One of the key players in San Diego State's miraculous run to the national title game this spring will be back with the Aztecs this fall. Lamont Butler has removed his name from consideration for the NBA draft and will return to school following an announcement on social media Monday afternoon.
"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 in a statement released by the program. "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.
"I am looking forward to returning to school and completing my degree, and I'm excited to join my teammates for the opportunity to help lead our quest for another Mountain West championship and a return to the NCAA Tournament."
Butler opted to test out the NBA waters soon after the season ended but left open the possibility of a return to The Mesa. The rising senior from Moreno Valley was not invited to the NBA combine but did reportedly have workouts with the Memphis Grizzlies, Utah Jazz and Milwaukee Bucks.
The veteran guard never entered his name into the NCAA Transfer Portal prior to the spring window closing, so he was faced with the decision of returning to SDSU or remaining in the draft with the hopes of being selected next month.
His decision Monday erases any doubt, and Butler will finish out his storied career with the Aztecs.
Butler was a key part of the rotation at SDSU in his junior season making 38 starts for the Aztecs while averaging 8.8 points, a team-high 3.2 assists and 2.7 rebounds. However, he will be remembered most by SDSU fans as the player who sent the Aztecs to their first national championship game with his buzzer-beating jump shot against Florida Atlantic in the Final Four.
The basket sent the fifth-seeded Aztecs into the title game, and cemented Butler's place in program history.
His return means head coach Brian Dutcher and the SDSU staff will not have to completely revamp their starting five for the upcoming season. Most of the starters exhausted their eligibility at the end of the NCAA Tournament leaving just Butler and power forward Keshad Johnson as the two potential returning players in that first group.
Johnson recently announced his transfer to Arizona making Butler's decision all the more important for keeping continuity among the team coming off its historic postseason run.
Since the end of the season, the Aztecs added USC transfer guard and Pac-12 Sixth Man of the Year Reese Dixon-Waters giving SDSU another proven player on the perimeter to move into the starting unit.
Now, the team will wait on a decision from big man Jadon LeDee, who has also been going through the NBA draft process alongside Butler. The senior from Houston has specifically kept the option of returning to school on the table, and he will have until May 31 to make a final decision.
Wednesday is the NCAA deadline for players with remaining eligibility to return to school and withdraw from the NBA draft.
