Butler redshirt sophomore Jamie Kaiser Jr. plans to enter the transfer portal per On3.
The transfer portal doesn’t officially open until April 7, but Butler coach Thad Matta’s decision to retire Monday has spurned the first Bulldogs player to seek a new team.
Kaiser started all but one game during his second season with the Bulldogs, averaging 9.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Kaiser, a former Top 100 recruit from powerhouse IMG Academy spent his freshman season at Maryland before transferring to Butler. A foot injury and subsequent surgery cost him all of the 2024-25 season, allowing him to get a medical redshirt.
He entered the starting lineup in Year 2 primed to be a key part of Butler’s offense. The 6-foot-6 guard/forward emerged as one of Butler’s top perimeter defenders. He’s a willing rebounder on both ends of the floor and contributes to the game without being a focal point of the offense. Butler coach Thad Matta lauded Kaiser for his willingness to sacrifice shots on offense and embrace doing the dirty work for the team.
Kaiser came to college with the reputation as a knockdown shooter, but his shot his been inconsistent at best during his time with the Bulldogs. His 34.5% shooting from 3 is a marked improvement from the 26.5% he shot as a freshman, but Kaiser never became the type of shooter defenses had to consistently worry about, highlighted by the 0 for 20 3-point slump he went through in late January.
Kaiser becomes the first starter to enter the transfer portal. Now Butler must replace two starters with Michael Ajayi exhausting his eligibility. 3-and-D wings with Kaiser’s length and athletic ability are highly coveted in the transfer portal, and the Dawgs don’t have a player with Kaiser’s skillset currently on the roster.
Kaiser showed flashes of legitimate two-way potential, and becoming an All-Conference type performer is still in the cards. Unfortunately for Butler fans, the Virginia native will have to reach his full potential at a school that is not Butler.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Butler basketball’s promising 3-point shooter to enter transfer portal after coach’s retirement
Reporting by Akeem Glaspie, Indianapolis Star / Indianapolis Star
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
