# 2020–21 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team

The 2020–21 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team represented Butler University in the 2020–21 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were coached by LaVall Jordan, in his fourth year as head coach of his alma mater. The Bulldogs played their home games at Hinkle Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana as members of the Big East Conference. They finished the season 10–15, 8–12 to finish in 10th place in Big East play. In the Big East tournament, they defeated Xavier in the first round before losing to Creighton in the quarterfinals.

## Previous season

The Bulldogs finished the 2019–20 season 23–9, 10–8 to finish in fifth place in Big East play. In the Big East tournament, they were scheduled to play Providence in the quarterfinals, but the tournament was canceled due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, All remaining postseason tournaments were thereafter canceled, including the NCAA tournament, effectively ending the Bulldogs season.

## Offseason
### Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Notes |
| Derrik Smits | 21 | C | 7'1" | 235 | Graduate | Zionsville, IN | Completed college eligibility |
| Sean McDermott | 22 | G | 6'6" | 195 | RS Senior | Pendleton, IN | Graduated |
| Henry Baddley | 20 | G/F | 6'4" | 185 | Senior | Wadsworth, OH | Graduated |
| Kamar Baldwin | 3 | G | 6'1" | 190 | Senior | Winder, GA | Graduated |
| Jordan Tucker | 1 | F | 6'7" | 220 | Junior | White Plains, NY | Declared for NBA draft |
| Khalif Battle | 4 | G | 6'5" | 175 | Freshman | Edison, NJ | Transferred to Temple |
* ↑ Smits was a graduate transfer in the 2019–20 season, having graduated from Valparaiso in 2019.

### Incoming transfers

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Notes |
| Jair Bolden | 52 | G | 6'3" | 210 | Graduate | Brooklyn, NY | Transferred from South Carolina. Immediately eligible to play as he graduated from South Carolina. Due to an NCAA ruling that all individuals who participate in winter sports in 2020–21 will receive an extra year of eligibility, he will have two years of remaining eligibility instead of one. |
| Bo Hodges | – | G | 6'5" | 210 | RS Junior | Nashville, TN | Transferred from East Tennessee State. Under NCAA transfer rules, Hodges will redshirt for the 2020–21 season and have one year of remaining eligibility. |

### Recruiting classes
#### 2020 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Chuck Harris PG | Washington, D.C. | Gonzaga High School | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | May 15, 2019 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Myles Wilmoth PF | Spring Valley, NY | St. Andrew's School | 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) | 205 lb (93 kg) | Jul 3, 2019 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Myles Tate PG | Roebuck, SC | Dorman High School | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Aug 5, 2019 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Carlos Johnson SF | Benton Harbor, MI | Benton Harbor High School | 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) | 210 lb (95 kg) | Oct 2, 2019 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Jakobe Coles PF | Denton, TX | Guyer High School | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 225 lb (102 kg) | Oct 6, 2019 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "2020 Butler Commits". Rivals.com. "ESPN- Butler Bulldogs Men's Basketball Recruiting". ESPN.com. "2020 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. ||||||

#### 2021 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for 2021 recruits :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Jayden Taylor SG | Indianapolis, IN | Perry Meridian High School | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 170 lb (77 kg) | Sep 19, 2019 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Pierce Thomas SF | Brownsburg, IN | Brownsburg High School | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Feb 27, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| D.J. Hughes PF | Indianapolis, IN | Lawrence North High School | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | Jun 26, 2020 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "ESPN – Butler Bulldogs Men's Basketball Recruiting". ESPN.com. |||||||

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Regular season |||||||||
| November 25, 2020* 6:00 p.m., FS1 | | Western Michigan | W 66–62 | 1–0 | 21 – Thompson | 9 – Bolden | 4 – Thompson | Hinkle Fieldhouse (1,500) Indianapolis, IN |
| November 29, 2020* 6:30 p.m., FS1 | | Eastern Illinois | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN |
| December 6, 2020* 7:00 p.m., FS1 | | Northern Kentucky | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN |
| December 11, 2020* 3:00 p.m., FS1 | | Kansas State Big East–Big 12 Alliance | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN |
| December 14, 2020 5:00 p.m., FS1 | | St. John's | Postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN |
| December 16, 2020 7:00 p.m., FS1 | | at No. 7 Villanova | L 66–85 | 1–1 (0–1) | 18 – Bolden | 8 – Nze | 6 – Thompson | Finneran Pavilion Villanova, PA |
| December 19, 2020* 11:30 a.m., FS1 | | vs. Indiana Crossroads Classic | L 60–68 | 1–2 | 20 – Bolden | 10 – Nze | 3 – Tied | Bankers Life Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN |
| December 21, 2020* 7:30 p.m., FS1 | | Southern Illinois | L 73–76 | 1–3 | 22 – Harris | 11 – Nze | 6 – Harris | Hinkle Fieldhouse (1,412) Indianapolis, IN |
| December 23, 2020 7:00 p.m., CBSSN | | Providence | W 70–64 | 2–3 (1–1) | 14 – Coles | 8 – Tate | 7 – Tate | Hinkle Fieldhouse (1,724) Indianapolis, IN |
| December 30, 2020 5:00 p.m., FS1 | | at Providence | L 55–71 | 2–4 (1–2) | 15 – Bolden | 6 – Tied | 4 – Tate | Dunkin' Donuts Center Providence, RI |
| January 2, 2021 4:30 p.m., FS1 | | at Seton Hall | L 60–68 | 2–5 (1–3) | 22 – Tate | 6 – Nze | 5 – Tate | Prudential Center Newark, NJ |
| January 6, 2021 7:00 p.m., FS1 | | Georgetown | W 63–55 | 3–5 (2–3) | 18 – Harris | 7 – Hastings | 5 – Harris | Hinkle Fieldhouse (1,355) Indianapolis, IN |
| January 9, 2021 4:00 p.m., FS1 | | UConn | L 60–72 | 3–6 (2–4) | 18 – Nze | 6 – Nze | 6 – Thompson | Hinkle Fieldhouse (1,879) Indianapolis, IN |
| January 12, 2021 7:00 p.m., FS1 | | at St. John's | L 57–69 | 3–7 (2–5) | 17 – Bolden | 14 – Nze | 5 – Nze | Carnesecca Arena Queens, NY |
| January 16, 2021 2:00 p.m., FOX | | No. 8 Creighton | W 70–66 $^{OT}$ | 4–7 (3–5) | 17 – Thompson | 10 – Tate | 6 – Thompson | Hinkle Fieldhouse (1,693) Indianapolis, IN |
| January 19, 2021 7:00 p.m., CBSSN | | at DePaul | W 67–53 | 5–7 (4–5) | 21 – Bolden | 14 – Nze | 4 – Tied | Wintrust Arena Chicago, IL |
| January 22, 2021 9:00 p.m., FS1 | | Seton Hall | Postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic | Hinkle Fieldhouse Indianapolis, IN |
| January 26, 2021 8:30 p.m., FS1 | | at UConn | L 51–63 | 5–8 (4–6) | 19 – Golden | 9 – Nze | 3 – Nze | Harry A. Gampel Pavilion Storrs, CT |
| January 29, 2021 5:30 p.m., FS1 | | Xavier | L 55–68 | 5–9 (4–7) | 16 – Nze | 11 – Nze | 2 – 3 Tied | Hinkle Fieldhouse (2,084) Indianapolis, IN |
| February 2, 2021 5:00 p.m., FS1 | | at Marquette | L 67–70 | 5–10 (4–8) | 16 – Harris | 12 – Hodges | 8 – Hodges | Fiserv Forum Milwaukee, WI |
| February 6, 2021 12:00 p.m., FS1 | | DePaul | W 68–58 | 6–10 (5–8) | 22 – Tied | 10 – Hodges | 5 – Thompson | Hinkle Fieldhouse (1,715) Indianapolis, IN |
| February 9, 2021 9:00 p.m., FS1 | | St. John's | W 76–73 $^{OT}$ | 7–10 (6–8) | 19 – Nze | 10 – Nze | 10 – Thompson | Hinkle Fieldhouse (1,416) Indianapolis, IN |
| February 13, 2021 1:30 p.m., CBSSN | | at Georgetown | L 63–78 | 7–11 (6–9) | 12 – 3 Tied | 5 – Hodges | 11 – Thompson | Capital One Arena Washington, D.C. |
| February 17, 2021 6:30 p.m., FS1 | | Marquette | L 57–73 | 7–12 (6–10) | 21 – Harris | 5 – Harris | 3 – Tied | Hinkle Fieldhouse (1,389) Indianapolis, IN |
| February 21, 2021 7:00 p.m., FS1 | | at Xavier | L 51–63 | 7–13 (6–11) | 14 – Harris | 12 – Golden | 6 – Harris | Cintas Center (922) Cincinnati, OH |
| February 24, 2021 7:00 p.m., CBSSN | | Seton Hall | W 61–52 | 8–13 (7–11) | 16 – Bolden | 13 – Nze | 5 – Harris | Hinkle Fieldhouse (1,524) Indianapolis, IN |
| February 28, 2021 12:00 p.m., CBS | | No. 8 Villanova | W 73–61 | 9–13 (8–11) | 20 – Harris | 11 – Nze | 5 – Nze | Hinkle Fieldhouse (2,203) Indianapolis, IN |
| March 6, 2021 5:00 p.m., FOX | | at No. 14 Creighton | L 73–93 | 9–14 (8–12) | 29 – Harris | 6 – Tied | 4 – Tied | CHI Health Center Omaha (2,419) Omaha, NE |
| Big East tournament |||||||||
| March 10, 2021 9:00 p.m., FS1 | (10) | vs. (7) Xavier First round | W 70–69 | 10–14 | 21 – Harris | 9 – Golden | 3 – Tate | Madison Square Garden New York, NY |
| March 11, 2021 6:00 p.m., FS1 | (10) | vs. (2) No. 17 Creighton Quarterfinal | L 56–87 | 10–15 | 21 – Nze | 6 – Nze | 3 – Nze | Madison Square Garden New York, NY |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. All times are in Eastern Time . |||||||||

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: — = Not ranked :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | Final |
| AP | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Coaches | — | — | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
*AP does not release post-NCAA tournament rankings.

## Awards

| Name | Award(s) |