San Diego State Final Four hero Lamont Butler announced Monday that he is withdrawing his name from the NBA draft and returning for a fourth season.
Butler, a 6-foot-2 guard, announced in April that he was planning to test the NBA draft waters.
“After exploring my options and following discussions with both my family and advisors, I have decided to return to San Diego State for my senior season,” Butler said. “I’d like to thank everyone I worked with over the last two months, from NBA teams and scouts to the people at Impact Basketball in Las Vegas. I’d also like to thank our coaching staff for allowing me the opportunity to gain valuable insight into what it takes to play at the next level.”
Butler permanently etched his name in San Diego State lore by swishing a buzzer-beating shot as time expired to give the Aztecs a 72-71 victory over Florida Atlantic in the Final Four. The shot elevated San Diego State to the national championship game, where it fell 76-59 to UConn.
Butler was a member of the All-NCAA Tournament team after scoring in double digits in three of the Aztecs’ six games.
Butler averaged 8.8 points, 3.2 assists and 2.7 rebounds and accumulated 57 steals and 40 3-pointers in 39 games (38 starts) for the Aztecs this season. The two-time All-Mountain West Defensive Team selection has 127 career steals in 94 games (65 starts).
–Field Level Media
