Latest news with #LamontButler
USA Today
25-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 Lakers draft prospects: Lamont Butler
2025 Lakers draft prospects: Lamont Butler The Los Angeles Lakers will not have a first-round draft pick this year, but they will have the No. 55 overall pick in the second round. While the odds of ending up with a serviceable player that low in the draft are minuscule, the Lakers have been able to find diamonds in the rough in the second round in recent years. They appear to be doing some due diligence in order to make the most out of that No. 55 selection. They were scheduled to work out Samson Johnson, a big man from the University of Connecticut, and Lamont Butler, a guard who played for the University of Kentucky Wildcats this past season, will reportedly work out for Los Angeles. Butler is a small guard who is 6-foot-2 and 200 pounds, and he averaged 11.4 points, 2.9 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.6 steals a game on 49.8% from the field and 39.1% from 3-point range during the 2024-25 campaign. Before that, he spent four seasons with San Diego State University, where he was named the Mountain West Conference Defensive Player of the Year during the 2023-24 season. He is a native of Southern California. He grew up in Moreno Valley in the Inland Empire, and he went to Riverside Polytechnic High School, where he broke NBA legend Reggie Miller's career school scoring mark. He received offers from several colleges, including the University of Southern California, before he committed to San Diego State. His defensive abilities and improving outside shooting could appeal to a Lakers team that needs more of those qualities from its backcourt and wing players in order to become a true championship contender next season.
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Kentucky guard guarantees win against Tennessee basketball in Sweet 16
Tennessee and Kentucky will play for a third time during the 2024-25 basketball season. The Vols advanced to the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 with a, 67-58, win against No. 7 seed UCLA in the second round. Kentucky advanced to the Sweet 16 after defeating No. 6 seed Illinois, 84-75. Advertisement Following the Wildcats' second-round win over Illinois, Kentucky graduate student guard Lamont Butler guaranteed a victory against Tennessee in the Sweet 16 matchup. "We're just battle-tested throughout this whole conference," Butler said in a postgame press conference. "(The) conference was a beast. We had a lot of good teams that we played, but we stayed resilient, stayed together, and it showed today. "Everybody was playing with love and passion for one another, and we can't focus about anything but the next game. We just have a lot of love, and we're going to win that game." Tipoff between No. 2 seed Tennessee (29-7) and No. 3 seed Kentucky (25-11) is scheduled for 7:39 p.m. EDT on Friday (TBS/truTV). The game will be contested at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Indiana. Predicting winners for all Sweet 16 games This article originally appeared on Vols Wire: Kentucky basketball player guarantees victory of Vols in Sweet 16
USA Today
29-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Tennessee vs. Kentucky basketball score: Vols stomp Wildcats to reach Elite Eight
Tennessee vs. Kentucky basketball score: Vols stomp Wildcats to reach Elite Eight Show Caption Hide Caption Should the NCAA transfer portal open before the end of March Madness? Rick Pitino, John Calipari and even J.J. Watt sound off on the transfer portal opening during the NCAA Tournament. Sports Seriously Kentucky won the first two meetings this season, but Tennessee won the third and most important one, and now the Volunteers are rewarded with a trip to the Elite Eight of the men's NCAA Tournament. No. 2 seeded Tennessee finally got the best of No. 3 seeded Kentucky as a hot first half propelled the Volunteers past the Wildcats 78-65 for the win in the Sweet 16. Tennessee led nearly the entire contest, and the lead was in double-digits for the entire second half. Zakai Zeigler has been the leader for Tennessee all season, and the 5-foot-9-inch guard did it again Friday night with 18 points and nine assists. Tennessee now heads to its second consecutive Elite Eight, and Rick Barnes' team will have another chance to get the program's first Final Four trip. USA TODAY Sports followed the top moments from Friday's game: Tennessee wins 78-65. Kentucky's offense has improved, but Tennessee continued to knock down shots to maintain a big lead. Zakai Ziegler led all scorers with 18 points, while Tennessee teammate Chaz Lanier added 17 points. Jordan Gainey also has 16 points. Kentucky's leading scorer was Lamont Butler with 18 points. No. 2 seed Tennessee beat No. 3 seed Kentucky 78-65. Watch the video for best action from the game. Ziegler leads Tennessee with a game-high 18 points. He also has nine assists and a rebound. He set the single-season SEC record with his dimes Friday. Williams has 11 points for Kentucky. He was much of the Wildcat offense in the first half, and teammate Lamont Butler has 15 points. Tennessee scored five points in seven seconds. After a Felix Okpara dunk, Chaz Lanier stole the pass and gave it to Zeigler, who knocked down a 3-pointer. The Tennessee crowd went crazy and Kentucky coach Mark Pope called a timeout. After a quiet first half with six points, Lanier has found a rhythm in the second half to keep the Volunteers in front. He is 4-for-7 from the field out of halftime and now has 15 points. Kentucky is trying to cut the deficit and Carr is doing his part. He had a major dunk early in the second half. Tennessee leads 43-28 at halftime. The Volunteer offense shook off a slow start and were on fire for a majority of the first half, getting offensive rebounds to convert into second-chance points while Kentucky struggled to get buckets. Tennessee led by as many as 19 points, but the Wildcats cut the deficit before the end of the half. The Volunteers are clicking with an 8-0 run to take a commanding 19-point lead with just under three minutes left in the first half. Meanwhile, Kentucky has missed its last seven shot attempts and hasn't scored in more than three minutes. Zeigler is 5-foot-9-inches, the shortest player on Tennessee. The early lead for Tennessee can be attributed to the early dominance on the boards. Tennessee is out rebounding Kentucky 13-6 so far. Six of Tennessee's rebounds have come on the offensive end, leading to nine second-chance points. The 3-point shot is working for Tennessee with three buckets from downtown to fuel a 10-3 run. Tennessee took a 10 point lead eight minutes into the game. Rocky Top royalty is inside Lucas Oil Stadium. Super Bowl-winning quarterback and former Volunteer Peyton Manning was shown on the broadcast. The first NCAA Tournament game between the Wildcats and Volunteers has tipped off. After both teams went scoreless in the first 90 seconds, Volunteers forward Igor Milicic Jr. hit two free throws to get the scoring started. Chaz Lanier, G Zakai Zeigler, G Jahmai Mashack, G Igor Milicic Jr., F Felix Okpara, C Otega Oweh, G Lamont Butler, G Koby Brea, G Andrew Carr, F Amari Williams, F What time is Kentucky vs. Tennessee basketball today? March Madness continues Friday with the Sweet 16 matchup between the No. 3 seeded Kentucky Wildcats and the No. 2 seeded Tennessee Volunteers. The action kicks off at 7:39 p.m. ET Where to watch Kentucky vs. Tennessee: TV, streaming coverage TV channels: TBS and TruTV TBS and TruTV Live stream: Max and Sling Watch March Madness with Sling Men's NCAA Tournament games will be broadcast across CBS, TBS, and TruTV channels. You can also watch Sweet 16 action via these streaming options: Max and Sling for games carried on TNT, TBS, TruTV. Games carried on CBS are available on Fubo, which offers a free trial subscription to new users. Watch March Madness games on CBS with Fubo The Tennessee Volunteers are favorites to beat the Kentucky Wildcats, according to BetMGM odds as of Friday, March 28. Spread : Tennessee (-4.5) : Tennessee (-4.5) Moneyline : Tennessee (-210); Kentucky (+170) : Tennessee (-210); Kentucky (+170) O/U: 144.5 Three of our four experts are expecting Tennessee to continue dancing into the Elite Eight. Only USA TODAY's Craig Meyer is predicting Kentucky to win and advance. However, AZ Central's Jeremy Cluff and Louisville Courier Journal's Ryan Black are both taking Kentucky to cover the 4.5-point spread. That leaves Knoxville News Sentinel's Mike Wilson as the lone wolf laying the points with the Volunteers. Meyer and Wilson are taking the under 144.5-point total, while Cluff and Black are on the over. — Nick Brinkerhoff The Kentucky Wildcats hold a 163-78 series record over the Tennessee Volunteers. The most recent matchup saw Kentucky beat Tennessee 75-64 on Feb. 11, 2025. The Kentucky Wildcats have won eight national championships, with their most recent coming in 2012. They have appeared in the finals 12 times and the Final Four 17 times. The Tennessee Volunteers have never won a men's national championship. They have advanced as far as the Elite Eight twice (2010, 2024). The program also claims 11 Sweet 16 appearances. Odds to win the men's NCAA national championship, according to BetMGM odds as of Friday, March 28. Here's a full look at the favorites to win the men's tournament: Duke (+180) Florida (+275) Houston (+550) Auburn (+575) Alabama (+1200) Tennessee (+2000) Texas Tech (+2200) Michigan State (+2500) Kentucky (+8000) Michigan (+9000) Ole Miss (+10000) Purdue (+12500) Both teams have looked great so far in the tournament, but Tennessee's defense appears to have reached another gear in hopes of clinching its first Final Four spot. As for Kentucky, it's hard to beat a team twice, but it's a greater challenge to do it three times in one season. The Volunteers' defense tightens up and finally gets the best of Kentucky to advance to the Elite Eight. — Jordan Mendoza BOLD PREDICTIONS: Who keeps rolling Sweet 16, Elite Eight? USA TODAY experts set their predictions ahead of the men's NCAA Tournament. Here is who they picked before the madness. Jordan Mendoza Full bracket Final Four : Michigan State, Florida, Duke, Houston : Michigan State, Florida, Duke, Houston Final : Florida vs. Houston : Florida vs. Houston National champion: Houston NCAA Tournament Survivor Pool: Join USA Today's Survivor Pool sweepstakes for a shot at $1 million prize Paul Myerberg Full bracket Final Four : Auburn, St. John's, Duke, Tennessee : Auburn, St. John's, Duke, Tennessee Final : Auburn vs. Duke : Auburn vs. Duke National champion: Duke Eddie Timanus Full bracket Final Four : Auburn, Florida, Duke, Houston : Auburn, Florida, Duke, Houston Final : Florida vs. Duke : Florida vs. Duke National champion: Florida Dan Wolken Full bracket Final Four : Michigan State, Florida, Duke, Houston : Michigan State, Florida, Duke, Houston Final : Florida vs. Duke : Florida vs. Duke National champion: Duke BRACKET PREDICTIONS: Expert picks for men's NCAA Tournament On the men's side, the Final Four is scheduled for Saturday, April 5. The NCAA championship game will take place two days later on Monday, April games will played at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. For the women, the Final Four will be played on Friday, April 4 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. The championship game will be Sunday at 3 p.m. at the same venue.
NBC Sports
26-03-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Lamont Butler has performed on Final Four stage before. He wants to get back there with a new school
Lamont Butler doesn't want to settle for just one shining moment on a Final Four stage. The guy who made the buzzer beater to send San Diego State to the 2023 NCAA Tournament championship game is confident he can get back there as a fifth-year senior with Kentucky. He has his new teammates believing that as well heading into No. 3 seed Kentucky's Midwest Region semifinal matchup with No. 2 seed Tennessee (29-7) in Indianapolis. 'I will say from day one our focus was winning a national championship,' Butler said. 'The expectation here at Kentucky is to win. And we've got a bunch of winners here, and we want to continue that tradition.' This Kentucky team is a little different from any other in its storied history, which is why Butler's tournament experience with San Diego State has been so essentially. Kentucky (24-11) didn't return a single player who scored a point for the Wildcats last season. New coach Mark Pope essentially built a roster from scratch. Nine transfers had to get accustomed to playing together. Butler emerged as the leader of the group. Kentucky teammate Andrew Carr referenced it before the tournament when he jokingly referred to Butler as 'LaMarch.' Knowing how to make things happen The Wildcats look up to him in part because they know what he's accomplished. The 6-foot-2 guard is making his fifth straight tournament appearance. His jumper as time expired in a 2023 NCAA semifinal gave San Diego State a 72-71 victory over Florida Atlantic, sending the Aztecs into a championship game they lost to UConn. 'Most of us talk about what happened to us,' Pope said. 'We talk about what happened to us. And champions, winners talk about what they made happen. It's just the truth. It's true. 'Lamont Butler is spending his whole lifetime talking about what he makes happen, and that's a champion's heart. And he doesn't spend any time talking about what happened to him. He talks about all the stuff he makes happen. When you have a guy like that leading your crew like that, it's pretty special.' Pope related a story from last summer when he was on the road recruiting and the team had planned something for a player who was going through a difficult family situation: 'I called in to check with that player and see how the day went, and he had scrapped all the plans because Lamont scooped him up and they spent the day together. And Lamont did that because that's who he is. He cares.' Butler said he knew even around that time that this Kentucky team was capable of putting together a run similar to the one his San Diego State team made two years ago - and perhaps doing even more. 'I kind of expected us to be in a good position from the summer to go win a national championship,' Butler said prior to the NCAA Tournament. 'That's on our mind. That's what we're going to do.' Fighting through a shoulder problem Butler is averaging 11.1 points and 4.3 assists – career highs in both categories – despite dealing with a left shoulder injury dating to mid-January that cost him six games. He hurt it again in the Southeastern Conference Tournament and didn't play in a quarterfinal loss to Alabama. Butler returned for a 76-57 first-round NCAA victory over Troy and didn't score at all, but he still contributed in so many other ways that he had a plus-minus rating of plus-22. Butler, who has been wearing a brace on the shoulder, had 14 points and five assists in an 84-75 second-round triumph over Illinois. 'He's really a dog,' Kentucky guard Otega Oweh said. 'Going out there with one arm and giving it his all. He's playing defense, and on top of that, he's getting us into our offense. When you have someone that's doing that, it just trickles down. You just want to out there and fight for him, too.' Butler had three of Kentucky's 14 steals against Illinois. After the game, Kentucky guard Koby Brea had a simple explanation for why the Wildcats were able to force Illinois into so many turnovers. 'We have Lamont Butler as the head of defense,' Brea said. 'So I feel like for any team, when you see him pick you up, it has to put something in your stomach, some nerves or something.' Butler scares his opponents while calming his teammates. He's providing the presence this team full of transfers needed as they try to get Kentucky back to the Final Four for the first time in a decade. 'I think everybody is hungry this year,' Butler said. '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.' Butler already was going to be remembered for that shot he hit two years ago. Now he's creating a whole new set of memories while wearing a different uniform.
Fox Sports
26-03-2025
- Sport
- Fox Sports
Lamont Butler has performed on Final Four stage before. He wants to get back there with a new school
Associated Press Lamont Butler doesn't want to settle for just one shining moment on a Final Four stage. The guy who made the buzzer beater to send San Diego State to the 2023 NCAA Tournament championship game is confident he can get back there as a fifth-year senior with Kentucky. He has his new teammates believing that as well heading into No. 3 seed Kentucky's Midwest Region semifinal matchup with No. 2 seed Tennessee (29-7) on Friday in Indianapolis. 'I will say from day one our focus was winning a national championship,' Butler said. 'The expectation here at Kentucky is to win. And we've got a bunch of winners here, and we want to continue that tradition.' This Kentucky team is a little different from any other in its storied history, which is why Butler's tournament experience with San Diego State has been so essentially. Kentucky (24-11) didn't return a single player who scored a point for the Wildcats last season. New coach Mark Pope essentially built a roster from scratch. Nine transfers had to get accustomed to playing together. Butler emerged as the leader of the group. Kentucky teammate Andrew Carr referenced it before the tournament when he jokingly referred to Butler as 'LaMarch.' Knowing how to make things happen The Wildcats look up to him in part because they know what he's accomplished. The 6-foot-2 guard is making his fifth straight tournament appearance. His jumper as time expired in a 2023 NCAA semifinal gave San Diego State a 72-71 victory over Florida Atlantic, sending the Aztecs into a championship game they lost to UConn. 'Most of us talk about what happened to us,' Pope said. 'We talk about what happened to us. And champions, winners talk about what they made happen. It's just the truth. It's true. 'Lamont Butler is spending his whole lifetime talking about what he makes happen, and that's a champion's heart. And he doesn't spend any time talking about what happened to him. He talks about all the stuff he makes happen. When you have a guy like that leading your crew like that, it's pretty special.' Pope related a story from last summer when he was on the road recruiting and the team had planned something for a player who was going through a difficult family situation: 'I called in to check with that player and see how the day went, and he had scrapped all the plans because Lamont scooped him up and they spent the day together. And Lamont did that because that's who he is. He cares.' Butler said he knew even around that time that this Kentucky team was capable of putting together a run similar to the one his San Diego State team made two years ago - and perhaps doing even more. 'I kind of expected us to be in a good position from the summer to go win a national championship,' Butler said prior to the NCAA Tournament. 'That's on our mind. That's what we're going to do.' Fighting through a shoulder problem Butler is averaging 11.1 points and 4.3 assists – career highs in both categories – despite dealing with a left shoulder injury dating to mid-January that cost him six games. He hurt it again in the Southeastern Conference Tournament and didn't play in a quarterfinal loss to Alabama. Butler returned for a 76-57 first-round NCAA victory over Troy and didn't score at all, but he still contributed in so many other ways that he had a plus-minus rating of plus-22. Butler, who has been wearing a brace on the shoulder, had 14 points and five assists in an 84-75 second-round triumph over Illinois. 'He's really a dog,' Kentucky guard Otega Oweh said. 'Going out there with one arm and giving it his all. He's playing defense, and on top of that, he's getting us into our offense. When you have someone that's doing that, it just trickles down. You just want to out there and fight for him, too.' Butler had three of Kentucky's 14 steals against Illinois. After the game, Kentucky guard Koby Brea had a simple explanation for why the Wildcats were able to force Illinois into so many turnovers. 'We have Lamont Butler as the head of defense,' Brea said. 'So I feel like for any team, when you see him pick you up, it has to put something in your stomach, some nerves or something.' Butler scares his opponents while calming his teammates. He's providing the presence this team full of transfers needed as they try to get Kentucky back to the Final Four for the first time in a decade. 'I think everybody is hungry this year,' Butler said. '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.' Butler already was going to be remembered for that shot he hit two years ago. Now he's creating a whole new set of memories while wearing a different uniform. ___ AP March Madness bracket: and coverage: Get poll alerts and updates on the AP Top 25 throughout the season. Sign up here. recommended
