Sports

Butch developing into steady contributor despite adversity

For the past two years, freshman Brian Butch has fought continuous adversity on the basketball court. Nevertheless, he has refused to allow it to affect his play, as his impressive skills are beginning to become noticeable at the college level.

Butch arrived at the University of Wisconsin last year as one of the most heralded recruits in the nation. Joining the Badgers with various All-American accolades and after having spent the summer playing in all-star games alongside NBA star LeBron James, Butch was expected to make a strong contribution in his debut season at Wisconsin.

However, as a lanky prospect still developing physically, Butch made the decision to sit out the season as a redshirt. With veteran reserves like Mike Wilkinson and Zach Morley receiving much of the playing time, Butch figured he’d take a back seat for the year while improving his skills.

“I mean, you look at the people that were in front of me, and it was really a smart decision (to redshirt),” Butch said.

Although it wasn’t easy watching games from the bench, Butch feels his redshirt season definitely helped him develop as a player.

“It was tough, but I had to do it, and I think it was a valuable experience,” Butch said.

There is no doubt Butch has vastly improved since first stepping on campus. He has added 30 pounds to his thin frame and is now making an impact for the Badgers coming off the bench.

“Well, I mean, I think just my play on the floor shows (my improvement from last year),” Butch said. “Defensively, I’m more aware of what’s going on. Offensively, I’m more able to score.”

Though he continues to improve, Butch has faced adversity this season as well. A series of minor injuries have forced the young forward to miss significant practice time, but he has made a strong effort to immediately return to the floor.

“As far as injuries, I just try to keep on bouncing back and keep on playing and try to get healthy as soon as possible,” Butch said.

Butch has also suffered through living up to the hype as a former first-team Parade All-American — the first Wisconsin recruit to garner the accolade. Most notable is the remark made by ESPN analyst Doug Gottlieb during halftime of the Wisconsin-Illinois game, when Gottlieb called Butch the most overrated player in the Big Ten.

However, Coach Bo Ryan made it clear that this criticism was unwarranted in a comment following practice two days after the game. Ryan explained that Butch is an extremely talented player who is simply trying to grow into a Division I physique and adjust to the collegiate game.

Ryan also discussed the fact that Butch isn’t only doing everything he can on the court, but also off the court. He explained that Butch earned a 3.46 GPA last semester and has made several visits to the UW Children’s Hospital.

“He’s doing things,” Ryan said. “He’s knocking them dead in the classroom, he’s helping kids. Nobody ever checked that out. Nobody ever looks at these guys that way. If it isn’t somebody doing something negative, there is not a whole lot that those people on that level would ever check on.”

On the other hand, Butch doesn’t seem to care about what the critics have to say. He would prefer to prove them wrong with his play on the floor as he continues to progress.

“You just go out there and you play,” Butch said. “I mean, it doesn’t matter what people say. You just go out there and play, and you worry about what goes on in between the lines.”

While an average of 4.9 points per game and 3.4 rebounds per game in only 11.9 minutes per game of action may warrant some to label the former All-American a bust, Ryan and the rest of the UW basketball team are aware of Butch’s potential and are pleased with his play this season.

Butch’s defensive intensity and smooth offensive post moves are certainly evident in his limited playing time, but what Butch takes most heart in is his ability to help the team on the boards. While some may consider rebounding an art, Butch believes it’s based more on passion.

“[To be a good rebounder, it takes] just heart. I mean, just your desire to go get the thing,” Butch said. “You also got to know about positioning and that stuff, but a lot of it comes down to just a war.”

Without a doubt, Butch possesses the passion necessary for rebounding, as well as for other aspects of his game. As he maintains enthusiasm through his hardships, Butch’s continual development of his immense basketball skills will help him to reach his full potential and prove his critics wrong.