No worries needed about Lamont Butler’s health versus Troy

UK point guard showing no signs of being slowed down by any injury

MILWAUKEE, WI. (ABC36 NEWS NOW)- Graduate point guard Lamont Butler is good to go for 3 Kentucky men’s basketball’s first of hopefully many games in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.

The March Madness veteran is showing all the signs of being fit for the Wildcats’ matchup with 14 Troy on Friday, March 21 at 7:10 p.m. ET. Butler looked sharp and energized at UK’s pregame practice on Thursday afternoon.

Before he stepped onto the court, his first question fielded from the media was about his health. “It’s feeling better,” said Butler on his shoulder injury.

Butler is no doubt the key cog in the Mark Pope machine. Some of his season statistics are the best of his college career. Averaging double-figure scoring, leading the team in average assists per game with four and having a career-best season in multiple other categories is not just limited to the former San Diego State man.

Several of his teammates are reaping the benefits of Pope’s process.

“I think everybody is hungry this year,” said Butler. “I feel like a lot of us came from smaller schools or different places and we were able to compete at one of the best schools ever. We all wanted to be remembered here.”

The one area that Butler has the most experience in is the NCAA Tournament. His game-winning buzzer beating shot in 2023 sent shockwaves around the world.

“It’s LaMarch. That’s what we call him,” said forward Andrew Carr.

Perhaps that’s the category that’ll matter most in the first ever March Madness game in the Mark Pope era.

“Lamont’s so beautiful. He’s a quiet, confident leader. So he doesn’t have to say a whole lot. But when he talks, the whole team listens. I think Lamont would echo exactly the same thing that we’re saying. It’s just like, hey, this is all about us just being as non-distractible as possible, about focusing on the moment. That gives you the best chance to have success,” said Kentucky’s head coach.