ESPN Player Evaluations
- Nov 18, 2011
- No. 13 Brianna Butler cleared to play at Nazareth
- Brianna Butler, who just signed with Syracuse University, and two other transfers were declared eligible for the coming season by the Brooklyn/Queens Girls Catholic High School Athletic Association (CHSAA).
Notification of the decision was received by Nazareth administration on Friday, according to Lauren Best, an assistant coach for the girls' basketball team. Girls league president Denise Hillig confirmed that a decision was mailed to the school on Thursday.
The No. 13 prospect in the 2012 class, Butler transferred to Nazareth from Penn Charter (Penn.). The other transfers are senior Destini Feagen, who came from Mercy (Middletown, Conn.) and junior Sadie Edwards, a watchlisted prospect who left Ben Davis (Indianapolis, Ind.).
Earlier this month, the league notified Nazareth that the eligibility of all three players was "pending" because of insufficient proof of a parental address.
The addition of Butler, especially, is expected to make Nazareth one of the top high-school teams in the country.
- Nov 9, 2011
- No. 13 Brianna Butler heading upstate
- For Brianna Butler of Brooklyn, N.Y., committing to Syracuse University, which she did on Wednesday, is a little like staying home.
The No. 13 prospect in the 2012 class, according to ESPN HoopGurlz, will be joining Quentin Hillsman's program along with Taylor Ford, her Nazareth (Brooklyn, N.Y.) and Exodus club teammate. Already there is Tiffany Jones, their former Exodus teammate.
"I like playing with them," said Butler, a 5-foot-11 guard. "They both like to play hard, and that's the way I like to play. I like being with them on the court, and off the court."
Butler also considered Kentucky, Ohio State and Penn State. She plans to go into business or sports management.
"I really connected with the coaching staff," she said of Syracuse, "and they have a really good business school."
Butler is the fourth ranked prospect in what has become an exciting 2012 recruiting class for the Orange. Ford, who was re-classified to the 2012 class, was ranked No. 87 in 2011. Syracuse's class also includes No. 30 Brittney Sykes of Newark, N.J.; No. 73 Cornelia Fondren of Memphis, Tenn., and three-star prospect Pachiyanna Roberts of Power Springs, Ga.
- Sep 27, 2011
- No. 13 Brianna Butler making second of four visits
- Briana Butler of Brooklyn, N.Y., the No. 13 prospect in the 2012 class, is taking her second official visit, to Ohio State, this weekend, according to her club and high-school coach, Apache Paschall of Exodus NYC and Nazareth Regional (Brooklyn, N.Y.).
The 5-foot-11 guard already has tripped to Penn State and has set visits to her two other finalists, Kentucky (Oct. 14) and Syracuse (Oct. 21).
Butler and her mother moved to Brooklyn over the summer and she has transferred to Nazareth from Penn Charter (Philadelphia, Pa.). She'd previously had Duke, Georgetown, George Washington, Kentucky, Maryland and Syracuse on her schools list.
- Jul 25, 2011
- No. 16 Brianna Butler reveals schools
- Brianna Butler, the super-smooth guard from Philadelphia, Pa., has 13 schools on her final list, she told ESPN HoopGurlz.
The 5-foot-11 Butler said her list includes Baylor, Connecticut, Duke, Georgetown, Kentucky, Louisville, Miami, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Penn State, Rutgers, Syracuse and Tennessee.
Butler said her list is not yet ordered according to preference and that is is 13 long "because 13 is my favorite number." She has taken unofficial visits to Duke, Georgetown, George Washington, Kentucky, Maryland and Syracuse.
- Jul 24, 2010
- Despite lots of travel troubles, Exodus doing well at Bayou
- When you consider that the entire Exodus program didn't sleep in a bed the night before their opening round games at Basketball on the Bayou, what they've done is pretty impressive.
Brianna Butler and her teammates spent 30 hours on a bus trying to get to New Orleans after leaving Tuesday night from New York City, only to crawl along at 20 miles per hour because of a transmission problem. Four miles from the hotel, their bus broke down, stranding players and coaches. Finally, multiple cop cars arrived, ferrying players and coaches from three teams to the hotel where the girls showered and caught rides to the gym for their first game.
Exodus NYC -- playing in the top 2011 division -- won its first game, 47-35, over Texas Top Prospects, and will play tonight for the consolation championship of the Mardi Gras bracket.
We've had some adventures," laughed Exodus coach Lauren Best. "We try to keep people entertained, even if it's not on purpose."