Top-50 transfer Lamont Butler explains ‘no-brainer’ Kentucky basketball commitment

The significant overhaul inside the Kentucky basketball program affected both the coaching staff and the roster, and more than half of the players on Mark Pope’s debut squad are products of the transfer portal. Former San Diego State point guard Lamont Butler is one of nine Wildcat portal commits and a key piece of the nation’s fourth-largest transfer class. The veteran floor general said he has “always been a Kentucky fan,” and for his final year of eligibility, he becomes a cornerstone of a team he followed closely throughout his career.

Butler brings two-way playmaking ability to the Wildcats as the reigning two-time Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year. Not only did he average 1.4 steals per game across 131 contests with the Aztecs, but he also made some of the most important offensive contributions in program history, like the game-winning buzzer-beater in the 2023 Final Four.

“I’ve always been a Kentucky fan,” Butler said in an interview with the UK Sports Network. “I think my first year loving Kentucky was when John Wall was there in 2009-10. It was John Wall, (DeMarcus) Cousins, Patrick Patterson, Eric Bledsoe. Those were the guys I really started watching college basketball with, and then I’ve always been a Kentucky fan from there. I never thought I’d have this opportunity to be here, coming out of high school or even getting into the portal, but I’m very glad and grateful that I’m able to be here.”

Butler enjoyed the best offensive year of his career in 2023-24, as he averaged a personal-best 9.3 points per game on a career-high 48.5% clip from the field. The final stanza of his tremendous stint with San Diego State earned him prized billing in the transfer portal as a four-star prospect and the No. 44 overall player and No. 11 point guard in the 2024 cycle.

“The transfer portal was very quick for me,” said Butler. “I think as soon as I entered the portal, Kentucky was one of the main schools that was on me. I think I committed maybe three or four days in the portal, so it was a very quick portal. I think it was a no-brainer. Once Coach Pope told me his plan and how he saw me fit into that, I was ready to go.”