Lamont Butler will see a familiar face in the CBS Sports Classic

There is familiarity in Kentucky‘s matchup with Ohio State in the CBS Sports Classic. Aaron Bradshaw, one of the stars of John Calipari‘s final recruiting class at Kentucky, is the most familiar to Big Blue Nation, considering he wore a Kentucky uniform in last year’s CBS Sports Classic. Bradshaw played 26 games in his freshman season in Lexington, with averages of 13.8 minutes, 4.9 points, and 3.3 rebounds per game in 2023-24. The seven-footer transferred to Ohio State once Calipari left for Arkansas last spring; however, he hasn’t played in over a month, and his status is uncertain for Saturday’s game.

Ohio State associate head coach Joel Justus is another familiar face on the Buckeyes’ bench. Justus was on Calipari’s staff in Lexington from 2014-2021, climbing from director of analytics to a full-time assistant for five seasons. Justus coached at Arizona State and NC State before he joined Ohio State’s staff in April 2024.

There is familiarity between a couple of players on the court, too. One is Kentucky’s Lamont Butler, a former San Diego State guard, an all-conference defender, and a pivotal piece in the Aztecs’ memorable 2023 NCAA Tournament run. The other is Ohio State’s Micah Parrish, a former San Diego State guard, an all-conference defender, and a pivotal piece in the Aztecs’ memorable 2023 NCAA Tournament run.

Yep, each side of the CBS Sports Classic took a guard from San Diego State.

Butler and Parrish were San Diego State teammates

Before Lamont Butler hit the buzzer-beater that sent San Diego to the 2023 national championship game, current Ohio State guard Micah Parrish played 20 minutes for the Aztecs in that NCAA semifinal win. Parrish’s back-to-back second-half 3-pointers sparked San Diego State’s 14-point comeback that Butler completed with the pull-up jumper as time expired.

Butler and Parrish returned to San Diego in 2023-24, part of a starting backcourt that won another 26 games but ran into UConn again in the tournament’s Sweet 16. After the season, Butler and Parrish, who each averaged 9.3 points per game, were the two starters to hit the portal for new opportunities, which brought them together as opponents for the CBS Sports Classic in New York.

Again, their stories are intertwined heading into Kentucky versus Ohio State. Butler is coming off his best game in which he scored a career-high 33 points against rival Louisville, shooting 10 for 10 from the field and 6 for 6 from outside. Parrish also enters their reunion on a high note, fresh off a game of 14 points, seven rebounds, three steals, two assists, and a block against Valparaiso last Tuesday.

Butler and Parrish also lead their respective teams in steals. Parrish with 13 on the year and Butler with 12.