You need to see how crazy Lamont Butler has changed.

When Lamont Butler chose San Diego State over schools like Washington, Boise State, Harvard, and Saint Mary’s, he was a 3-star talent according to 247Sports who wasn’t getting a lot of attention. Butler, who was 6’1″ and 175 pounds, had a lot of promise, but it wasn’t a sure thing that he would become one of the Aztecs’ best players. After that, he worked hard and led his team to the Final Four.

As a great guard, he is currently leading the Cats. Butler’s physical and statistical changes—he is now measured at 6’2″ and 205 pounds—show how hard he works and how much he loves the game.

Butler only scored 4.3 points per game in 12.4 minutes as a rookie in 2020–21, making 39.6% of his field goal attempts. Now that it’s the 2024–25 season, the senior guard has become a dominant force, scoring 15.1 points, 4.1 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game while shooting an impressive 60.8% from the field and 48.1% from triple-point range. Significant progress has been made by him during his college years, as shown by his improvement as a scorer, distributor, and defense.

Butler’s commitment to getting in better shape has been a big part of his success. Since his freshman year, he has gained 30 pounds of muscle, which has made him a more flexible and durable player. The extra weight has made him stronger, which has helped him finish at the basket, play defense, and handle the tough college schedule.

Butler has had a big effect on Kentucky through his leadership and dependability, not just through the numbers. When he went into the portal, Mark Pope made it a point to send all of his workers out west to find him and hire him. Now, the same coaches trust him to play a bigger role, and he’s lived up to their hopes by becoming an effective playmaker and shot-maker for a team with high hopes.

Butler’s story shows how important it is to work hard and not give up. His story shows that in college basketball, progress depends on hard work as much as it does on natural ability. He went from being an overlooked recruit to a key member of one of the best teams in the country. He kept working and is now doing very well.