MU Lands Junior College Standout Jimmy ButlerWilliams inks first recruit since being named head coach
April 17, 2008
Milwaukee - The Marquette University men's basketball program has signed junior college standout Jimmy Butler to a National Letter of Intent, head coach Buzz Williams announced.
The 6-6, 215-pounder will arrive on campus this summer and have three seasons of eligibility with the Golden Eagles. Butler is the first signee under Williams, who was named the program's 16th head coach in early April.
""I think the best thing he does is he's very versatile," said Williams. "He became one of the most sought-after players in the country this year. He can do a lot of different things, similar to players that are currently on our team. You always want so sign guys whose bodies, skill set and athleticism never restricts them to only being able to do one thing."
Butler was a NJCAA Honorable Mention All-America selection at Tyler (Texas) Junior College in 2007-08 after averaging 18.1 points, 7.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. He helped guide the Apaches to a national ranking of 10th in the country and the program's first outright league title in 21 seasons.
A first team all-region selection, Butler's season was highlighted by a 43-point effort in a triple-overtime loss to Panola College in the junior college playoffs. His scoring burst helped him to finish third in the conference in scoring. He shot 54.8 percent from the field for the year and 42.2 percent from behind the 3-point line.
A 2007 graduate of Tomball High School in Texas, Butler was a first team all-district selection by the Houston Chronicle. He was a two-year letterwinner with the program at the varsity level and averaged over 20.0 points per game as a senior.
Butler joins fellow Marquette signee and Tyler JC teammate Joseph Fulce on the roster for the 2008-09 campaign. High school standout Chris Otule (6-10, 245) from Richmond, Texas, is also slated to join the team next year.
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