Mark Pope consoles Lamont Butler outside locker room following NCAA Tournament loss

On Friday, Kentucky‘s season came to an end, and with it, seven seniors’ collegiate careers. Point guard Lamont Butler is one of those seniors. After Kentucky’s 78-65 loss to Tennessee in the Sweet Sixteen, NBC 5 Cincinnati’s Charlie Clifford posted a photo of UK head coach Mark Pope consoling a teary-eyed Butler.

Butler recorded a team-high 18 points on 4-5 shooting from beyond the arc in Kentucky’s loss on Friday night. He also notched six rebounds and three steals.

Butler transferred to Kentucky this past offseason after spending four seasons at San Diego State. He was the only Kentucky player who had substantial experience in previous NCAA Tournaments, and he played like it.

Mark Pope consoling Lamont Butler postgame. pic.twitter.com/NPFqmJ2Y5V

— Charlie Clifford (@char_cliff) March 29, 2025

Butler was fantastic for the Wildcats in the postseason, always spearheading their defense while orchestrating their offense on the opposite end of the court. After Butler tallied 14 points and five assists in Kentucky’s second round win over Illinois, Fighting Illini head coach Brad Underwood raved about the 6-foot-2 point guard when asked how far Kentucky could make it in the tournament.

“I think as far as Lamont wants to take them. I think they’re really good,” Underwood said. “They’re old, they’re experienced. I think Lamont gives them leadership. I think he’s very good.”

Lamont Butler finished this season averaging 11.1 points, 2.7 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game while shooting 48.7% from the field and 35.9% from beyond the arc. Kentucky fans may remember Butler’s toughness even more than his talent.

Butler played nearly half the season with a bulky shoulder brace after suffering an injury in Kentucky’s loss against Vanderbilt on Jan. 25. In total, Butler missed nine games due to the injury this season.

Evidently, he could’ve missed more. Mark Pope wasn’t shy throughout the season to hint that Butler was playing through an injury most players wouldn’t.

“I’m telling you, it’s a miracle that he’s on the court,” Pope said. “… He just wants to badly to be out there and help us, and the good thing is we made it through today… It’s really hard to do this without him. He’s making the ultimate sacrifice for his team and I’m really proud of him.”

Lamont Butler isn’t currently on any NBA draft boards. Alas, he’s never allowed a little adversity to stop him before. He can rest assured that Kentucky fans will be rooting him on every step of his journey.