Baylor’s men’s basketball team has added Top 100 recruit Jared Butler to the roster for the 2018-19 season, head coach Scott Drew announced on Sunday.
Butler, a 6-foot-2 point guard from Reserve, La., originally committed to Alabama, but was granted a release after five-star point guard Kira Lewis reclassified to play for the Crimson Tide this year.
Butler will enroll for the this fall semester and explore options for immediate eligibility.
Drew said that Butler, the No. 88 ranked recruit by ESPN, will fit right in with the Bears, given his talent and character.
“Our staff built a great relationship with Jared and his family during his recruitment, and we know he’s a great fit for our program,” Drew said. “He’s an explosive guard with the ability to create for his teammates and score from all over the court, but more importantly, he’s a high character young man who will be a terrific teammate. We can’t wait to welcome him to the Baylor family.”
Butler averaged 27.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 3.0 steals to lead Riverside Academy to a 33-2 record as a senior in the 2017-18 season. Butler earned first team all-state honors as a junior and a senior.
The Butler news came shortly after a report by Our Daily Bears that senior guard Jake Lindsey will miss the entire 2018-19 season. Lindsey confirmed the report with a tweet on Sunday night.
“Now that it’s out there, I will be redshirting this season as I recover from hip surgery,” Lindsey wrote. “I can’t wait to help the team this year in a different role as I recover. I want to say thank you to everyone who has been helping me in this time, whether you know it or not.”
Lindsey, a starter for the Bears last season, will redshirt this year and have one year of eligibility remaining. Lindsey graduated with a degree in business administration in August.
Lindsey averaged 4.5 points and 3.4 assists per game in 34 games for the Bears last season.
Baylor opens the season against Texas Southern on Nov. 6 at the Ferrell Center.
