FORMER UTM STANDOUT BUTLER EARNS SPOT ON MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES MINI-CAMP ROSTER
6/26/2018 11:12:00 AM | Men's Basketball
MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Matthew Butler, who recently wrapped up an all-conference men's basketball career at the University of Tennessee at Martin, has received the opportunity to play for his hometown Memphis Grizzlies during the NBA's Summer League scheduled for July 2-17.
Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace announced the full Memphis roster today, as Butler is one of a dozen rookies on the 17-man roster. The 6-2, 185-pound combo guard will wear jersey No. 19.
Butler will take part in a five-session mini-camp in Memphis on June 28-29. From there, the Grizzlies will announce a revised roster as one of four teams in the Utah Jazz Summer League pod. Memphis faces the Atlanta Hawks on July 2, the Utah Jazz on July 3 and the San Antonio Spurs on July 5. All games will be played at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The Grizzlies follow with a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada for the official MGM Resorts NBA Summer League, an 82-game event that features all 30 NBA squads. Games will be played at the Thomas & Mack Center and COX Pavilion over the span of July 6-17 as three preliminary games establish seeding before a tournament begins on July 11.
After sitting out the 2015-16 season as a transfer from the University of Rhode Island, Butler established himself as one of the top scorers in the Ohio Valley Conference for Skyhawk head coach Anthony Stewart. Butler piled up 977 points in 66 career games (14.8 points per outing) at UT Martin while also handing out 221 assists, 182 rebounds and 50 steals from 2016-18. His 172 three-pointers rank sixth all-time in Skyhawk history as he shot 36.1 percent from beyond the three-point arc and 76.5 percent (101-of-132) from the free throw line at UT Martin.
Butler captured OVC All-Newcomer accolades in 2016-17, helping lead the Skyhawks to one of the best seasons in school history. He was the only UT Martin player to start in all 35 games, ranking third in the league in minutes played (35.8 per game), eighth in three-point field goals made (2.3 per game) and 10th in assists (3.7 per game). He averaged 13.7 points per contest and claimed a spot on the OVC All-Tournament team after guiding the Skyhawks to a school-record 22 wins, the program's first-ever outright OVC West division championship and a postseason appearance in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.
Last season, Butler was named to the 11-man Preseason All-OVC squad and ranked first in the league in minutes played (37.7 per game), third in three-point field goals made (2.9 per game) and seventh in scoring (16.0 points per game). He became the first Skyhawk since two-time All-American and fellow Memphian Lester Hudson to dial up four consecutive 20-plus point performances, accomplishing that feat in the heart of OVC play on Jan. 4 through Jan. 13. He made the go-ahead, game-winning three-pointer in a thrilling 70-69 victory at OVC rival Eastern Kentucky and led UT Martin in scoring on 13 different occasions.
Grizzlies general manager Chris Wallace announced the full Memphis roster today, as Butler is one of a dozen rookies on the 17-man roster. The 6-2, 185-pound combo guard will wear jersey No. 19.
Butler will take part in a five-session mini-camp in Memphis on June 28-29. From there, the Grizzlies will announce a revised roster as one of four teams in the Utah Jazz Summer League pod. Memphis faces the Atlanta Hawks on July 2, the Utah Jazz on July 3 and the San Antonio Spurs on July 5. All games will be played at the Vivint Smart Home Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah.
The Grizzlies follow with a trip to Las Vegas, Nevada for the official MGM Resorts NBA Summer League, an 82-game event that features all 30 NBA squads. Games will be played at the Thomas & Mack Center and COX Pavilion over the span of July 6-17 as three preliminary games establish seeding before a tournament begins on July 11.
After sitting out the 2015-16 season as a transfer from the University of Rhode Island, Butler established himself as one of the top scorers in the Ohio Valley Conference for Skyhawk head coach Anthony Stewart. Butler piled up 977 points in 66 career games (14.8 points per outing) at UT Martin while also handing out 221 assists, 182 rebounds and 50 steals from 2016-18. His 172 three-pointers rank sixth all-time in Skyhawk history as he shot 36.1 percent from beyond the three-point arc and 76.5 percent (101-of-132) from the free throw line at UT Martin.
Butler captured OVC All-Newcomer accolades in 2016-17, helping lead the Skyhawks to one of the best seasons in school history. He was the only UT Martin player to start in all 35 games, ranking third in the league in minutes played (35.8 per game), eighth in three-point field goals made (2.3 per game) and 10th in assists (3.7 per game). He averaged 13.7 points per contest and claimed a spot on the OVC All-Tournament team after guiding the Skyhawks to a school-record 22 wins, the program's first-ever outright OVC West division championship and a postseason appearance in the CollegeInsider.com Postseason Tournament.
Last season, Butler was named to the 11-man Preseason All-OVC squad and ranked first in the league in minutes played (37.7 per game), third in three-point field goals made (2.9 per game) and seventh in scoring (16.0 points per game). He became the first Skyhawk since two-time All-American and fellow Memphian Lester Hudson to dial up four consecutive 20-plus point performances, accomplishing that feat in the heart of OVC play on Jan. 4 through Jan. 13. He made the go-ahead, game-winning three-pointer in a thrilling 70-69 victory at OVC rival Eastern Kentucky and led UT Martin in scoring on 13 different occasions.
Players Mentioned
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