Lamont Butler, a basketball player for the Aztecs, is leaving SDSU to attend Kentucky.
Heading to Lexington to play in the SEC, the Final Four hero
One of the most cherished players in San Diego State basketball history will always be Lamont Butler. He will have a year to establish himself with one of the most prestigious programs in history.
The point guard is leaving Montezuma Mesa after four years to go to Kentucky. Butler, who is most known for his buzzer-beater that helped the Aztecs defeat Florida Atlantic and advance to the National Championship game in the 2023 Final Four, quickly found a new home after logging onto the NCAA Transfer Portal on Wednesday.
Three Mountain West Conference regular-season titles, two MWC Tournament titles, and the Aztecs’ first-ever back-to-back appearances in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 were all made possible in large part by Butler. During his last year of eligibility, Butler made the decision to explore his options. The Wildcats quickly made their move to come call.
Mark Pope, who most recently served as head coach of BYU, has seen Butler in person a few times. Pope is the new head coach of Kentucky. He is aware that he is getting a guard who is the current Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year in addition to being a tough, astute, and team-oriented player.
Due to Butler’s departure, San Diego State now has an additional scholarship available, and since Coach Brian Dutcher’s staff has been active on the portal, it is highly likely that another player will choose to play in America’s Finest City as a result of this move.
Butler is going to a place where Final Fours are anticipated, but he sent the Aztecs somewhere they had never been before. The Wildcats have made 12 appearances in the title game, eight victories at the national level, and seventeen trips to the Final Four. The only program in the world with more Division 1 victories than Kentucky is North Carolina in terms of total NCAA Tournament victories.
Butler will be an Aztec 4 even though the SEC is one of the top conferences in the nation and he may be testing his mettle.
