2025–26 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team

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The 2025–26 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team represented Butler University in the 2025–26 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. They were led by Thad Matta, in the fourth year of his second stint 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.

ConferenceBig East Conference
Record16–16 (7–13 Big East)
Headcoach
Assistant coaches
Quick facts Butler Bulldogs men's basketball, Greenbrier Tip-Off (Mountain Division) champions ...
2025–26 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball
Greenbrier Tip-Off (Mountain Division) champions
ConferenceBig East Conference
Record16–16 (7–13 Big East)
Head coach
Assistant coaches
Home arenaHinkle Fieldhouse
Seasons
← 2024–25
2026–27 →
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More information Conf., Overall ...
2025–26 Big East men's basketball standings
Conf.Overall
TeamW L PCTW L PCT
No. 10 St. John's †18–2 .90030–7  .811
No. 2 UConn17–3 .85034–6  .850
Villanova15–5 .75024–9  .727
Seton Hall10–10 .50021–12  .636
Creighton9–11 .45016–18  .471
DePaul8–12 .40016–16  .500
Marquette7–13 .35012–20  .375
Butler7–13 .35016–16  .500
Providence7–13 .35015–18  .455
Xavier6–14 .30015–18  .455
Georgetown6–14 .30016–18  .471
† 2026 Big East tournament winner
Rankings from AP poll
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Previous season

The Bulldogs finished the 2024–25 season 15–20, 6–14 in Big East play to finish in a tie for eighth place. As No. 9 seed in the Big East tournament they defeated Providence in the first round before losing in the quarterfinals to St. John's. They were invited to the College Basketball Crown, where they defeated Utah in the first round[1] before losing in the quarterfinals to Boise State.[2]

Offseason

Departures

More information Name, Number ...
NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownReason for departure
Augusto Cassia0F6'8"220SophomoreSalvador, BrazilTransferred to Ole Miss
Ryder Cate5G6'5"175FreshmanRichmond, INWalk-on; transferred
Jahmyl Telfort11F6'7"225Graduate StudentBoucherville, QCGraduated, signed with the Los Angeles Clippers
Kolby King12G6'2"185JuniorPembroke Pines, FLTransferred to Utah State
Landon Moore14G6'3"200JuniorBloomington, ILTransferred to Illinois State
Pierre Brooks II21F6'6"240SeniorDetroit, MIGraduated
Patrick McCaffery22F6'9"215Graduate StudentIowa City, IAGraduated
Andre Screen23C7'1"260Graduate StudentAlexandria, VAGraduated
Connor O'Guinn25G6'2"165FreshmanBloomington, INWalk-on; TBD
Boden Kapke33F/C6'11"255SophomoreVictoria, MNTransferred to Boston College
Colt Langdon45F6'7"225FreshmanRaleigh, NCTransferred to NC State
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Incoming transfers

More information Name, Number ...
NameNumberPos.HeightWeightYearHometownPrevious schoolSeasons Remaining
Jalen Jackson2G6'2"200SeniorFort Wayne, INPurdue Fort WayneOne
Michael Ajayi5F6'7"228Graduate StudentKent, WAGonzagaOne
Yame Butler8G6'5"215Graduate StudentGreenbelt, MDDrexelOne
Drayton Jones13C6'11"245JuniorHouston, TXSouth Carolina StateTwo
Yohan Traore21F/C6'11"235SeniorTours, FranceSMUOne
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Recruiting classes

2025 recruiting class

More information Name, Hometown ...
College recruiting information
Name Hometown School Height Weight Commit date
Efeosa Oliogu
#8 SF		 Toronto, ON Overtime Elite 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) 200 lb (91 kg) Jan 13, 2025 
Recruit ratings: Rivals: 4/5 stars   247Sports: 4/5 stars   ESPN: 3/5 stars   (78)
Jack McCaffery
#16 PF		 Iowa City, IA West High School 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) 205 lb (93 kg) Jul 29, 2024 
Recruit ratings: Rivals: 3/5 stars   247Sports: 4/5 stars   ESPN: 4/5 stars   (82)
Azavier Robinson
#18 PG		 Indianapolis, IN Lawrence North High School 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) 175 lb (79 kg) Aug 3, 2024 
Recruit ratings: Rivals: 3/5 stars   247Sports: 4/5 stars   ESPN: 4/5 stars   (82)
Jackson Keith
#39 SF		 Durham, NC Southern Durham High School 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m) 190 lb (86 kg) Sep 21, 2024 
Recruit ratings: Rivals: 4/5 stars   247Sports: 3/5 stars   ESPN: 4/5 stars   (81)
Overall recruit ranking:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, 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.
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2026 recruiting class

More information College recruiting information (2026), Name ...
College recruiting information (2026)
Name Hometown School Height Weight Commit date
Baron Walker
SG		 Noblesville, IN Noblesville High School 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) 180 lb (82 kg) Jul 30, 2025 
Recruit ratings: Rivals:    247Sports:    ESPN:    (NR)
Overall recruit ranking:
  • Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, On3, 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:

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Roster

More information Players, Coaches ...
2025–26 Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team
PlayersCoaches
Pos.#NameHeightWeightYearPrevious schoolHometown
F 5 Michael Ajayi 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)235 lb (107 kg) GSGonzaga Kent, WA
G 8 Yame Butler 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)210 lb (95 kg) GSDrexel Greenbelt, MD
G 2 Jalen Jackson Injured Current redshirt 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)200 lb (91 kg) SrPurdue Fort Wayne Fort Wayne, IN
F/C 21 Yohan Traore 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)240 lb (109 kg) SrSMU Tours, France
G 11 Finley Bizjack 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)190 lb (86 kg) JrByron Nelson Trophy Club, TX
C 13 Drayton Jones 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)250 lb (113 kg) JrSouth Carolina State Houston, TX
C 39 Kevin Ndzie Current redshirt 7 ft 1 in (2.16 m)240 lb (109 kg) JrUrania Milano Yaoundé, Cameroon
G 3 Ethan McComb (W) 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)190 lb (86 kg) JrCenter Grove Greenwood, IN
G/F 7 Jamie Kaiser Jr. 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)205 lb (93 kg) RS SoMaryland Burke, VA
G 1 Evan Haywood 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m)200 lb (91 kg) SoBrebeuf Jesuit Carmel, IN
F 35 Bryson Cardinal (W) Current redshirt 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)205 lb (93 kg) FrGuerin Catholic Westfield, IN
F 0 Jackson Keith 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)225 lb (102 kg) FrSouthern Durham, NC
F 6 Jack McCaffery Injured Current redshirt 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)215 lb (98 kg) FrIowa City West Iowa City, IA
F 4 Efeosa Oliogu-Elabor 6 ft 6 in (1.98 m)220 lb (100 kg) FrWilliam Academy Markham, ON
G 23 Azavier Robinson Injured 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)195 lb (88 kg) FrLawrence North Indianapolis, IN
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)
Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster

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Schedule and results

More information Date time, TV, Rank# ...
Date
time, TV		 Rank# Opponent# Result Record High points High rebounds High assists Site (attendance)
city, state
Exhibition
October 17, 2025*
7:00 p.m.		 Notre Dame L 76–77  –
  16 – Bizjack  6 – Ajayi  4 – Oliogu-Elabor  Hinkle Fieldhouse (7,887)
Indianapolis, IN
October 29, 2025*
7:00 p.m.		 Indiana State W 105–80  –
  24 – Bizjack  8 – Tied  4 – Tied  Hinkle Fieldhouse (6,994)
Indianapolis, IN
Regular season
November 5, 2025*
7:00 p.m., ESPN+		 Southern Indiana W 88–58  1–0
  24 – Ajayi  12 – Ajayi  6 – Jackson  Hinkle Fieldhouse (6,855)
Indianapolis, IN
November 8, 2025*
5:00 p.m., ESPN+		 IU Indy W 112–80  2–0
  17 – Jackson  14 – Ajayi  3 – Tied  Hinkle Fieldhouse (7,132)
Indianapolis, IN
November 11, 2025*
7:00 p.m., ESPN+		 Chicago State W 98–66  3–0
  22 – Bizjack  11 – Ajayi  6 – Bizjack  Hinkle Fieldhouse (6,159)
Indianapolis, IN
November 15, 2025*
2:00 p.m., The CW		 at SMU L 85–87  3–1
  18 – Bizjack  10 – Ajayi  6 – Jackson  Moody Coliseum (5,383)
Dallas, TX
November 21, 2025*
2:00 p.m., CBSSN		 vs. South Carolina
Greenbrier Tip-Off Mountain Division		 W 79–72  4–1
  18 – Bizjack  14 – Ajayi  3 – Tied  Colonial Hall (1,209)
White Sulphur Springs, WV
November 23, 2025*
2:00 p.m., CBSSN		 vs. Virginia
Greenbrier Tip-Off Mountain Division Championship		 W 80–73  5–1
  25 – Bizjack  14 – Ajayi  4 – Jackson  Colonial Hall (1,209)
White Sulphur Springs, WV
November 28, 2025*
2:00 p.m., ESPN+		 Wright State W 94–69  6–1
  20 – Tied  8 – Ajayi  4 – Tied  Hinkle Fieldhouse (7,277)
Indianapolis, IN
December 2, 2025*
7:00 p.m., TruTV		 Eastern Michigan W 84–68  7–1
  29 – Bizjack  13 – Ajayi  4 – Tied  Hinkle Fieldhouse (6,423)
Indianapolis, IN
December 6, 2025*
2:00 p.m., TruTV		 Boise State L 68–77  7–2
  16 – Ajayi  8 – Ajayi  4 – Bizjack  Hinkle Fieldhouse (7,422)
Indianapolis, IN
December 13, 2025
2:00 p.m., TNT/TruTV		 Providence W 113–110 2OT 8–2
(1–0)		  28 – Ajayi  15 – Ajayi  8 – Jones  Hinkle Fieldhouse (7,321)
Indianapolis, IN
December 16, 2025
8:30 p.m., Peacock/NBCSN		 at No. 5 UConn L 60–79  8–3
(1–1)		  13 – Jones  8 – Ajayi  3 – Robinson  PeoplesBank Arena (15,495)
Hartford, Connecticut
December 20, 2025*
4:00 p.m., Peacock/NBCSN		 vs. Northwestern
Indy Classic		 W 61–58  9–3
  19 – Ajayi  20 – Ajayi  2 – Tied  Gainbridge Fieldhouse (16,912)
Indianapolis, IN
December 22, 2025*
2:00 p.m., ESPN+		 NJIT W 101–52  10–3
  15 – Ajayi  12 – Ajayi  4 – Oliogu-Elabor  Hinkle Fieldhouse (6,304)
Indianapolis, IN
December 30, 2025
9:00 p.m., FS1		 at Creighton L 85–89  10–4
(1–2)		  20 – Traore  13 – Ajayi  8 – Robinson  CHI Health Center (16,761)
Omaha, Nebraska
January 3, 2026
12:00 p.m., TNT/TruTV		 Villanova L 67–85  10–5
(1–3)		  18 – Bizjack  12 – Ajayi  5 – Ajayi  Hinkle Fieldhouse (8,034)
Indianapolis, IN
January 6, 2026
7:00 p.m., Peacock/NBCSN		 St. John's L 70–84  10–6
(1–4)		  21 – Bizjack  9 – Ajayi  5 – Ajayi  Hinkle Fieldhouse (6,523)
Indianapolis, IN
January 14, 2026
6:30 p.m., FS1		 at Xavier L 75–89  10–7
(1–5)		  22 – Ajayi  12 – Ajayi  5 – Oliogu-Elabor  Cintas Center (9,577)
Cincinnati, OH
January 17, 2026
12:00 p.m., TNT/TruTV		 at No. 25 Seton Hall W 77–66  11–7
(2–5)		  25 – Bizjack  8 – Ajayi  4 – Robinson  Prudential Center (8,326)
Newark, NJ
January 20, 2026
7:30 p.m., TruTV		 DePaul W 87–80  12–7
(3–5)		  24 – Bizjack  8 – Ajayi  5 – Tied  Hinkle Fieldhouse (6,336)
Indianapolis, IN
January 23, 2026
8:00 p.m., FS1		 Marquette W 87–76  13–7
(4–5)		  28 – Bizjack  9 – Ajayi  5 – Ajayi  Hinkle Fieldhouse (8,033)
Indianapolis, IN
January 28, 2026
7:00 p.m., Peacock/NBCSN		 at No. 25 St. John's L 70–92  13–8
(4–6)		  19 – Ajayi  11 – Ajayi  2 – Tied  Madison Square Garden (14,361)
New York City, NY
January 31, 2026
12:00 p.m., TNT/TruTV		 Georgetown L 64–77  13–9
(4–7)		  19 – Kaiser Jr.  8 – Jones  4 – Ajayi  Hinkle Fieldhouse (7,755)
Indianapolis, IN
February 4, 2026
7:00 p.m., Peacock/NBCSN		 at Providence L 87–97 2OT 13–10
(4–8)		  30 – Bizjack  12 – Ajayi  5 – Bizjack  Amica Mutual Pavilion (8,152)
Providence, RI
February 7, 2026
2:00 p.m., FS1		 at Marquette L 55–70  13–11
(4–9)		  23 – Bizjack  19 – Ajayi  3 – Tied  Fiserv Forum (17,568)
Milwaukee, WI
February 11, 2026
7:30 p.m., TNT/TruTV		 No. 6 UConn L 70–80  13–12
(4–10)		  15 – Jones  5 – Tied  6 – Ajayi  Hinkle Fieldhouse (8,644)
Indianapolis, IN
February 15, 2026
6:00 p.m., FS1		 Seton Hall L 56–63  13–13
(4–11)		  21 – Ajayi  12 – Ajayi  7 – Butler  Hinkle Fieldhouse (6,773)
Indianapolis, IN
February 18, 2026
6:30 p.m., FS1		 at Georgetown W 93–89  14–13
(5–11)		  19 – Bizjack  8 – Ajayi  6 – Bizjack  Capital One Arena (4,456)
Washington, D.C.
February 21, 2026
1:30 p.m., TNT/TruTV		 Xavier W 80–75  15–13
(6–11)		  24 – Ajayi  9 – Ajayi  3 – Jones  Hinkle Fieldhouse (9,100)
Indianapolis, IN
February 25, 2026
7:00 p.m., FS1		 at Villanova L 73–82  15–14
(6–12)		  17 – Ajayi  9 – Ajayi  2 – Tied  Finneran Pavilion (6,501)
Villanova, PA
March 4, 2026
6:00 p.m., FS1		 Creighton L 59–76  15–15
(6–13)		  26 – Ajayi  13 – Ajayi  3 – Tied  Hinkle Fieldhouse (6,895)
Indianapolis, IN
March 7, 2026
12:00 p.m., FS1		 at DePaul W 81–71  16–15
(7–13)		  19 – Bizjack  11 – Ajayi  5 – Ajayi  Wintrust Arena (6,005)
Chicago, IL
Big East tournament
March 11, 2026
4:00 p.m., Peacock/NBCSN		 (8) vs. (9) Providence
First round		 L 81–91  16–16
  21 – Ajayi  11 – Ajayi  5 – Bizjack  Madison Square Garden 
New York City, NY
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.
All times are in Eastern Time [3].
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See also

2025–26 Butler Bulldogs women's basketball team

References

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