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Basketball USBWA names UK's Butler national player of the week

ATHLETICS COMMUNICATIONS AND PUBLIC RELATIONS
MEN’S BASKETBALL

DEC. 17, 2024 



USBWA Tabs Lamont Butler National Player of the Week

Butler scored a career-high 33 points in Kentucky’s win over Louisville


LEXINGTON, Ky. – Lamont Butler’s legendary performance vs. Louisville this past Saturday continues to reverberate throughout the basketball world as the UK point guard was selected as one of five U.S. Basketball Writers Association national Division I players of the week, it was announced on Tuesday.

Returning from a brief two-game absence due to injury, Butler scored a career-high 33 points in the Wildcats’ rivalry victory over Louisville last Saturday, going a perfect 10-of-10 from the field and 6-of-6 from 3-point range.

Butler’s 33 points were the second most ever by a Wildcat against Louisville, and his six-made threes tied for the most by a UK player in the rivalry. He also dished out a game-high six assists in the 93-85 victory inside Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center.

The 10-for-10 shooting performance tied for the third-best in program history. Only Rodney Dent (12 for 12 vs. Morehead State on Dec. 17, 1993) and Kenny Walker (11 of 11 vs. Western Kentucky on March 16, 1986) had better outings. The 6-for-6 performance behind the arc trails only Wenyen Gabriel’s 7-for-7 day in the SEC Tournament on March 10, 2018.

Since 1996-97, Butler is the only Division I player to make all of his shots, score at least 33 points and chart at least six assists. He’s just the second SEC player to finish with 30 or more points and hit all his shot attempts in the last 20 seasons. The 33 points are the most by a Division I player with a perfect field-goal percentage in any game this season.

In addition to the USBWA honors, Butler was also selected as the Co-Player of the Week by the Southeastern Conference. The Moreno Valley, California native is averaging 15.1 points, 4.1 assists and 3.1 rebounds in nine games this season.

USBWA’s five honorees for the week ending Dec. 15 include:

  • Lamont Butler, Kentucky
  • Tarence Guinyard, UT Martin
  • Jamichael Stillwell, Milwaukee
  • Taryn Todd, Arkansas State
  • Brice Williams, Nebraska
Kentucky returns to action at the CBS Sports Classic inside Madison Square Garden on Saturday. The Cats will take on Ohio State at 5:30 p.m. ET.

Most Valuable Thing You've Ever Found

$100 bill, PX parking lot near military bank in Giessen, Germany, 1988.
$40 (2 - $20 bills) about 6:30 am one morning near a bar while walking to the bus stop last year.
$20 bill in a ditch down the street from our house last year.
$20 bill near the Virginia-Tennessee state line on Bristol Rd, Shawanee, TN about 3 years ago. Next day, I found a $5 bill in the same area. Both times while hiking to the beer store. Somebody probably had their window rolled down and the $ blew out.

How about y'all?

What's the Biggest Brawl in UK Basketball History?

The biggest fight I can remember in UK Basketball History is when Riddick choked Rasheed Wallace from UNCheats in the '95 Tournament. Riddick was responding to a brutal elbow to the jaw thrown by Wallace. I don't think anyone on either team left the bench and the fight got broken up quickly, but the refs somehow mistook Walter McCarty for Riddick and gave Walter the technical. It was an odd start to a disappointing game, but I think it lit the fire that helped propel us to the '96 title. Are there any bigger brawls in UK Basketball History that I can't remember?
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