay and Taylor accepts, then we are finished with recruiting. Do people feel good about a class that includes 6'3'', 6'5'', 6'7'', and 6'10''? We'd really need Mbakwe to step in and develop a post game.

Vanderbeeken would be a nice get, but I don't know that his skill set really would fit with the other players on the team.  He's not really a true 5, he's a 4 that just happens to be 6'11.  He's not particularly quick or strong defensively, he's not athletic.  He's not a back to the basket guy, he's a mid range jumper and occasional 3 pointer guy....actually he's a lot like Mike Kinsella, without the injury history.  Which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but I don't know how that fits in with a team that wants to run.

Have you seen Vanderbeken play?  I have.  He is VERY athletic for a 6'11" post.  He's also more skilled than Kinsella.  Not a bruiser by any stretch, but your comments make me believe you haven't seen him play.  Vanderbeken's visiting UCONN right now, if that tells you anything.

I've seen clips, not whole games.  From what I saw, he didn't look fast or particularly athletic at all.  He wasn't a slow footed stumblebum, but I don't think he'd be getting up and down the court like say Barro used to.

And I'm not saying skill level is comparable to Kinsella just style of game.  Both are guys with post player bodies that are more comfortable facing the basket.  They aren't necessarily the kind of guys you dump it to in the post, they would be more likely to shoot a 12 footer.

[ChicosBailBonds]

did cracked sidewalks pull their announcement?
not on the board anymore

It is not official yet on Butler.

[NYWarrior]

did cracked sidewalks pull their announcement?
not on the board anymore

It is not official yet on Butler.

yup, bad call.......pulled it back quickly. 

[1990Warrior]

What is not official?  Could someone summarize what is going on?

[Sir Lawrence]

If it does happen, perhaps we should now call Tyler JuCo the MU Developmental League.

[ChicosBailBonds]

What is not official?  Could someone summarize what is going on?

He hasn't committed anywhere yet.  He is visiting another school this weekend, a school I believe he originally verballed to.  So no commitment yet.

[MUFanInGreenBay]

Blame this all on Tom Crean. It's his fault.

[1990Warrior]

What is not official?  Could someone summarize what is going on?

He hasn't committed anywhere yet.  He is visiting another school this weekend, a school I believe he originally verballed to.  So no commitment yet.

When did we become interested in him or vice versa?  Seems like this came out of the blue to me.

[ChicosBailBonds]

What is not official?  Could someone summarize what is going on?

He hasn't committed anywhere yet.  He is visiting another school this weekend, a school I believe he originally verballed to.  So no commitment yet.

When did we become interested in him or vice versa?  Seems like this came out of the blue to me.

Butler plays for Tyler JUCO team.  Buzz used to coach there.  Buzz's good friend, Scott Monarch is the assistant coach there and has been mentioned as a possible assistant on the Marquette staff.  Fulce also plays for Tyler and is already committed to playing at Marquette.  So that's basically the 6 degrees of Butler, Tyler, Williams, Monarch

[OneMadWarrior]

Chico, you are a gentleman and a scholar.

[rocky_warrior]

Apparently I've missed everything with this guy (wasn't around the board for like a whopping 8 hours  ).

Anyhow, I guess we're talking about Jimmy Butler.  Plays at Tyler Junior College alongside Joseph Fulce. 

In the recap of the Apaches winning the conference title:

Jimmy Butler, a candidate for conference player of the year along with teammates Vanderbeken and Joseph Fulce, had another strong performance with 22 points, five rebounds and four assists. Sophomore point guard Randall Hampton dished out seven assists.

Here's a good article about him
http://www.tylerpaper.com/article/20080209/SPORTS06/385823584&SearchID=73314349409367

Butler Serving Apaches Well

San Jacinto on Jan. 26.
By JOE BUIE
Staff Writer

Jimmy Butler took the road less traveled to play junior college basketball.

The 6-6 freshman wing — with enough ball-handling skills to be a point guard — came to Tyler Junior College to play for Mike Marquis despite being an academic qualifier.

Butler’s skill and production suggest he can play major college basketball. And to that end, Region XIV’s fourth-leading scorer will leave the Apaches after this season.

In the meantime, he’s enjoying being part of a winning team for the first time in his life.

The No. 15 Apaches (19-1), off to their best start since the 1980-81 season, lead the conference at 13-1 with eight regular season games to play.

They will take an eight-game winning streak into Saturday’s road test at Navarro (12-10, 9-5), where the Apaches have won only twice this decade.

The tip-off is 4 p.m. at the Wolens Center on the Navarro campus.

“I’ve never won like this before in my life,” said Butler, a graduate of Tomball High School north of Houston. “I just love the feeling of winning. I’ve never had this feeling before.”

Butler never experienced playoff basketball in two seasons on the varsity at Tomball. A senior-laden team his junior year started 8-0 before Butler said egos led to their downfall.

Butler’s senior year was a success individually — he upped his scoring average from 9.9 points per game to 20-plus — but he was pretty much all Tomball had.

One might look at Butler’s immediate impact at TJC — averaging 17.6 points, 7.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists — and figure he was ticketed for stardom early on.

Far from it.

“As a freshman I was only 5-5 and everybody just looked over me. I was a nobody at Tomball,” he said. “Coach always put me at point guard. My coach in high school always had faith in me and set high goals for me.”

Butler, who had shot up to 6-3 by his junior year, comes from good stock. His grandfather is 6-6, his dad 6-4 and his mom 5-8. Both of his parents played high school basketball.

Due to the late growth spurt, the player who leads the Apaches in scoring had to first learn to pass before emerging as a 6-6 scorer his senior year.

But that emergence came too late for him to be fully recruited. That, and the fact he didn’t play any AAU tournaments until after his senior year (“I didn’t have the money to afford it or the transportation to get there,” Butler said.

Mississippi State wanted him, and still does, but Butler said the Bulldogs were out of scholarships.

Butler was then advised to play for a junior college — specifically TJC — rather than go to a prep school for a year.

“They like the way I’ve been playing so far,” Butler said of Mississippi State. “It’s looking pretty good.”

Butler, who was also recruited by TCU, Sam Houston State and Quinnipiac University in Connecticut, has a great respect for the Region XIV Conference and the talent in it.

The Apaches have lost only one game all season, but they’ve had to pull out a few at the end.

In the first meeting with Navarro back on Dec. 5, TJC fell behind 15-2 as the Bulldogs started 5-for-5 from the 3-point line. The Apaches never led until overtime in their 77-75 victory.

That may have been Butler’s worst performance of the season. He scored five points on 1-of-8 shooting, and he had just five rebounds.

“I wasn’t being aggressive at all,” he said. “I wasn’t looking to score, I wasn’t looking to pass … We’ve become better as a team and I know where everybody is going to be.”

Butler scored only eight points in Wednesday’s 89-67 win over Lee College, but he did other things like collect 11 rebounds and dish out eight assists.

“I’d say my role would be a scorer, just because of my mid-range game and the way that I play,” said Butler, who can score inside and out. “But at times I can be a passer, rebounder, and when the team needs me at the point guard just because I’m 6-6 and I can handle the ball pretty well.”

Smoke Signals: Navarro, maybe looking ahead to the Tyler game, had won seven straight before falling flat in Wednesday’s 51-36 loss at home to Jacksonville. The Bulldogs shot 1-for-27 from 3-point range.

[Markusquette]

Jimmy Butler would be a great pickup.  We lack a taller wing player and from I know he is pretty athletic.  Hopefully Buzz can convince him to come with Fulce, maybe even Vanderbeken?  Another big down low would really help us next year, especially for James.

[Thomas' Danish Delight]

Butler and Vanderbeken don't sound bad at all...let's get 'em!