Zak Keefer

zak.keefer@indystar.com

Butler head coach Brandon Miller is down to three available scholarships.

This after receiving a phone call this afternoon from former North Carolina State point guard Tyler Lewis, who informed Miller of his intent to transfer to Butler.

After announcing over the weekend he would transfer from N.C. State to find a better fit, Butler was Lewis' first stop.

Turns out, it was his only stop.

"I just felt like it was the best fit for me, and it was a spot I really like," Lewis said Friday evening. "They have a great tradition, and I know they were down this year, but Roosevelt (Jones) getting hurt changed a lot."

Lewis, a 5-11 point guard out of Statesville, N.C., started the final 14 games of the season for a Wolfpack squad that reached the NCAA Tournament for the third consecutive year. He averaged 4.4 points and 3.8 assists per game.

More significant, Lewis is a pass-first point guard and, at this juncture, the floor leader of the future for Butler. The Bulldogs graduate their only two point guards on the roster — starter Alex Barlow and back-up Jackson Aldridge — after next season.

After that, it's Lewis' turn. He will have to sit out the 2014-15 campaign, but will have two years of eligibly remaining after that.

"I know coach Miller is really excited to coach me," Lewis said. "He knows I'm going to fit great into his system, and he believes I can be the guy to run the team."

Lewis will be on Butler's campus as early as May, attending the first session of summer school.

It's a significant pick-up for Miller, who saw five players leave the program over the past season for a variety of reasons. Lewis will join the likes of Jones, Kellen Dunham and Kelan Martin in the Bulldogs' backcourt come fall 2015.

Lewis also happens to be the first McDonald's High School All-American to ever land at Butler — no small feat in today's cutthroat world of recruiting.

Butler still has three available scholarships heading into next season, following the transfers of Andrew Smeathers, Rene Castro, Devontae Morgan and Nolan Berry. Also this week, walk-on point guard Michael Volovic announced he would not return to the program.

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