Ex-Cat Lamont Butler shares his thoughts on this UK basketball team
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- Former UK basketball player Lamont Butler shares his thoughts on the 2025-26 Wildcats.
- Butler was the starting point guard for Mark Pope’s first Kentucky team last season.
- On Monday night, Butler was a guest on Pope’s weekly radio show.
One of the most beloved players from Mark Pope’s first Kentucky basketball team has weighed in with his thoughts on this season’s group of Wildcats.
On Monday night, ex-Cat Lamont Butler was a guest on Pope’s weekly radio show. Butler suited up in 27 games (all starts) for UK last season, although he was limited from January onward due to a left shoulder injury.
Butler — who averaged career highs in points (11.4), assists (4.3) and rebounds (2.9) last season with the Cats — also suffered an injury setback to begin his professional career. He’s currently recovering from a torn meniscus and a torn ACL that will keep him out for the 2025-26 season .Butler in October signed an Exhibit 10 contract — a one-year, minimum-salary, non-guaranteed deal — with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks.
Appearing on Monday’s radio program, Butler said he watched Kentucky’s weekend win over Indiana and was struck by the energy UK played with.
“I feel like the energy was there,” Butler said. “The energy, the effort from everybody was really high. I think Mo Dioubate did a great job of bringing that toughness and effort. Everybody kind of followed along, and I think that’s what it takes sometimes.”
Butler — who when healthy was UK’s starting point guard last season — also shouted out junior forward Brandon Garrison for his performance after Garrison was benched in UK’s previous game.
Garrison is one of four holdovers from last season’s team still with the Wildcats, alongside sophomores Collin Chandler and Trent Noah and senior Otega Oweh.
“I was really proud of BG and how he bounced back from his other games he’s played and the energy he brought,” Butler said of Garrison, who had six points, five rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal against Indiana. “It was a team effort, and that’s what it’s going to take all year. Every game.
“People don’t understand how hard it is to win college basketball games. You need the whole team, everybody hitting on the right cylinders. Everybody going toward the same goal. I think it’s turning out really well for the team.”
Butler said his own rehab process has been going well. In fact, Butler’s father sent Pope a video of his son already walking as part of his recovery. Butler said he had surgery four weeks ago and that it’s been about seven weeks since he sustained his season-ending injury.
“I’m getting rehab treatment five, six days a week,” Butler said. “I’ve been getting stronger. I’ve been walking without crutches now, able to lift my leg on my own, not (needing to have) my girlfriend take me to the bathroom. Being able to be independent and do stuff on my own. It’s been a process, but I’m starting to progress really well.”
Pope said he texted and called Butler after he heard about Butler’s injury.
As Butler continues his own journey back to the basketball court, Kentucky will return this week to the site of the first standout moment from Butler’s lone UK season.
Kentucky (7-4) faces No. 22 St. John’s (6-3) on Saturday afternoon at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. That’s the same facility where Pope’s first UK squad upset Duke in the third game of last season as part of the Champions Classic.
In that famous win over the Blue Devils, Butler had nine points, a team-high four assists and three rebounds.
“That might be one of my favorite games I played as a Kentucky Wildcat,” Butler said. “... It was our first time really feeling some adversity throughout the season. We were down at halftime, and we got down in the second half and we just rallied together, took the game over. ...It was just a surreal moment, being able to play in a big-time Kentucky versus Duke game, one that I had watched so many times as a kid.”
