San Diego Union-Tribune

FUTURE AZTEC BUTLER A PERFECT FIT

Riverside Poly senior doesn’t care about his stats, just winning

- BY MARK ZEIGLER

Three thoughts on No. 15 San Diego State’s 73-57 win against Cal Poly at Viejas Arena on Saturday:

1. As rare as they come

In San Diego on Saturday afternoon but not at Viejas Arena was Lamont Butler Jr., the 6-foot-1 senior point guard from Riverside Poly who committed to the Aztecs last June. He was just up the freeway, playing at the same time in the 30th annual Holiday

Classic against some of the best teams in the nation.

Butler’s final game in the tournament is today at 12:10 p.m. at the Torrey Pines High gymnasium against Saint Augustine, the topranked team in the San Diego section.

What you’ll see is a 17-year-old who has uncanny court vision and is uniquely unselfish, sometimes to a fault.

“This is my 30th year coaching high school basketball, and he is as rare as they come,” Poly

Aztecs vs. Fresno St.

Wednesday: Noon, Viejas Arena

On the air: 1360-AM

101.5-FM,

coach Yancy Dodson said after Butler had 12 points, eight rebounds and eight assists in a 72-57 win against Foothills Christian on Thursday. “Most high school players and high school parents have conversati­ons about running plays for my son or scoring points or getting social media tweets and everything else, and he cares nothing about any of that.

“He’s going to be a great fit for San Diego State. He fits into that mold of unselfishn­ess that has got them to No. 15 in the country. He defends and he cares nothing about his own personal statistics. He literally gets more joy out of seeing his teammates have success and his team being successful.”

Dodson isn’t just spewing platitudes. An undersized Poly team is 11-2, and Butler has led his team in scoring in only four of them. He has dominated games in almost every other statistica­l category.

“I don’t know my stats and I don’t care about them,” Butler said. “I just

 ?? HAYNE PALMOUR IV U-T ?? Matt Mitchell and the Aztecs have not shot well in the three games they’ve used the new Nike ball.
HAYNE PALMOUR IV U-T Matt Mitchell and the Aztecs have not shot well in the three games they’ve used the new Nike ball.
 ?? PETER AIKEN GETTY IMAGES ?? Tailback Melvin Gordon likely played last game with team.
PETER AIKEN GETTY IMAGES Tailback Melvin Gordon likely played last game with team.
 ??  ?? Lamont Butler Jr.
Lamont Butler Jr.

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