A tremendous get for Mark Pope and Co.
The Kentucky Wildcats are on the board again, and boy, is this a big get.
On Thursday, it was reported that Kentucky had reached out to San Diego State transfer Lamont Butler.
Now, Butler is a Cat, according to KSR’s Matt Jones.
Source tells KSR Lamont Butler from San Diego State has committed to KENTUCKY
— Matt Jones (@KySportsRadio) April 26, 2024
Butler has been one of the true feel-good stories of college basketball in recent years as he went from a no-name recruit to a Final Four hero. He’s also the kind of player whose true impact cannot be measured from a mere box score, as he’s one of the best perimeter defenders in the spot.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound Butler was originally a 3-star recruit in the class of 2020 who signed with the Aztecs while holding scholarship offers from Washington, Harvard, Colorado, Boise State, and Saint Mary’s, among others.
Playing for Polytechnic High School in California, Butler was ranked 243rd nationally and 40th among point guards by 247 Sports Composite. He would play sparingly in his first collegiate season, averaging just 12.4 minutes in 28 games.
Year 2 was when Butler took off, as he would average 7.3 points on 39.1% shooting (32.9% from deep), 2.1 assists, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.7 steals in 25.4 minutes per game while collecting the first of three straight Mountain West All-Defensive Team honors.
Year 3 would be Butler’s true introduction to the national spotlight as the Aztecs made the national championship game before losing to UConn. That season saw Butler average 8.8 points on 42.1% shooting (34.2% from deep), 2.7 assists, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 26 minutes per contest.
Butler famously hit the buzzer-beater vs. Florida Atlantic in the national semifinal thriller vs. Florida Atlantic that sent the Aztecs to the program’s first national championship game appearance.
This past season, Butler averaged 9.3 points (42.1% shooting and 30.2% on 3-pointers), 3.0 assists, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 27.6 minutes per game. He was named the 2023-24 Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year.
Butler comes to Kentucky with 11 NCAA Tournament games under his belt, making him one of the most experienced players in America next season when it comes to the game’s biggest stage.
In San Diego State’s six-game NCAA Tournament run in 2023, Butler averaged 10.5 points on 50% shooting (38.9% on 3-pointers), 3.3 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.5 steals in 28 minutes per contest.
This year, he averaged 10.3 points on 45.5% shooting (28.6% on 3s), 4.3 assists, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.0 steals in 27.7 minutes in the Aztecs’ three NCAA Tournament games.
According to KenPom, Butler primarily played the 2 guard spot this season while occasionally playing the 1. So while he’s capable of running the point, Kentucky still needs to add a true point guard.
Kentucky now has Butler, Amari Williams, Travis Perry, and Colin Chandler secured for the 2024-25 Kentucky Basketball roster. Look for more commits to happen in the coming days as Kentucky hosts a bevy of transfers. It’s been a process, but it appears Mark Pope and Co. are starting to fill this roster out.
Get to know the newest Wildcat with these highlights!
A Sea of Blue comes loaded with Kentucky Wildcats links, news, analysis, and some other fun stuff, so be sure to like our Facebook page and then go follow us on Twitter. And as always, GO CATS!!!