Beginning June 25 and running weekly throughout the summer, the BIG EAST will check-in with each of its 11 men's basketball programs for a Summer Check-In. Highlighted by a one-on-one interview with each head coach and NBC Sports' John Fanta, the BIG EAST Summer Check-In will cover a wide range of topics from roster changes, highlights from summer workouts, and scheduling updates.
The Summer Check-In series begins in Indianapolis with Butler, where first-year head coach Ronald Nored takes over at his alma mater with two returning starters and 10 talented newcomers set to take the floor at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse.
"I get to call Hinkle Fieldhouse my place of work and I don’t think there’s a better arena in the country to do that in.
First for me, was building a great staff. And I’m really grateful for the staff we have, so it started right there. Secondly, with the staff, being really clear about the kind of players we want to bring into this program. Being clear about who we ultimately want to be and not wavering from that. We have to be the best versions of ourself. We are Butler University, we’re not anybody else. We have to be clear about who we’re going to be and that’s a competitive, defensive-first team and we have to live that every single day and allow the results to take care of themselves."
Butler head coach Ronald Nored
Welcome Back, Coach!
- On March 25, Butler introduced former Bulldog star Ronald Nored as head coach.
- Prior to returning to his alma mater, Nored spent more than a decade coaching in the NBA.
- Butler begins the Nored Era with a season-opening matchup against Lafayette on Nov. 2
- Other notable non-conference matchups during the 2026-27 season:
Nov. 8 at Boise State
Nov. 13 vs. Pittsburgh
Nov. 22 vs. Nebraska (Chicago)
Dec. 6 at North Carolina
Butler's 2026-27 Roster
Newcomers
Treyson Anderson - Jr. - F - 6-9 - Lincoln, Neb. / North Dakota State
- Three-star ranked transfer (EvanMiya.com) started 19 games for Summit League Champions
- Averaged 10.4 ppg and 5.3 rpg as a sophomore; ranked third in the league in blocked shots
Samis Calderon - So. - F - 6-8 - Vitoria ES, Brazil / Kansas
- Three-star ranked transfer (EvanMiya.com) saw action in 16 games as a freshman with the Jayhawks
- Graduated from the NBA Academy Latin America and played two seasons at Overtime Elite
Jordan Ellerbee - So. - G - 6-3 - Philadelphia, Pa. / FGCU
- Three-star ranked transfer (EvanMiya.com) was an Atlantic Sun All-Freshman team honoree
- Averaged better than 13.0 ppg as a freshman, connecting on 55 3-pointers
Eduardo Klafke - Jr. - G - 6-5 - Franca SP, Brazil / Ole Miss
- Four-star ranked transfer (EvanMiya.com) was a 45-percent 3-point shooter in two seasons at Ole Miss
- Made 12 starts all in SEC play in 2025-26, averaging nearly 8.0 ppg
Christian Moore - Gr. - F - 6-6 - Los Angeles, Calif. / The Citadel
- Experienced three-star rated transfer averaged 11.2 ppg in 2025-26
- Connected on 63 3-pointers last season, connecting on nearly 40-percent from the perimeter
Samu Adler - Fr. - G - 6-6 - Espoo, Finland / Salon Vilpas
- 2026 Finals MVP in the Korisliiga in Finland, finishing with 32 points in Game 7 as Salon Vilpas won league title
- League’s 2025 Rookie of the Year, averaging better than 15.0 ppg
Herly Brutus - Fr. - F - 6-7 - Eustis, Fla. / The Villages Charter School
- Top 100 ranked recruit in the Class of 2026
- Led H.S.to consecutive Florida Class 3A state championship appearances
Asim Djulovic - Fr. - F - 6-8 - Novi Pazar, Serbia / Mega Superbet
- Athletic wing averaged more than 13.0 ppg in 2025 this past season in the AdmiralBet ABA league
- Represented Serbia on the senior national team in February 2025 in a EuroBasket qualifier
Marko Maric - Fr. - F - 7-0 - Zagreb, Croatia / Novi Zagreb
- Averaged nearly 10.0 ppg this past season in the Croatian Prva Liga
- Had 91 points, 27 rebounds, and 14 blocked shots for Novi Zagreb in a junior division game this past March
Baron Walker - Fr. - G - 6-3 - Noblesville, Ind. / Noblesville
- Signed with Butler this past November
- 2026 Indiana All-Star selection averaged better than 18 ppg as a senior
Returnees
Jalen Jackson - Gr. - G - 6-2 - Fort Wayne, Ind.
- 9.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 3.8 apg, 1.3 spg; played six games before season-ending injury
Drayton Jones - Sr. - C - 6-11 - Houston, Texas
- 6.3 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.4 apg, 1.0 bpg; started all 32 games for the Bulldogs in 25-26
Bryson Cardinal - R-Fr. - F - 6-7 - Westfield, Ind.
Ethan McComb - Sr. - G - 6-1 - Greenwood, Ind.
Kevin Ndzie - R-Jr. - 7-1 - Yaounde, Cameroon
Nored On Returning Starters Jalen Jackson and Drayton Jones
"Your point guard and your center are just vitally important to your success on the court. To have those two guys - older guys, experienced guys who have played in our league - come back has really allowed us to build a good team around them. Those anchor pieces were everything, especially for a new coach coming in."
Departures
Michael Ajayi - F - 6-7 - Eligibility Expired; Finley Bizjack - G - 6-4 - Transfer; Yame Butler - G - 6-5 - Eligibility Expired; Evan Haywood - G - 6-4 - Transfer; Jamie Kaiser Jr. - G/F - 6-6 - Transfer; Jackson Keith - F - 6-5 - Transfer; Jack McCaffery - F - 6-9 - Transfer; Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor - G/F - 6-6 - Transfer; Azavier Robinson - G - 6-2 - Transfer; Yohan Traore - F/C - 6-11 - Eligibility Expired
By The Numbers
176 - Butler’s incoming transfers - Christian Moore (63), Jordan Ellerbee (55), Treyson Anderson (38), and Eduardo Klafke (20) combined to make 176 3-pointers during the 2025-26 season
+17.7 - In the six games that guard Jalen Jackson appeared in during the 2025-26 season, the Bulldogs were 5-1 - outscoring opponents by nearly 18 points per game during, including a pair of wins over South Carolina and Virginia at the Greenbrier.
4/5/6 - Butler’s roster in 2026-27 features four players from Indiana, five from other states in the U.S., and six international players from five different countries.