"Three-star guard Jase Butler commits to Illinois"
An excerpt: ""...Because of the winning history that the program and coach [Brad] Underwood has, it really stuck out to me," said Butler. "That's one of the more important things to me. Then, the opportunity to come in and have a chance to compete and play as a freshman. They also play in a high level conference and I want to be a part of that."
Butler recently completed an official visit to Illinois and his time on campus solidified his decision, knowing that was the place for him.
"The official visit was dope. The fans showed a lot of love just at the football game, the entire community is invested into the sports, especially basketball," said Butler. "Coach [Chester] Frazier, one of the assistants, is one of the coaches that I have been talking to for a while and we built a steady relationship. He always kept it honest and never sugar-coated anything and so that realness from the staff and coach [Brad] Underwood - I just felt very comfortable choosing them..."
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"Illinois Basketball lands commitment from 2024 guard Jase Butler"
An excerpt: "...I have Butler entering the Illinois program as a primary backup at the No. 3 guard spot. Luke Goode should be starting in this role when the 2024-25 campaign rolls around, but Butler will see minutes as the roster isn’t too deep yet.
Butler is a smart player with the basketball. He likes to drive and create contact, but he doesn’t go in without a plan. He is meticulous on the court. I also like that he can step back and knock down shots from deep. Butler has so many weapons in his arsenal..."
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"COMMIT: Illini land three-star combo guard Jase Butler"
Butler had a top six of Colorado State, Illinois, Loyola Marymount, New Mexico, San Francisco and UC Santa Barbara. He took official visits to Illinois, San Francisco and UC Santa Barbara before making his decision.
Scouting report: Butler has good size as a ball-handling combo guard at 6-foot-4 with a nice build. He’s a smooth operator with the ball in his hands, he’s crafty and he sees the floor really well. Butler has the ability to make good reads on the fly and he’s shown well in the pick ‘n roll. He can also shoot it on midrange pull-ups and from three, but he does need to work on being more consistent from beyond the arc. Synergy tracked him at 31 percent from deep during his time on the adidas circuit this spring and summer.
Butler doesn’t appear to be particularly quick or vertically explosive in comparison to most high-major guards. He does use his strength and skill to compensate. He plays at his pace, he absorbs contact very well and he can really set up that pull-up game. Butler has flown under the radar nationally, as he’s an unranked three-star prospect with only one high-major offer. He was very impressive at the Section 7 event in Phoenix back in June, which showed that he could be a big-time sleeper in this class.
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"Key insights Jase Butler's Impact on Illinois"
🏀 Jase Butler impressed during a high school event in Phoenix, showcasing his ability to make shots and standing out among the performers.
🏀 Jase Butler's ability to make shots and his versatility in defensive matchups make him a valuable addition to the Illini team.
🏀 The addition of Jase Butler to the team could potentially have an immediate impact and help Illinois win right away.
🏀 Jase Butler's commitment to Illinois has the potential to make a significant impact on the team's success, similar to the impact of previous players like Jay.
🎯 Jase Butler is seen as more of a scorer than a playmaker, which could be a valuable asset for Illinois or any other team he lands with.
🏀 "I think he's got a little Jaylen Brunson to him...he can kind of get into you with his body, pull back with that pull-up jumper, just has that craftiness that IQ that kind of maybe sometimes outweighs the athletic parts of it."
🏀 Jase Butler has loads of offensive talent, with the ability to shoot from anywhere and dynamic ball handling skills.
🏀 "I don't think you could pass up on the talent right like he's just a very very very talented player."
🏀 Illinois went all out to recruit Jase Butler, showing their determination to secure him as a player.
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Besides the Illini, San Francisco, Idaho, Montana, Montana State, New Mexico, San Jose State University, UC Santa Barbara, Colorado State, Seattle, Drake, Sacramento State, Loyola Marymount, Cal Baptist, Cal State Fullerton, UC Davis were also among those offering the 6-foot-4 Butler.
From our September 27 Potpourri post: "This one is difficult to call. Illinois is the most prominent hoops program. Santa Barbara has The Beach right next door but Joe Pasternack's roster no longer contains the usual 2-3 Nor Cal players, especially guards. SJSU just obtained two commits from high school guards. Can Alex Pribble pull off an upset? Will Travis DeCuire again work his Montana magic to team Butler up with recent commit Tyler Thompson? Drumrollllllllllll, it's LMU.
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