Butler head coach Brandon Miller Taking Leave of Absence

[R Jay]

A two star, who I believe I read is the only other 2015 player Butler even has an offer out on, just chose Harvard over Butler and I have to imagine a huge reason for that decision was based on the fact that Butler doesn't have a head coach in place.

So losing a recruit to Harvard is a bad thing? If you didn't know, Harvard is an Ivy League school. A degree from Harvard is a golden pass for life. Harvard is ranked in the top 10 in every academic related poll. Normally it is 1 or 2. A free pass to Harvard, where it costs $70K per year to attend....whoa!! Harvard also has an excellent basketball program under Amaker. He has made Harvard a top 25 program and they have been NCAA tourney participants in the past three years.

Not sure what is wrong with Harvard. As much as I love Butler, I can't see a downside in this.

Hoosier is 100% right here. It's not a failure on Butler's part, rather Harvard being Harvard.
Obviously this kid is pretty smart, one for getting into Harvard in the first place and two for deciding to go to an incredible academic university. For at least 90% of D-I College Basketball players, earning a livelihood won't be done through professional ball. That's why getting that degree is so important and when you have a chance to get it from Harvard, can you pass it up? Even for a chance to play for 4 years in the Big East? I say no, you can't pass up that opportunity.
Also, for the record, Creighton was recruiting Johnson, too, but he didn't have an offer.

[Professor_Bulldog]

I was under the impression that the ivies don't offer athletic scholarships...but the point still stands. No one in their right mind would pass that up unless they have legit pro abilities. I would've chosen Harvard over Butler in a heartbeat

[HoosierPal]

I was under the impression that the ivies don't offer athletic scholarships...but the point still stands. No one in their right mind would pass that up unless they have legit pro abilities. I would've chosen Harvard over Butler in a heartbeat

You are correct on the scholarship. You have to be smart to get into and then stay in an Ivy School. They don't have PE majors either.

[marquette]

I was under the impression that the ivies don't offer athletic scholarships...but the point still stands. No one in their right mind would pass that up unless they have legit pro abilities. I would've chosen Harvard over Butler in a heartbeat

If your parents make less than $75,000/year, you can go to Harvard for next to nothing. That is available to any student.

I don't believe that covers living in the dorms, though.

[BigmanU]

Don't know if this was already posted.

http://collegebasketballtalk.nbcsports. ... -coaching/

http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/co ... /19289945/

[xavier1994]

http://wishtv.com/2015/01/02/butler-bas ... nt-return/

[Motownmauler]

The thing is, LaVall Jordan and not Brandon Miller should have succeeded Stevens anyways

[HoosierPal]

http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/butler/2015/01/02/chris-holtmann-named-butler-basketball-coach/21196027/

[Bill Marsh]

http://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/butler/2015/01/02/chris-holtmann-named-butler-basketball-coach/21196027/

Thanks for the article excellent read. Greatly appreciated.

Holtmann may not be as immersed in the "Butler way" as the long list of his predecessors who grew up in that program, but he holds deep respect for the program, dating back to even before he became part of it. I read an article about him when he was named interim coach. It talked about how difficult it was to leave the HC job at Gardner-Webb to take an assistant's job at Butler. When he lined up the pros and cons, all he kept saying to himself was, "But it's BUTLER." It's said he was saying, "But it's Duke." He obviously had great reverence for the program and held it in the kind of esteem normally reserved for another program in Indiana substantially south of Indianapolis. It's easy to see him fitting into the fabric of life at Butler as though he'd been there a long time and was one of their own. Great hire!

[Edrick]

If he hires assistants that can recruit high major players, he can be successful. If he doesn't turn over the staff, he won't recruit, and will fail. The Butler staff has been he's been a part of has been abysmal recruiters and have nothing promising for any of of the many openings it will soon have. They just have no one with meaningful AAU influence and as far as the head coach goes, has only recruited at the lowest of low majors. The dynamics of getting players is so much different between the two levels, it hardly qualifies as experience.