Why Samu Adler Could be Butler's Biggest Surprise
At just 18, the 6'6 guard took home Finals MVP honors in Finland's top league.
Butler's most intriguing newcomer may be Samu Adler, an 18-year-old guard who arrives after winning Finals MVP in Finland's top professional league. In fact, when looking at a sleeper addition to the Big East next year, Adler is certainly worthy of consideration.
The 6’6 guard from Finland comes in with strong credentials: Rookie of the Year and 6th Man of the Year in the top league in Finland, and a 2026 campaign in which he earned Finals MVP in a thrilling seven-game series.
When his Salon Vilpas team needed him most, Adler was at his best in game seven — finishing with 32 points, eight rebounds, and five assists as his team rallied from a 2-0 hole in the series to take the title.
His 32-point outburst in the finale wasn’t a one-off, as earlier in the series Adler went for 27 points in game 1 and 28 in game 4. He averaged 19.8 points per game in the playoffs at just 18 years old.
While Korisliiga isn't among Europe's top leagues, Adler wasn't producing against junior competition. The league features a number of former Division I and G League players.
When the preseason predictions come out in October, Butler will likely be picked near the bottom of the league, and if they are to surprise in Ronald Nored’s first season at the helm, Adler and fellow import Asim Dulovic figure to be at the heart of it.
The Bulldogs’ backcourt will be unproven, but not without upside.
Jalen Jackson returns after missing virtually all of the last season. He played in just six games for Butler (9.5 points, 3.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds), but shined two seasons ago at Purdue Fort Wayne (19.2 PPG).
Meanwhile, Jordan Ellerbee comes in from Florida Gulf Coast after setting freshman scoring records last season.
Adler’s tape jumps out — especially considering the stakes of the games I watched (all three were in the finals). At 6'6, he'll manipulate pick-and-roll opportunities and is particularly comfortable creating jump shots off the bounce.
Some numbers that stand out:
Adler is an excellent pick-and-roll scorer, ranking in the 84th percentile
He shot 17-26 on hand-offs and made 38% of his jump shots off the dribble
Defensively, opponents shot 32% when being guarded by him last year
Adler had good assist-to-turnover numbers (115 assists, 96 turnovers) as well.
Like many young shooters, there are instances in which he forced his way into some difficult shots, and he dribbled into trouble at times as well. Adler’s numbers as a catch-and-shoot shooter weren’t great last season either (29.9%).
Regardless, it was hard not to think back to watching a similar unknown last summer in Stefan Vaaks. That’s not to say Adler is Vaaks (he’s three years younger), but Vaaks was off the radar of most Big East fans last offseason before he went to work in November.
Where Vaaks popped more in his European tape was as a passer, but Adler is a comparable shooter. Vaaks had terrific numbers when shooting off the dribble in 2024-25 (44.2%), while Adler hit on 38% of his shots off the bounce.
Here’s a look at Adler’s tape from the finals:
The Final Word
There’s much to like about Butler’s addition of Adler — as both a secondary creator at 6’6 and a game-tilting scorer. Despite Jackson’s return and Ellerbee’s big freshman season, Adler has the look of a potential day-one starter. His ability to get his own shots off screen-and-roll action is impressive, while his production in a professional league speaks for itself.
It wouldn’t be surprising to see Adler work his way onto the All-Freshman team next season.
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