After getting hired by Kentucky in April and having no structured roster to mesh with, Mark Pope quickly strung together the most experienced basketball squad in UK history.
Pope grabbed individuals from the transfer portal that rounded out a total of 845 collegiate games and around 8,000 points.
With that, seven of those players are listed seniors, fifth years and graduate students, but one of them in particular has more to offer than just age.
That one? San Diego State transfer Lamont Butler.
Unlike the other graduate students, Butler brings high-quality NCAA Tournament experience to the table as he was a part of the 2022-23 San Diego State Aztec team that soared to the National Championship game as a No. 5 seed.
“I have a lot of experience in a tournament and just playing college basketball in general, so I just want to continue to be a leader and echo my experiences out there on the court,” Butler said.
That season, San Diego State finished with a 32-7 record and won the Mountain West Tournament Championship. Along the way, Butler contributed 8.8 points, 2.7 rebounds and 3.2 assists per night while totaling 26 minutes per game on the hardwood.
The 6-foot-2 guard had a mediocre Mountain West Tournament, scoring 16 points in the first game against Colorado State, seven points in the semifinal against San Jose State and four points in the final against Utah State, however, his impact in the NCAA Tournament was way greater.
The Aztecs’ road to the Final Four began with a tight 63-57 first round win over No. 12 Charleston, which was entering the tournament on the back of a 31-3 record along with a CAA Conference Tournament win. In that opener, Butler’s stats amounted to seven points, two rebounds and five assists, shooting 3-5 from the field and 1-3 from deep.
The following game against No. 13 Furman, which was coming off of a 68-67 upset win over No. 4 Virginia, Butler dropped 12 points, six rebounds and six assists, disarming the Paladins from becoming the tournament’s “Cinderella team.”
Up next, in the Sweet Sixteen against No. 1 Alabama, Butler scored four points and totaled four rebounds and four assists as well, slightly contributing to the dethroning of the Crimson Tide, which congested all the talks of making the Final Four.
In the Elite-8 against No. 6 Creighton, Butler displayed his best performance of the tournament, scoring 18 points and grabbing two rebounds, engineering a 57-56 Aztec win to help book the program its first ever ticket to Final Four.
With the lights bright and the ear-piercing ringing of an overcrowded NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, San Diego State overruled No. 9 Florida Atlantic, ending the Owls’ dream of winning their first even championship in school history as well.
In that game, San Diego State found itself down 71-70 with seconds to go until Butler rose up and hit the most memorable shot of his life, sinking a jumper and fending off the Owls as the clock hit zero.
In the National Championship game, the Aztecs fell to No. 4 UConn 76-59 despite a 13-point outing from Butler, ending the team’s hopes of doing the improbable and shutting down its run to glory.
With that in the past, Butler looks to make the same kind of impact with the Cats this season and has high hopes of leading his team back to the National Championship.
The Cats open the inaugural campaign of the Pope era on Nov. 4 at Rupp Arena against Wright State. That game tips-off at 7 p.m. ET and can be viewed on ESPNU.
