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San Diego State basketball guard Lamont Butler declares for 2023 NBA Draft

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

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Updated11 Apr 2023

San Diego State basketball guard Lamont Butler declares for 2023 NBA Draft

San Diego State men’s basketball guard Lamont Butler has declared for the 2023 NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility. The 6-foot-2, 200-pound junior made 94 career appearances and 65 starts with the Aztecs.

In three seasons at San Diego State, the guard averaged 7.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 1.4 steals, and 21.8 minutes per game. Plus, he shot 40.8% from the floor and 33% outside the arc.

Per a few college basketball betting sites, San Diego State is not projected to rank in the AP Top 25 next season. Check out which sportsbooks are showing greater odds for Houston, Alabama, Texas, and Kansas.

“I first and foremost want to give glory to God as he has guided me throughout my whole journey,” Lamont Butler tweeted on Monday. “I would also like to thank my family, friends, coaches, teammates, and fans for their continued support. I’m excited to announce that I will be declaring for the 2023 NBA Draft while maintaining my college eligibility.”

During his freshman 2020-21 season, the California native averaged 4.3 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 12.4 minutes in 28 appearances. Butler also shot 39.6% from the field and 29% beyond the arc. In his sophomore 2021-22 season, the guard logged 7.3 points, 2.1 boards, 2.1 assists, 1.7 steals, and 25.4 minutes per contest in 27 games.

San Diego State basketball guard Lamont Butler declares for the 2023 NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility

Furthermore, Lamont Butler led the MWC in games played with 39 total this past season. In 38 starts with San Diego State, the junior guard averaged career highs of 8.8 points, 2.7 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 25.9 minutes per game. Not to mention, Butler shot career bests of 42.1% from the floor and 34.2% from 3-point range.

Butler finished seventh in the MWC in assists (126), second in steals (57), fourth in defensive rating (95.9), third in steal percentage (3.4%), and 18th in minutes played (1,012). The San Diego State guard was also selected MWC All-Defense and third-team All-MWC.

Additionally, during the Final Four round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament, Butler knocked down a buzzer-beating jumper to defeat Florida Atlantic and send San Diego State to its first national championship game.

“I didnā€™t really know how big it was,” Lamont Butler said after draining the midrange jumper. “Weā€™re going to the national championship. Thatā€™s not things many people do.”

Butler’s game-winning buzzer-beater was the first in the Final Four since Jalen Suggs for Gonzaga against UCLA in 2021. Of course, it’s the only one when the winning team was trailing at the time of the shot.

For the 2023 NBA Draft, Butler is a projected late second-rounder. San Diego State could lose an excellent player.

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