Pope Expects Butler to be Amazing Against Illinois

Mark Pope and Lamont Butler after UK’s win over Troy. (Vicky Graff Photo)

It was only fitting that Kentucky coach Mark Pope and point guard Lamont Butler walked off the floor together after UK beat Troy 79-57 Friday night to open NCAA Tournament play.

It was Pope’s first NCAA win as a college head coach and only UK’s second NCAA tourney win in the last four years.

For Butler, it marked his return to the lineup after injuring his shoulder again in Kentucky’s SEC Tournament win over Oklahoma.

Pope said Saturday that he has an “emotional reaction, like I feel it physically” when Butler’s name is even mentioned because of the pain the point guard has had to endure to get back on the playing court because of his shoulder injury.

“When we first brought Lamont in, we knew — I didn’t know him, but I had played against him every year and watched him and studied him,” Pope said. “Because you study these guys so deep in a scout. We’ve said this since the day we started recruiting him, he’s just a winner.

“And right now he is — there’s probably zero reason why he should be able to be on the court right now, and he’s just gutting it out, man. He’s doing it for his team.”

He’ll do it again Sunday afternoon when UK takes on Illinois in Milwaukee in a NCAA Tournament second round game for a berth in the Sweet Sixteen.

“I don’t know if I’ve coached a player that is more determined and his soul is just — it will kill him to let down his guys. Like it’ll kill him. Like it’ll bring him to tears, like to ugly tears, even the thought of letting down his guys,” Pope said.

“So you have someone like that in your locker room and you get someone like that on the court, and it’s pretty special. I think he’s actually — I actually think he’s going to be amazing tomorrow. It’s just how this game works. It’s how it rewards you, and it’s incredible that he’s on the floor right now. I’m really proud of him.”