Forecasting Butler basketball lineups: How much will freshmen play? Which transfers step up?

Indianapolis Star

29-07-2025

INDIANAPOLIS — It's impossible and frankly foolish to glean too much from summer workouts, but one thing is evident about the 2025-26 Butler basketball team: There's a different vibe around the program.
The intrasquad workout I watched was intense. A scrimmage against former Butler players including Shelvin Mack, Tyler Wideman and Sean McDermott was competitive and lively.
Returning players Finley Bizjack, Evan Haywood, Jamie Kaiser Jr. and Ethan McComb have spoken about changing the culture within the program and the 10 newcomers seem to be embracing the change so far.
Talent was never the issue for a Butler program with just one winning season and no NCAA tournament appearances in three seasons during Thad Matta's second stint as coach. The Bulldogs entered last season with two All-Big East performers in Jahmyl Telfort and Pierre Brooks II. Add in stretch big Patrick McCaffery and an experienced supporting cast and the Bulldogs looked poised for at least a mid-tier finish in the Big East. Instead of fighting for a tournament berth, the Dawgs limped to a 20-loss season and the program hit the reset button for the second time in three years.
Butler's senior leaders were largely one-dimensional players players, and none were high-level athletes or strong defenders. All four players, adding Andre Screen, looked like surefire pros when they were scoring, but if they weren't scoring their contributions to the game were minimal.
The roster rebuild appears to have addressed that with high-level athletes who can impact the game on both ends of the floor. The newcomer play with an edge. Michael Ajayi isn't afraid to mix it up and get physical. Jones plays with a chip on his shoulder. Yame Butler has overcome great adversity to get to Butler and certainly isn't someone I'd bet against making an impact this season.
Of course, there has to be a balance. If every player on the team ran hot and played with his hair on fire, things could become combustible. I think come January and February when the grind of the season begins to weigh on the team, having high-energy players could prevent the prolonged skids the Dawgs have been prone to during Matta's tenure.
After a couple of peaks at how the 2025-26 Butler team is coming together, here are potential lineups.
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The only player I have not seen play live is Purdue Fort Wayne transfer Jalen Jackson who is nursing an injury. He's not expected to miss time during the season. He has the inside track on a starting spot in the backcourt.
I say backcourt and not point guard, because I think Bizjack and Jackson will share ball-handler duties. One of the main things Jackson is hoping to bring (aside from scoring and assists) is leadership.
"I can pass, I can score, I can guard. But the main thing is, (point guard's) a leadership role," Jackson told IndyStar. "My personality fits a leadership role. I'm super outgoing. I'm an everyday guy. I can lead the team by voice and example."
Jackson is listed at 6 foot 2, but he has a strong lower body. He played in the post as an underclassman in high school and should have the strength to switch onto positions 1 through 3 defensively. Bizjack is not the strongest defender, but Kaiser's length at 6-6 gives Butler more switchability.
Kaiser had a reputation as a knock down shooter entering college, but he shot just 26.5% from 3 as a freshman at Maryland. If he gets his percentage up to 36% or higher, Butler will have a deadly three-guard lineup with Kaiser and Bizjack firing away from deep, and Jackson getting downhill and creating for others.
Both Ajayi and Drayton Jones are high-energy players with non-stop motors. Ajayi has a chance to be an X-Factor defensively, with the athleticism, strength and speed to erase mistakes as a weakside defender. Jones is still a bit raw, and the jump from South Carolina State to the Big East will take time, but the tools for a two-way post player who can step out and hit a mid-range jumper are there.
Jones may never be an elite rebounder, but Ajayi is, so Jones can focus on running the floor, which he does very well for his size.
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Ajayi and Jones represent the biggest shift in personnel from last year. Jones is more of a modern big than Screen with much more mobility, but without the scoring polish inside. Not having to play through a big in the post isn't a big problem, but if Jones can establish an inside game it will open up perimeter opportunities for his teammates. Ajayi shot just 18% from 3 last season at Gonzaga. He shot 47% on 2.5 attempts per game at Pepperdine during the 2023-24 season. He doesn't need to shoot 47% from 3 to be effective, but he has to show that last season's slump was a mirage.
Both players should provide marked improvements defensively, and that was Butler's biggest need. Offensively, both players have size and strength but will still allow the Dawgs to get out and run in transition.
I don't expect the Bulldogs to play many minutes with all five starters on the bench, but if they do, this second unit should be able to hold up for spurts.
Butler is an experienced, strong guard with versatility. He can get downhill and create, but he has to prove he can consistently connect from 3 to keep defenses honest. He shot 36.5% from 3 last season, but 27.1% the season before.
Haywood operated as a designated shooter at times last season. I've seen him play with more aggression during the summer, attacking the basket and trying to finish through contact, but his strength will always be outside shooting. Having a player who can come off the bench and make 3-pointers is a great asset to have.
I'd expect freshman Jackson Keith and Butler to be the first men off the bench. Keith has the potential to be an All-Big East performer later in his career. There may be games where he plays a significant role, but I expect him to serve as a part-time player in his first season with the Dawgs.
Former five-star recruit Yohan Traore is another player who can play starter minutes. As a senior, he may even get the starting center nod over Jones to begin the season, but I think he settles in as Jones' backup as the season progresses. At 6-11, Traore gives Butler a second true center, something it desperately needed last season. The former SMU Mustang can anchor the post defensively for the second unit. He can score on rolls to the basket and offensive rebounds, but he doesn't necessarily need touches in the paint to contribute offensively.
Jack McCaffery is somewhat of a wildcard. He has the skill to play in the Big East and on the second unit, he should be able to share ballhandling duties with Butler. The question he needs to answer is how he'll fit defensively. I think the Bulldogs have enough strong defenders to negate any deficiencies McCaffery has on the perimeter. Will he have the strength to hold up inside if he has to switch onto a big? Or is that an area teams can attack him when he's in the game? I have no question he can score at a high level right now. Developing into a two-way player will be key for the youngest McCaffery brother.
These players will still play, but more consistent playing time will likely come next season for Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor and Azavier "Stink" Robinson. I think Robinson is Butler's point guard of the future. He can use this season to master Butler's offense and hit the ground running as a sophomore.
Oliogu-Elabor may be the most athletic player on the team. He's a highlight waiting to happen in transition, and his length at 6-6 and high motor should make him a strong defender. The biggest question about him is his outside shot. He struggled with his shot during the FIBA U19 tournament, and during Butler's scrimmage with All Good Dawgs, defenders left him open, forcing him to make them pay from deep.
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Until Oliogu-Elabor develops a consistent jump shot, his role may be in flux. I could see him developing into a high-energy undersized 4. But taking the time to iron out his outside shot would be beneficial for the Ontario native.