Butler Signs Three Men’s Basketball Prospects

Butler men’s basketball coach Brad Stevens wrapped up his 2010-11 recruiting class on the first day of the NCAA Fall Signing Period by landing three talented prospects.  The Bulldogs’ coach received commitments from 6-9 Erik Fromm of Bloomington (Ind.) South High School, 6-7 Khyle Marshall of Flanagan High School in Pembroke Pines, Fla., and 6-1 Chrishawn Hopkins of Manual High School in Indianapolis.

“We are thrilled to welcome Erik, Khyle and Chrishawn into our basketball family here at Butler,” said Stevens, who has guided the Bulldogs to a 56-10 record in two seasons as head coach.  “Each brings great ability to this program.  They all are passionate about the game, committed to excellence off the court, driven to get better on a daily basis, and motivated by team success.”

Fromm averaged 10.3 points and 7.1 rebounds, while helping Bloomington South to a 26-0 record and the Indiana 4A state title in 2008-09.  He was named to the AP All-State Tournament Team and selected to the Indiana Basketball Coaches Assocation Top 15 Underclassmen.  He further was named to the IBCA Junior All-Stars, and earned both all-conference and all-area recognition.  The rangy post player led Bloomington South in rebounds, field goal shooting and blocked shots as a junior.

“Erik is a winner.  He is very skilled, with good size and agility,” noted Stevens.  “He works extremely hard and has a great understanding of the game.  Erik is an outstanding student, and we know he will have a great career at Butler.”

Marshall, a highly-rated forward out of Florida, has been nationally-ranked by several recruiting publications, including MaxPreps (No. 99) and scout.com (No. 113).  He averaged 26 points and 12.5 rebounds as a junior, when he was named South Florida Sun-Sentinel Class 6A-5A-4A Player of the Year.  He’s a two-time selection to the All-Broward and Class 6A All-State first teams.

“Khyle is an extremely versatile basketball player, on both ends of the floor,” said Stevens.  “He combines excellent athleticism with a high skill level, and a knack for scoring baskets.  He is a high achiever, on and off the court, and we’re excited that he’s a Bulldog.”

Hopkins emerged as Butler’s most unique prospect, since he only played in seven high school games last year.  He attended Manual High School as a freshman and sophomore, before moving to Las Vegas.  He returned to Indianapolis last year, and averaged 17.3 points in the seven games.  The talented guard became a coveted player during the summer, while competing with the Bloomington Blaze.

“Chrishawn has a lot of great attributes, but two things that really stood out were his athleticism and unselfishness,”  stated Stevens.  “He’s a great teammate who has that unique ability to manufacture a play, whether getting his own shot or creating for others.  He will have a great career here as a versatile guard”

Butler, coming off a 26-6 campaign, is currently ranked No. 11 by the Associated Press and No. 10 in the ESPN/USA Today national poll.  The Bulldogs open the 2009-10 season at home against Davidson at 2 p.m. (ET) on Saturday, Nov. 14.