Butler basketball boosts frontcourt with Milwaukee transfer Bryce Nze

David Woods | IndyStar

INDIANAPOLIS – LaVall Jordan continues to reshape the Butler basketball program by adding a transfer from the Milwaukee team he formerly coached.

Bryce Nze, a 6-7 forward from Hartland, Wis., is leaving the Panthers to join the Bulldogs. Nze must sit out next season because of NCAA rules and will have two years to play, beginning in 2019-20.

June 14 will mark the anniversary of Jordan’s introduction as Butler coach. In less than 12 months, he has received commitments from six players: two transfers, Nze and Jordan Tucker (Duke); two high school signees, Markeese Hastings and Bryce Golden, and two 2019 prospects, John-Michael Mulloy and Khaliff Battle.

Nze (pronounced IN-zee) averaged 10.3 points a game as a sophomore and set Division I school records for rebounds per game (8.5), total rebounds (280) and offensive rebounds (96). (Milwaukee has been Division I since 1990.) He had a career-high 17 rebounds on Feb. 16 against IUPUI in a Horizon League game. He shot 58 percent from the field.

As a freshman — when Jordan was Milwaukee’s coach — Nze nearly set another school record for field goal percentage (.662). He averaged 6.7 points and 5.1 rebounds that season.

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"Bryce is a young man who is a great teammate. He had an immediate impact at Milwaukee," Jordan said. "Bryce and I developed a strong relationship, and he fits our culture here at Butler.

"Bryce's athleticism, competitiveness and tremendous work ethic will be a valuable addition. He will push our guys in practice every day this upcoming season as he continues to develop his skills and his body to reach his full potential in the Big East."

Butler will go into 2018-19 with a full complement of 13 scholarship players. The Bulldogs have two seniors, Nate Fowler and Paul Jorgensen, and the available two 2019 scholarships allotted to Battle and Mulloy.

However, Butler will continue recruiting those in the 2019 class — notably Cathedral's Armaan Franklin — in case junior guard Kamar Baldwin leaves early for the NBA or a player transfers elsewhere.

Nze is one of five players transferring from Milwaukee, including the team’s top three scorers. Among them is 14-point scorer Brock Stull, who transferred to Minnesota.

Nze was drawing interest from major colleges until he missed his high school senior season because of a foot injury. He had twice been an all-conference selection at Arrowhead High School.

After he announced he was leaving the Panthers, he told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel he was looking for a coaching staff that that would “let me do what I know I’m capable of doing.”

He added, “And the last couple years, even out of high school, I was really just looking to get out of Wisconsin and just finding somewhere I'd be happy to play. Ever since I was young, I wanted to pick my own school and have options. I really didn't feel like I had that coming out of high school.”

Email IndyStar reporter David Woods at david.woods@indystar.com or call (317) 444-6195. Follow him on Twitter: @DavidWoods007.