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| Team: West Virginia, Senior |
| Physicals | Positions | Rankings | Misc |
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H: 6' 7"
W: 205 lbs
Bday: 01/25/1988
(21 Years Old)
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Current: SF/PF
NBA: SF/PF
Possible: SF/PF
| Round: 2 Pick: 13 in 2010 Mock Draft
Rank 13 in NCAA Seniors
Rank 56 in Top 100 Prospects
RSCI: 99
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High School: Bloomfield Tech
Hometown: Newark, NJ
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| Basic Per Game Statistics - Comprehensive Stats - Statistical Top 25s |
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| NCAA Weekly Performers, 2/19/09
February 19, 2009
After playing a complementary role for the Mountaineers his first two seasons, Da'Sean Butler has stepped up firmly into his role as the team's focal point this season, leading his team in scoring with 18.3 points per game on solid efficiency (57% TS%), doing it all while he's playing a more perimeter-oriented game that will help his long-term growth.
Standing 6'7 with a strong frame and good length, Butler passes the look test for a small forward at first glance. Athletically, Butler has good coordination and mobility, but he's lacking in explosiveness at this stage, specifically vertically, which would make him a below average athlete at the small forward position in the NBA, even if it's possible he could improve with more lower body strength.
Looking at his game, Butler does most of his damage with his jump shot, which he's improved noticeably this season, as he's doubled the amount of jumpers he takes per game according to Synergy Sports Technology, while also improving his efficiency from both the three-point line and the free-throw line. Butler's jump shot is fairly unorthodox, as he brings the ball slightly overhead with a bit of a forearm hitch before he releases the ball and has a slight fade away on most of his shots, however with his elevation and extension he has a very high release point and pretty good quickness on his shot as well. In space, Butler is deadly, showing very consistent form as well as consistent results, and he also shows the ability to hit contested shots, though he's sometimes prone to opening up his form when rushed. Off the dribble, Butler is also strong in space, and he shows a decent command of shot fakes and step-back moves to gain separation, however he looks uncomfortable shooting off the dribble when closely guarded, not showing much fluidity between his dribble and shot, which shows in the results.
Butler's ball-handling abilities have always been a question mark with his game, but he's showing signs of improvement this season, even bringing the ball up the court for the Mountaineers at times. In the half court, Butler doesn't have a very quick first step, though he compensates with a good command of ball fakes and rip moves to get his defender off balance. On his drives, he's still mostly a straight-line driver, however he'll show flashes of spin moves and stepbacks in the half court, though his advanced ball-handling is still very much a work in progress.
In the lane, Butler shows good body control and the ability to pull-up from mid-range, making good use of the backboard on pull-up shots, though he's not a great finisher in traffic. At the rim, Butler is efficient when not bothered by a weakside defender, but with his lack of vertical elevation, he struggles when dealing with rotating defenders, not having the explosiveness to power over defenders, being very much a below-the-rim player in the half court.
Defensively, Butler looks comfortable defending on the perimeter, being consistently matched up with small forwards in games, showing a very strong stance, a good grasp of fundamentals, and very good anticipation and attentiveness. Laterally, Butler would be below average for an NBA small forward, but he makes up for it at this level with his other strengths, doing a good job to stay in front of his man while consistently getting his hands up to force tougher shots.
Looking forward, while Butler is having an outstanding season in one of the toughest conferences in America, he still has some work to do if he wants to find a long-term place in the NBA. Butler's ball-handling and shot creation should be a point of emphasis for him this offseason, while he should also do everything he can to maximize his explosiveness, which will be a likely point of concern for talent evaluators.
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Blogging Through the NCAA Tournament (Day 3)
March 22, 2008
Lost in the excitement around Joe Alexander has been a player we’ve been meaning to write about for a few weeks now, fellow West Virginia forward Da’Sean Butler. Going into the Duke game today, Butler has scored 16 or more points in all five of his last games. Once Alexander decides to move on, the sophomore Butler will likely emerge as a focal point in West Virginia’s offense. He has the physical tools and raw skills to be able to carry a bigger load, even if he’s not the most polished guy around right now. Most of Butler’s offense at the moment comes off cuts to the basket and spot-up jumpers, where he shows a nice looking stroke (with small forward like elevation) and range that extends past the 3-point line. He’s hitting 33/88 (37.5%) from beyond the arc this season, which is pretty respectable.
Like his teammate Alexander, Butler also likes to operate in the mid-range area or with his back to the basket, showing very nice ability to hit smooth turnaround jumpers, often using the glass. He can even put the ball on the floor once or twice and then pull-up off the dribble, a skill that shows excellent potential to develop into a real weapon with another full summer of hard work. He’s a pretty active player, running the floor hard, hitting the offensive glass well, and playing solid man to man defense. To emerge as a legit NBA prospect next season, he still needs to improve his ball-handling skills, perimeter shooting ability, and generally his all-around offensive polish to make the transition to playing the small forward position full time, but he seems to be have very nice upside to help him with that task.
[Read Full Article]
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