Lamont Butler was already a popular figure in the college basketball world before transferring to Kentucky. Winning multiple Mountain West Defensive Player of the Year awards and hitting a buzzer-beating game-winner in the 2023 Final Four are easy ways to etch your name into the history books. But the 6-foot-2 floor general’s overall game mostly remained the same during his four seasons at San Diego State.
That changed when he transferred to play for Mark Pope and the Wildcats in the Southeastern Conference.
Butler had inarguably his most productive college season while in Lexington, posting career-highs in points (11.4), rebounds (2.9), and assists per game (4.3), along with his field goal (49.8) and three-point percentages (39.1). One major outlet tabbed him as a midseason All-American before injuries tormented the second half of his 2024-25 season.
In just one offseason, he went from being known almost exclusively as a lockdown defender to a necessary piece of Kentucky’s high-octane offense.
“Butler made a huge jump at Kentucky,” ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said this week on KSR’s Sources Say podcast. “Wasn’t a great finisher around the basket when he got to Kentucky. Wasn’t a great shooter, a consistent shooter. Became both of those things. You knew that his leadership, his defense, all that stuff were at the highest level because he’d been a Final Four point guard at San Diego State. But I thought really elevated his game, and honestly part of that is the stage.”
Now, Butler is in the NBA as a member of the Atlanta Hawks. Should the Big Blue Nation expect a similar leap from Kentucky’s point guard in 2025-26, Jaland Lowe, who is making the jump from Pitt to a Blue Blood? On paper, he’ll be surrounded by the talent to make it happen.
“You put him in that system with other really good players, and he’s got a chance to blossom,” Bilas said of Lowe. “I would think that he’s going to be a primary guy in the leadership, and leadership with the ball in his hands, role. He’s going to be relied upon quite a bit, but he’s a very talented player.
“I think people are going to realize pretty quickly he’s got some special ability,” Bilas continued. “And having that extra spotlight or that brighter spotlight at Kentucky, a lot of people are going to see it when maybe they didn’t see it as much when he was at Pittsburgh.”
Lowe was still an All-ACC Third Team performer as a sophomore last season at Pitt. He averaged 16.8 points and 5.5 assists in 35.4 minutes per outing. But ACC basketball left a lot to be desired, and his teammates weren’t as talented as they will be in 2025-26. The ACC headlines mostly focused on Duke and occasionally a couple of other programs. The Panthers, which finished 17-15 (8-12 ACC), weren’t attracting many TV viewers.
At Kentucky, there will be no shortage of eyes on Lowe, no matter the opponent. He’ll have plenty of opportunities to showcase his talents on a large stage.
“That’s one of the things I really actually like about the transfer portal,” Bilas said. “Is I don’t know how many people, unless they were diehard basketball fans, really knew Lamont Butler when he was at San Diego State. Everybody knew him at Kentucky. And doesn’t a player like that deserve the opportunity to play on that stage if he wants to? To me, I loved watching that. I absolutely loved it.”
Pope isn’t one to pound the ball into the ground with his point guard. Lowe’s usage rate compared to his time at Pitt should drop, with his shooting efficiency ideally rising as a result. A Butler-like leap is halfway expected at this stage in the offseason. Butler became a college star at Kentucky; Bilas believes the same can happen with Lowe.
