Ethan Butler, a guard from New York City, has committed to Syracuse men's basketball, he announced on Instagram.
The 6-foot-6, 202-pound Butler played in the 2025-26 campaign for the Atlanta-based league Overtime Elite. According to the OTE's Web site, he was reportedly in the 2027 class, so this would suggest that Butler is re-classifying into the 2026 cycle.
Before that, he was a standout at the Saint Francis Preparatory School in Fresh Meadows, N.Y., which is a neighborhood in the New York City borough of Queens. Saint Francis Prep is a member of the prestigious New York state Catholic High School Athletic Association ("CHSAA").
Syracuse has added 6-foot-5 shooter Ethan Butler as a walk-on
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) June 6, 2026
A strong shooter who can get above the rim too, he played for the Diamond Doves of @OvertimeElite pic.twitter.com/q3nwPK0Ii5
Butler's pledge to the Orange means that all 15 roster spots for the upcoming 2026-27 campaign, under first-year head coach Gerry McNamara, have now been filled, assuming that Syracuse football freshman wide receiver Calvin Russell III returns to SU hoops for another stanza.
Congratulations to all who made the “AA” All-League Team and the Coach of the Year for the 2024-2025 season!
— CHSAA (@CHSAA_NYC) March 7, 2025
📷: @MovingPictureny #CHSAA pic.twitter.com/EQOuWkqDg9
Syracuse basketball has rounded out its 2026-27 roster.
According to his bio on the Verbal Commits Web site, Butler's scholarship offer sheet has included schools such as Siena, where McNamara was the head coach for two seasons before joining his alma mater in the same capacity, Fairfield, Long Island University, Fordham, Iona and Manhattan.
Best luck to @3thanbutler2026 as he will be transitioning out to @PhhPrep in Arizona & will be playing for the Diamond Doves in the @OvertimeElite league.
— Dave's Joint (@daves_joint) July 8, 2025
He will definitely be missed in the CHSAA & at @MensSfp. https://t.co/2BJsSEJ4tx
Last summer, word broke that Butler would transfer from Saint Francis Prep to the Phoenix-based PHH Prep, which operates as the Diamond Doves in Overtime Elite. The Diamond Doves struggled during the latest OTE campaign in 2025-26, going just 3-15 overall and missing the league's playoffs.
Blessed to receive a division 1 offer from Siena, thank you Coach Lee and Coach McNamara . pic.twitter.com/jRtd4vGbtj
— Ethan Butler (@3thanbutler2026) April 2, 2025
In 2025-26, Butler averaged 14.9 minutes, 5.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game while making 38.1 percent from the field and 82.4 percent from the free-throw line.
Both the former SU staff under then-head coach Adrian Autry, and the new Syracuse basketball staff under McNamara, are recruiting guys who suit up in Overtime Elite. For example, last month, the new Orange coaching staff re-offered a scholarship to 2027 four-star center Caleb Ourigou out of Overtime Elite and New York City-based Renaissance Hoops in Nike's EYBL league on the AAU circuits.
A huge congrats and welcome from Orange Nation to Ethan!
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