Zak Keefer

zak.keefer@indystar.com

When Jackson Davis called Butler head coach Brandon Miller on Thursday to let him know of his future plans, Miller responded with one word.

"Yes!" he shouted.

It was good news for Miller, and good news for Butler, which welcomes the Lexington, Ky. native out of Lafayette High School to its 2014 recruiting class. Davis announced Friday he had chosen the Bulldogs over Alabama and Rice.

"All the schools that were recruiting me were just great," Jackson said. "They were all really good choices. But Butler was the best choice. I think it was the best place for me personally."

Davis becomes the third recruit to join the Butler team over the past month, in addition to North Carolina State transfer Tyler Lewis and Indiana transfer Austin Etherington.

Most significant, Davis helps fill a need for the Bulldogs down low. At 6-foot-8 and 220 pounds, Davis will pair with incoming freshman Tyler Wideman to help bolster a frontcourt unit that returns only two post players in Kameron Woods and Andrew Chrabascz.

"The coaches told me the minutes were there if I worked hard," Davis said. "They said they plan on using me a lot."

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It is an equally-important coup for Miller, who, piece by piece, is improving a Butler roster that wasn't quite Big East-ready last season. The Bulldogs finished 14-17, the program's first losing season in nine years, and went 4-14 in league play.

Next season figures to be a step up. On top of Woods, Chrabascz, Kellen Dunham and Alex Barlow, returning from injury is forward Roosevelt Jones as well as Etherington, who after graduating from IU in June will be eligible immediately. Throw in a freshmen class of Kelan Martin, Wideman and Davis – all of which figure to earn minutes from the start – and the Bulldogs will have a solid nucleus.

"We are very excited about adding Jackson to our current recruiting class," Miller said in a university release. "He is a mobile, athletic forward with a skill set that continues to expand. He has rebounded at a very high level and he has continued to improve every year in high school due to his work ethic, which will serve him well as he goes through the demands of college basketball."

This, of course, comes after the Bulldogs saw five scholarship players transfer out of the program since November, the latest being Elijah Brown last Friday. Even after Davis' commitment, Miller still holds two available scholarships.

Davis averaged 24.6 points, 13.8 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game last season and capped his prep career as Lafayette High School's all-time leader in all three categories. He had verbally committed to Rice back in October, but decided to reopen his recruitment in February.

As of late March, Davis had announced he would take five visits: Butler, Alabama, Creighton, Arizona State and Vanderbilt. He visited Butler and Alabama.

By this week, after Florida coach Billy Donovan cancelled an in-home visit, Davis winnowed his list down to Butler, Alabama and Rice.

Davis became a sought-after target for a few reasons: He was available late in the recruiting period, and he was a skilled big man, a rare commodity this late in the game.

Davis, who owns nearly a perfect grade point average, said Friday he would begin summer classes at Butler in mid-June.

"I wasn't making the decision solely based on the university," Davis said. "I wanted the best fit for myself, but I wasn't making just a short-term decision. It was a long-term decision. I wanted to go somewhere where I could potentially start a life after basketball (is over). I definitely felt like Butler, and Indianapolis, was a place I could do that."

Added Miller: "Jackson is an outstanding student with diverse interests," Miller added. "He fits very well into Butler University and our basketball program. We couldn't be more excited about this class and the addition of Jackson Davis to Butler University and our basketball family."

Call Star reporter Zak Keefer at (317) 444-6134 and follow him on Twitter: @zkeefer.