Samis Calderon, a graduate of the NBA Academy Latin America who spent his freshman season at Kansas, has signed with Butler. The 6-8 forward will have three seasons of eligibility remaining, beginning with the 2026-27 season.
 
"Samis brings great experience from Kansas, Overtime Elite, the NBA Academy, and representing his country, but his best basketball is definitely still to come," said Butler head coach Ronald Nored. "He has physical traits you can't teach, including a 7-2 wingspan, and an extremely versatile skillset that will have an impact both offensively and defensively. He's tailor-made for the systems we are implementing and will be an incredible fit within our university and locker room."
 
At Kansas, Calderon played in 16 games (including eight Big 12 games) as a freshman, averaging 4.1 minutes per contest during the 2025-26 season.
 
He was a four-star signee who graduated from the NBA Academy Latin America and played two seasons at Overtime Elite (OTE) in Atlanta for coach Norm Richardson. He averaged 8.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.5 blocked shots per game for the OTE Cold Hearts in 2024-25. His output increased during the 2025 playoffs, averaging 14.2 points, 6.8 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 1.3 blocked shots.
 
Calderon has represented his native Brazil several times in international competition, including the 2023 FIBA U19 World Championships in Debrecen, Hungary, where he averaged 9.6 points, 5.6 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. He also competed for Brazil in the 2022 Under 18 Americas Championship and 2022 Under 18 South America Championship.
 
Nored enters his first season leading the men's basketball program at his alma mater. He helped the Bulldogs to back-to-back appearances in the NCAA national championship game as the starting point guard for coach Brad Stevens and concluded his playing career by earning Academic All-America honors in 2012. Nored has been part of coaching staffs with five NBA franchises, most recently serving as an assistant coach with the Atlanta Hawks for the last three seasons.
 
Season tickets for the upcoming 2026-27 basketball season are on sale now at butlersports.com/seasontickets. The Bulldogs will once again host all 10 BIG EAST rivals at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Fans can email tickets@butler.edu or call the ticket office at 317-940-3647 for more information on securing season tickets.