Kerr Kriisa makes it clear Lamont Butler is "PG1"

Any debate on Kentucky‘s starting point guard going into the 2024-25 season, the first under Mark Pope? Kerr Kriisa wants to end that talk before it even begins.

No, not because the guy with 93 starts in 99 career games in Pac-12 and Big 12 competition is claiming that role. And it’d be fair if he did, considering his career averages of 9.7 points and 4.7 assists in 30.5 minutes per contest. Guys with his resume at the Power Five level don’t typically take a step back with one final season of eligibility remaining.

Kriisa is, however. Why? Because Lamont Butler deserves the job.

“Mont is our PG1,” Kriisa told the media on Thursday.

Butler started 101 games at San Diego State across 131 career matchups from 2020-24. He’s the reigning two-time Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year, helping lead the Aztecs to a pair of conference regular season and tournament titles while also hitting a game-winning buzzer-beater in the 2023 Final Four to advance to the national championship game.

“Lamont Butler is the definition of a winner,” Mark Pope said upon signing the SDSU transfer.

And he’s lived up to the billing early, Kriisa raving about Butler’s intensity in practice and desire to lead this program. For a guy who’s won plenty at this level, it’s something the Estonian guard simply hasn’t seen before in four seasons of college basketball.

When Kriisa wants to take things easy, Butler is on him and the rest of the team about ramping it up.

“Mont has been pushing me in practice a lot. I’m very thankful for him, I think I’ve never gotten that type of defensive mindset in practice every day,” Kriisa said. “He’s picking me up 94 (feet), full (court). We scrimmage, and I’m like, ‘Mont, chill. It’s the 5th of July. We’ve got time.’ Mont is like, ‘Nah.’ It’s good, he’s been really pushing me.”

His approach to the game is contagious. When the team has needed him, he’s shown up time and time again in the early stages of summer ball.

They don’t expect that to slow down once the real stuff starts later this fall.

“Mont is going to set the tone for us for the whole season,” Kriisa said. “Mont is going to be the guy who needs to show up every day, and he’s done it. He’s taking care of his body, showing us how to be a leader.

“Mont has been very special for the group.”