Men's Basketball Recruiting Profiles: Butler

Coming into the 2009-2010 season everybody is talking about who Butler has coming back. Let's talk about who is joining the defending regular-season champs.

It can't be easy to join a team that is returning every player on the roster. It doesn't make it any easier when you're a one man recruiting class. Add in the fact that the team took a trip to Italy without him, and nobody is envying Andrew Smith.

Smith is a 6'10" F/C from Covenant Christian High School, about 10 miles southwest of Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. His high school coach, Scott Flatt, described Andrew as quiet, determined, and hungry. He should fit in well with the Bulldogs.

There aren't many better post players in the country than Matt Howard so learning from such an efficient inside player should help Smith tremendously. Smith's offensive game is going to be much more like Howard's than fellow big man Avery Jukes. Smith's going to score most of his points with hustle, offensive rebounds, and with his back to the basket. The Butler coaching staff is working to extend his range and if that happens...LOOK OUT.

People have questioned the competition level that Smith played against in high school but there is no denying he was one of the most productive big men in the midwest. Routinely posting 20-20 games is impressive regardless of who you're playing against. The only thing that stopped Smith in high school was a minor stress fracture in his foot that kept him out a few games his senior season.

Defensively, Smith is a work in progress. Big men that come out of smaller high schools tend to take a bit longer to learn how to use their size. He may be prone to some foul trouble early, but Butler's depth and experience will allow Smith to come in and play aggressively. Butler plays almost strictly man-to-man defense and some big men have struggled grasping some of their defensive concepts in recent years. If Smith is a quick learner on the defensive end he could log some significant minutes for Butler this season.

Smith does two things well that should translate to the college game pretty quickly. He can run the floor which, at his size, will get him some easy opportunities at the basket for himself and his teammates. Smith is also an excellent passer for a big man which could be scary if Howard and Smith are on the court at the same time over the next two seasons.

With the emergence of walk-on Emerson Kampen in Italy and everybody else in the frontcourt coming back it begs the question, "Will coach Stevens red-shirt Smith?" I certainly wouldn't rule it out. Coach Flatt used words like "potential," "development," and "ceiling" when talking about Smith's future. Recent reports from Butler's practices lead me to believe Smith will play this year and possibly be the top big man off the bench.

Whenever Andrew Smith steps on the court for the Bulldogs he's going to provide rebounding and size for a team that, at times, has been thin in that area over the past few seasons. Quiet. Smart. Tough. Sounds like a match made in heaven.

Here is my full interview with coach Flatt:



This is recruiting profile 1 of 10 that will be released over the next two weeks. Tomorrow: Cleveland State