The NBA Development League, or NBA D-League, is the National Basketball Association's official minor league basketball organization. Known until summer 2005 as the National Basketball Development League (NBDL), the NBA D-League started with eight teams in the fall of 2001. In March 2005, NBA commissioner David Stern announced a plan to expand the NBA D-League to fifteen teams and develop it into a true minor league farm system, with each NBA D-League team affiliated with one or more NBA teams. For the 2011–12 season, the league consists of 16 teams. At the conclusion of the 2010–11 NBA season, 23% of NBA players had spent time in the NBA D-League.

History[link]

The league began play as the NBDL in the 2001–2002 season; the original eight franchises were all located in the southeastern United States (specifically in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Alabama, and Georgia). Some of these teams were purchased by private owners and relocated—at the same time the league's name was changed—in the summer of 2005, in a bid to appeal to more fans nationwide. As a result, franchises were established in or moved to Texas, New Mexico, Arkansas, Florida and Oklahoma. In February 2006, the D-League expanded to California for the first time with the addition of the Bakersfield Jam. Two months later, the league announced that four teams from the Continental Basketball Association were joining the league: the Dakota Wizards, Sioux Falls Skyforce, Idaho Stampede, and a team originally slated for CBA expansion, the Colorado 14ers.^[1][2] A few days after that, the league announced that Anaheim, California, would be getting a team.^[3] One week after that, they announced that the Los Angeles Lakers have purchased a team, making them the first NBA team to own a D-League team.^[4] The westward expansion contributed to the contraction of the NBA-owned Roanoke Dazzle^[5] and Fayetteville Patriots.^[6] The Florida Flame have suspended operations due to arena scheduling difficulties. ^[7] Today, no NBA D-League teams remain in the league's original Southeastern footprint. On November 5, 2009, the Texas Legends made history by hiring Nancy Lieberman as head coach, the first female head coach to lead an NBA or NBA D-League team.

On January 4, 2010, the league announced its first national television agreement with Versus. Versus is slated to carry 10 regular season games and 6 playoff games throughout 2010, airing on Saturday nights beginning January 16.

All-Star Game[link]

The NBA Development League held its first All-Star game February 17, 2007, at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. It was part of the NBA All-Star Weekend in Las Vegas. As with the NBA's showcase game, a fan vote determined the starting lineup for each team. The East won 114 to 100, with Pops Mensah-Bonsu named the game's MVP.^[8]

The second annual All-Star game was held on February 16, 2008, at the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Blue team beat the Red team, 117–99 and Jeremy Richardson was named the MVP. In addition to the NBA D-League All-Star Game, the league debuted its first Dream Factory Friday Night events, which modeled after the NBA All-Star Saturday Night events. The events consists of Three-Point Shootout (won by Adam Harrington), Slam Dunk Contest (won by Brent Petway) and game of H.O.R.S.E. (won by Lance Allred).^[9]

The 2009 D-League All-Star game was held on February 14, 2009, at the Phoenix Convention Center in Phoenix, Arizona. The Red Team defeated the Blue Team 113–103 and Blake Ahearn and Courtney Sims were named co-MVPs.^[10] Along with the All-Star game, the NBA D-League ran their second annual Dream Factory Friday Night events. H.O.R.S.E., which debuted last year, was won by Will Conroy of the Albuquerque Thunderbirds. The Three-Point Shootout was won by Blake Ahearn of the Dakota Wizards, and the Slam Dunk Contest was won by James White of the Bakersfield Jam.^[11]

The 2010 D-League All-Star game was held on February 13, 2010, at the Dallas Convention Center in Dallas, Texas. The Western Conference team defeated the Eastern Conference Team 98–81. Bakersfield Jam center Brian Butch, who scored 18 points and grabbed 13 rebounds, was named as the MVP of the game.^[12] The NBA D-League also ran their third annual Dream Factory Friday Night events. The inaugural Shooting Stars Competition was won by a team of Pat Carroll, Trey Gilder and Carlos Powell. The Three-Point Shootout was won by Andre Ingram of the Utah Flash, and the Slam Dunk Contest was won by Dar Tucker of the Los Angeles D-Fenders.^[13]

[edit] D-League Showcase

The league stages an annual NBA D-League Showcase in which all of the league's teams play each other in a "carnival" format. The showcase was first played in 2005 was originally intended solely as a scouting event for NBA general managers and scouts, but has evolved into a fan-friendly four day event in which each team plays two games apiece. Since the inception of the event in 2005, there have been 15 players called-up or recalled during or immediately following the Showcase. The showcase has been hosted in Columbus, Georgia (2005), Fayetteville, North Carolina (2006), Sioux Falls, South Dakota (2007), Boise, Idaho (2008), Orem, Utah (2009), Boise, Idaho (2010), and recently South Padre Island, Texas in 2011.

Draft[link]

The NBA D-League Draft occurs each season and is the major source from which teams build their rosters. Team rosters are made up of returning players (players who were on the team during the previous season), allocated players (players who have local significance), and drafted players. The 8 round draft utilizes a "serpentine" format, meaning the order alternates in each round; Team A who selected first in Round 1 will select last in Round 2, while Team B who selected last in Round 1 will get the first pick in Round 2, et cetera.

[edit] Player allocations

Players for NBA D-League teams do not sign contracts with the individual teams, but with the league itself. D-League team rosters consist of a total of 12 players, 10 (or fewer) being D-League players and 2 (or more) NBA players. The rosters are made up in a number of ways: the previous years' players, players taken in the D-League draft, allocation players (meaning players who are assigned to a team with which they have a local connection, such as a University of Texas player being assigned to the Austin Toros), NBA team assignments, and local tryouts. Each NBA team can assign two first or second year players to its affiliated D-League team. If more than two NBA players are assigned to a team, the team must reduce the number of D-League players to keep the total roster size to 12. An NBA player will continue to be paid his NBA salary and will continue to be included on his NBA team’s roster on the inactive list while playing in the D-League.^[14] Each team also has local tryouts, and one player from the tryouts is assigned to the team. The minimum age to play in the NBDL is 18,^[15] unlike the NBA which requires players to be 19 years old and one year out of high school in order to sign an NBA contract or be eligible for the draft. The highest player ever to be assigned is Hasheem Thabeet, the second player selected in the 2009 NBA draft.

NBA teams can call up players as many times as they choose, but an NBA player can be assigned to the NBA D-League only three times in a season. Starting in 2012–13, there will be no limit to the number of times an NBA players with three years or less experience can be assigned to the D-League. Starting in 2011–12, veteran NBA players can be assigned with their consent.^[16]

Successful NBA call-ups[link]

Many former NBA draftees, waived players and undrafted players have played in the NBA D-League. Some of the called-up D-League players that went on to have successful NBA careers include Rafer Alston, Louis Amundson, Chris Andersen, Kelenna Azubuike, Matt Barnes, Devin Brown, Will Bynum, Matt Carroll, Eddie Gill, Stephen Graham, Jason Hart, Chuck Hayes, Anthony Johnson, Dahntay Jones, Jamario Moon, Mikki Moore, Smush Parker, Bobby Simmons, Ime Udoka, Von Wafer, C. J. Watson, and Mike Wilks.^[17] Aside from these players, there are several successful NBA players who were assigned to the D-League in their first and second season, such as José Juan Barea, Brandon Bass, Andray Blatche, Aaron Brooks, Jordan Farmar, Shannon Brown, Marcin Gortat, Ramon Sessions, Jeremy Lin, and Martell Webster.^[18]

In the 2009–10 NBA season, a record of 27 players were called up for a record 40 times. Several of those players earned season-long contracts after being key contributors, including Anthony Tolliver, Chris Hunter and Reggie Williams (all Golden State Warriors), Sundiata Gaines (New Jersey Nets), Chris Richard (Chicago Bulls), and Mario West (Atlanta Hawks).^[17]

Currently, there are only 12 players with D-League experience who won an NBA title: Tremaine Fowlkes with the Detroit Pistons in 2003–04; Devin Brown and Mike Wilks with the San Antonio Spurs in 2004–05; Earl Barron and Dorell Wright with the Miami Heat in 2005–06; James White with the San Antonio Spurs in 2006–07; Gabe Pruitt with the Boston Celtics in 2007–08; and, Sun Yue and Shannon Brown with the Los Angeles Lakers, Jordan Farmar, Josh Powell in 2008–09,and 2009-10, and most recently Jose Juan Barea, Rodrigue Beaubois, Ian Mahinmi and Dominique Jones with the Dallas Mavericks in 2010-2011.^[19] Bobby Simmons and Aaron Brooks are the only former D-League players to win an NBA end of season award; Simmons won the Most Improved Player Award with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2004–05 and Brooks won the Most Improved Player Award with the Houston Rockets in 2009–10.^[20][21]

In the 2008 NBA Draft, the Idaho Stampede's Mike Taylor was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers. He became the first player from the NBA D-League to be drafted by an NBA team. He was subsequently traded and signed a rookie contract with Los Angeles Clippers.^[22] In the 2010 NBA Draft, the Tulsa 66ers' Latavious Williams was drafted by the Miami Heat and later traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the NBA team affiliated with the 66ers.^[23] One year later, in the 2011 NBA Draft, the Bakersfield Jam's Chukwudiebere Maduabum was drafted by the then-affiliated Los Angeles Lakers and later traded to the Denver Nuggets.^[24]

Thirty-five former NBA D-League players were on the 2006–07 NBA opening day roster. The number increased to 44 players in 2007–08 and then 60 players in 2008–09.^[25][26] In the 2009 NBA Playoffs, an all-time high of 49 players were named to playoff rosters, 17 of whom also spent time in the D-League that season.^[27] In the 2009–10 season and the 2010–11 season, the number of former D-League players on NBA opening day roster increased and reached the all-time high of 63 players.^[18][28]

As of April 14, 2009, there are 143 call-ups to the NBA, involving 89 players. The franchise with the most call-ups in D-League history is Columbus/Austin (15). They are followed by Asheville Tulsa (14); Fayetteville (11); Colorado (9); Huntsville/Albuquerque, Charleston/Florida, Roanoke and Sioux Falls (8); Iowa (6); Fort Worth and Idaho (5); Dakota, Fort Wayne and Mobile (4); Bakersfield and Los Angeles (3); Rio Grande Valley and Anaheim/Springfield (2) and Arkansas, Erie, Greenville and Utah (1).^[17]

Teams[link]

Current teams[link]

• Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz's affiliations to be determined.

Team ownership[link]

Ownership models vary across the NBA D-League. Independent owners control most of the league’s teams, but growing willingness among NBA organizations to invest in the D-League has led to two other models: direct ownership of D-League teams by parent NBA clubs and single-affiliate partnerships in which the D-League team remains independently owned while the parent club runs and finances basketball operations.

The Houston Rockets and Rio Grande Valley Vipers pioneered the single-affiliate partnership, also known as the hybrid model, in 2009–10. In November 2010, the New Jersey Nets and Springfield Armor announced they will enter into a single-affiliate partnership beginning in 2011–12 (the Nets are now known as the Brooklyn Nets). In June 2011, the New York Knicks and Erie BayHawks announced they will be single-affiliated. In May 2012, the Portland Trail Blazers entered into a single-affiliated partnership with the Idaho Stampede.

Independent ownership: Bakersfield Jam, Erie BayHawks, Fort Wayne Mad Ants, Idaho Stampede, Iowa Energy, Maine Red Claws, Reno Bighorns, Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Sioux Falls Skyforce, Springfield Armor, Texas Legends

Parent club ownership: Austin Toros (by the San Antonio Spurs), Canton Charge (by the Cleveland Cavaliers), Dakota Wizards (by the Golden State Warriors), Los Angeles D-Fenders (by the Los Angeles Lakers), Tulsa 66ers (by the Oklahoma City Thunder)

Single affiliation: Erie BayHawks (with the New York Knicks), Idaho Stampede (with the Portland Trail Blazers), Rio Grande Valley Vipers (with the Houston Rockets), Springfield Armor (with the Brooklyn Nets), Texas Legends (with the Dallas Mavericks)

Inactive teams[link]

Defunct teams[link]

League development[link]

Team timeline[link]

Current teams in tan
Former teams or former names in blue <timeline> DateFormat = yyyy ImageSize = width:900 height:auto barincrement:25 Period = from:2001 till:2012 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal PlotArea = right:140 left:20 bottom:20 top:0

Colors = id:barcolor value:rgb(0.99,0.7,0.7)

        id:line     value:black
        id:bg       value:white

PlotData=

 width:20 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s
 bar:1  color:powderblue from:2001 till:2005 text:Asheville Altitude (2001–2005)
 bar:1  color:tan1 from:2005 till:end text:Tulsa 66ers (2005–present)

 bar:2  color:powderblue from:2001 till:2004 text:(North) Charleston Lowgators (2001–2004)
 bar:2  color:powderblue from:2004 till:2006 text:Florida Flame (2004–2006)

 bar:3  color:powderblue from:2001 till:2005 text:Columbus Riverdragons (2001–2005)
 bar:3  color:tan1 from:2005 till:end text:Austin Toros (2005–present)

 bar:4  color:powderblue from:2001 till:2006 text:Fayetteville Patriots (2001–2006)

 bar:5  color:powderblue from:2001 till:2003 text:Greenville Groove (2001–2003)

 bar:6  color:powderblue from:2001 till:2005 text:Huntsville Flight (2001–2005)
 bar:6  color:powderblue from:2005 till:2011 text:Albuquerque / New Mexico Thunderbirds (2005–2011)
 bar:6  color:tan1 from:2011 till:end text:Canton Charge (2011–present)

 bar:7  color:powderblue from:2001 till:2003 text:Mobile Revelers (2001–2003)

 bar:8  color:powderblue from:2001 till:2006 text:Roanoke Dazzle (2001–2006)

 bar:9  color:powderblue from:2005 till:2007 text:Fort Worth Flyers (2005–2007)

 bar:10 color:powderblue from:2005 till:2007 text:Arkansas RimRockers (2005–2007)

 bar:11 color:powderblue from:2006 till:2009 text:Anaheim Arsenal (2006–2009)
 bar:11 color:tan1 from:2009 till:end text:Springfield Armor (2009–present)

 bar:12 color:tan1 from:2006 till:2010 text:Los Angeles D-Fenders (2006–2010, 2011–present)
 bar:12 color:tan1 from:2011 till:end

 bar:13 color:tan1 from:2006 till:end text:Bakersfield Jam (2006–present)

 bar:14 color:powderblue from:2006 till:2009 text:Colorado 14ers (2006–2009)
 bar:14 color:tan1 from:2010 till:end text:Texas Legends (2010–present)

 bar:15 color:tan1 from:2006 till:end text:Dakota Wizards (2006–present)

 bar:16 color:tan1 from:2006 till:end text:Idaho Stampede (2006–present)

 bar:17 color:tan1 from:2006 till:end text:Sioux Falls Skyforce (2006–present)

 bar:18 color:tan1 from:2007 till:end text:Fort Wayne Mad Ants (2007–present)

 bar:19 color:tan1 from:2007 till:end text:Iowa Energy (2007–present)

 bar:20 color:tan1 from:2007 till:end text:Rio Grande Valley Vipers (2007–present)

 bar:21 color:powderblue from:2007 till:2011 text:Utah Flash (2007–2011)

 bar:22 color:tan1 from:2008 till:end text:Erie BayHawks (2008–present)

 bar:23 color:tan1 from:2008 till:end text:Reno Bighorns (2008–present)

 bar:24 color:tan1 from:2009 till:end text:Maine Red Claws (2009–present)

ScaleMajor = gridcolor:line unit:year increment:1 start:2002

</timeline>

Champions[link]

Note: For the 2001–02 and 2002–03 seasons, (and resuming with the 2007–08 season onwards) the championship has been a best-of-three game series.

Awards and honors[link]

Most Valuable Player[link]

• 2001–02 Ansu Sesay, Greenville Groove
• 2002–03 Devin Brown, Fayetteville Patriots
• 2003–04 Tierre Brown, Charleston Lowgators
• 2004–05 Matt Carroll, Roanoke Dazzle
• 2005–06 Marcus Fizer, Austin Toros
• 2006–07 Randy Livingston, Idaho Stampede
• 2007–08 Kasib Powell, Sioux Falls Skyforce
• 2008–09 Courtney Sims, Iowa Energy
• 2009–10 Mike Harris, Rio Grande Valley Vipers
• 2010–11 Curtis Stinson, Iowa Energy
• 2011–12 Justin Dentmon, Austin Toros

Dennis Johnson Coach of the Year[link]

• 2006–07 Bryan Gates, Idaho Stampede
• 2007–08 Bryan Gates, Idaho Stampede
• 2008–09 Quin Snyder, Austin Toros
• 2009–10 Chris Finch, Rio Grande Valley Vipers
• 2010–11 Nick Nurse, Iowa Energy

Rookie of the Year[link]

• 2001–02 Fred House, North Charleston Lowgators
• 2002–03 Devin Brown, Fayetteville Patriots
• 2003–04 Desmond Penigar, Asheville Altitude
• 2004–05 James Thomas, Roanoke Dazzle
• 2005–06 Will Bynum, Roanoke Dazzle
• 2006–07 Louis Amundson, Colorado 14ers
• 2007–08 Blake Ahearn, Dakota Wizards
• 2008–09 Othyus Jeffers, Iowa Energy
• 2009–10 Alonzo Gee, Austin Toros
• 2010–11 DeShawn Sims, Maine Red Claws
• 2011–12 Edwin Ubiles, Dakota Wizards

Defensive Player of the Year[link]

• 2001–02 Jeff Myers, Greenville Groove
• 2002–03 Mikki Moore, Roanoke Dazzle
• 2003–04 Karim Shabazz, Charleston Lowgators
• 2004–05 Derrick Zimmerman, Columbus Riverdragons
• 2005–06 Derrick Zimmerman, Austin Toros
• 2006–07 Renaldo Major, Dakota Wizards
• 2007–08 Mouhamed Sene, Idaho Stampede, and Stephane Lasme, Los Angeles D-Fenders
• 2008–09 Brent Petway, Idaho Stampede
• 2009–10 Greg Stiemsma, Sioux Falls Skyforce
• 2010–11 Chris Johnson, Dakota Wizards

Impact Player of the Year[link]

• 2007–08 Morris Almond, Utah Flash
• 2008–09 Eddie Gill, Colorado 14ers
• 2009–10 Brian Butch, Bakersfield Jam
• 2010–11 Jeff Adrien, Rio Grande Valley Vipers
• 2011–12 Eric Dawson, Austin Toros

Most Improved Player[link]

• 2009–10 Mildon Ambres, Idaho Stampede
• 2010–11 Dar Tucker, New Mexico Thunderbirds

Executive of the Year[link]

• 2009–10 Jon Jennings, Maine Red Claws
• 2010–11 Bert Garcia, Rio Grande Valley Vipers

Jason Collier Sportsmanship Award[link]

• 2001–02 Mike Wilks, Huntsville Flight
• 2002–03 Billy Thomas, Greenville Groove
• 2005–06 Ime Udoka, Fort Worth Flyers
• 2006–07 Roger Powell, Arkansas RimRockers
• 2007–08 Billy Thomas, Colorado 14ers
• 2008–09 Will Conroy, Albuquerque Thunderbirds
• 2009–10 Andre Ingram, Utah Flash
• 2010–11 Larry Owens, Tulsa 66ers
• 2011-12 Moses Ehambe, Iowa Energy

All-Star Game MVP[link]

• 2007 Pops Mensah-Bonsu, Fort Worth Flyers
• 2008 Jeremy Richardson, Fort Wayne Mad Ants
• 2009 Blake Ahearn, Dakota Wizards and Courtney Sims, Iowa Energy
• 2010 Brian Butch, Bakersfield Jam
• 2011 Courtney Sims, Iowa Energy
• 2012 Gerald Green, Los Angeles D-Fenders

All-NBA Development League Team[link]

See also[link]

• List of NBA Development League yearly standings
• List of developmental and minor sports leagues

References[link]

External links[link]

• The Official Site of the NBA D-League
• D-League – Basketball-Reference.com
• DraftExpress.com D-League Blog
• NBA D-League on Twitter
• NBA D-League on Facebook
• NBA D-League on Flickr
• NBA D-League on YouTube
• NBA D-League on Tumblr

Da'sean Butler

Free Agent
Small Forward
Personal information
Born	(1988-01-25) January 25, 1988 (age 24) Newark, New Jersey
Nationality	American
High school	Bloomfield Tech HS (Bloomfield, New Jersey)
Listed height	6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight	233 lb (106 kg)
Career information
College	West Virginia (2006–2010)
NBA Draft	2010 / Round: 2 / Pick: 42nd overall
Selected by the Miami Heat
Pro career	2010–present
Career history
2011	Austin Toros
2011	BC VEF Rīga
2011–2012	Austin Toros
Career highlights and awards
2007 All-Big East Freshman team 2008–09 All-Big East second-team 2009–2010 All-Big East first-team 2010 Big East Tournament MVP 2010 Second Team All-American 2010 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award
Stats at NBA.com
Medals Men’s basketball Competitor for  United States Summer Universiade Bronze 2009 Belgrade Team competition

Da'Sean Butler (born January 25, 1988 in Newark, New Jersey) is an American professional basketball player. In November 2011 he played one game for Latvian Basketball League club Rīgas VEF.^[1] Butler was drafted 42nd overall by the Miami Heat in the 2010 NBA Draft.

Collegiate career[link]

Freshman season[link]

Butler scored a career high 21 points in a game against Seton Hall. Against Slippery Rock, Butler had 15 points and nine rebounds off the bench, then had eight points against Arkansas. He had 9 points against North Carolina State, then 10 points and six rebounds against Duquesne. Butler scored 14 points against The Citadel, 16 points against UConn, 7 points against Villanova, and then six points against St. John's. He then scored 9 points and a season-high 10 rebounds against Notre Dame, followed by 12 points and six rebounds against South Florida. Butler then had 14 points and 8 rebounds against Cincinnati, 17 points against Rutgers, and a team-high 14 points against Pittsburgh in the Backyard Brawl. In the huge upset win over UCLA, Butler had 13 points, while scoring 17 points against Louisville in the Big East Tournament. The Mountaineers eventually made it in the NIT Tournament, and all the way to the finals. In the finals win against Clemson, Butler had 20 points, as the Mountaineers were named NIT champions.

Butler was named to the all-Big East freshman team, while leading the Mountaineers to an NIT Championship. Butler averaged 10.1 points per game, averaging 23.3 minutes per game off the bench, while also averaging 3.5 rebounds per game.

Sophomore season[link]

After the 2007 NIT Championship win, Mountaineers head coach John Beilein announced he would be leaving West Virginia University to take the head coaching position at the University of Michigan. Soon after, former head coach of Kansas State's basketball team and former West Virginia alumnus, Bob Huggins announced he accepted an offer to coach at West Virginia.

In the season-opening exhibition game against Mountain State, Butler earned his first career start as the Mountaineers won 88–65. Butler scored 16 points and added 8 rebounds and three assists as he and fellow guard Darris Nichols both went into double-digits in points. In the season-opener against Arkansas-Monticello, Butler scored 14 points while also grabbing a season-high 9 rebounds. In the 72–74 loss to Tennessee, Butler happened to score 16 points and grab 7 rebounds, while he scored 13 in the victories over New Mexico State and Auburn. Butler scored a season-high 18 points against Duquesne, while also grabbing 8 rebounds. He then scored 14 points against Maryland County, grabbing 9 rebounds, and Radford University, and then scored 10 against Canisius.

In the 88–82 loss to Oklahoma, Butler scored 15 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. In the loss to Notre Dame, Butler only scored 8 points but did grab 5 rebounds. Then in the victory over Marquette, Butler scored 13 points with 5 rebounds, but in the loss to Louisville he only scored 8 again. In the victory over Syracuse, Butler grabbed 6 rebounds to go along with his 13 points. Butler was key in the St. John's victory with 19 points and 9 rebounds. Butler recorded his first double-double of the season in the loss to USF, with 15 points and 12 rebounds. In the 66–64 victory over Marshall, Butler scored 18 points – including the game-winning shot in the lane with 6 seconds left.

Then in the 58–57 loss to #9 Georgetown, Butler attempted to score the game-winning points again. However, his layup attempt was blocked by Patrick Ewing, Jr.. The call was questionable however, as many believe it was actually a goaltending which would result in the points being rewarded and the Mountaineer-victory.^[2] However, Butler finished with 12 points and 4 rebounds. In an 81–63 victory over Rutgers, Butler scored 12 points. He then followed that game with 15 points and 8 rebounds against Seton Hall. In the 78–56 loss to Villanova, Butler scored 10 points and grabbed 7 rebounds. In the 80–53 victory over Providence, Butler scored 13 points and grabbed 4 rebounds.

In the 85–73 victory over DePaul to gain the 20th win of the season, Butler scored 14 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for his second double-double of the season. In the 79–71 loss to the Connecticut Huskies, Butler scored 9 points and added 7 rebounds. In the home finale victory over the Pittsburgh Panthers, 76–62, Butler scored 10 points and grabbed 6 rebounds. In the regular season finale, a 83–74 overtime victory over Providence, Butler scored 18 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, and dished 5 assists to finish the regular season. He finished the season with 12.5 points and 6.1 rebounds per game.

In the 58–53 victory over Providence to open the Big East Tournament, Butler scored 17 points and added 9 rebounds. In the second round of the tourney, the Mountaineers upset #15-ranked Connecticut, 78–72. Butler contributed with 17 points and a team-high 9 rebounds. However, as the Mountaineers lost 55–72 in the semifinal matchup against the #8 Georgetown Hoyas, Butler scored 16 points with 3 rebounds and assists.

In the first round of the NCAA Tournament, Butler scored 19 points with 7 rebounds as the #7-seed Mountaineers defeated the #10-seed Arizona Wildcats. In the second round, the Mountaineers upset the #2-seed Duke Blue Devils 73–67, with Butler scoring 8 points and grabbing 5 rebounds. Then, in the Sweet 16 loss in overtime to #3-seed Xavier, Butler scored 16 points and grabbed 7 rebounds.

Butler finished his sophomore season by averaging 12.9 points and 6.2 rebounds per game. During the Mountaineers Sweet 16 NCAA Tournament run, Butler averaged 14.3 points and 6.3 rebounds per game.

Junior season[link]

Butler began his junior season under returning head coach Bob Huggins in the 98–78 exhibition win over Mountain State. In the victory, Butler led the Mountaineers with 38 points and 11 rebounds. In the regular season opener against Elon, Butler scored 19 points and totaled 6 rebounds and steals. Against Longwood, he then totaled 12 points and 4 rebounds. Opening the Las Vegas Invitational Tournament, the Mountaineers defeated Delaware State, with Butler scoring 12 points and grabbing 7 rebounds. He then scored 12 against Iowa, and before scoring 7 points with 9 boards in the loss to Kentucky. However, the Mountaineers then defeated Mississippi, with Butler scoring 22 points and grabbing 10 rebounds – his first double-double of the season. As the Mountaineers then beat Cleveland State, Butler led the team with 18 points. In the 68–65 last-second loss to #22 Davidson and Stephen Curry in Madison Square Garden, Butler led the Mountaineers with 24 points and 14 rebounds – his second double-double in three games. Butler reached his 1,000 career points during the Miami University victory, in which he scored a career-high 28 points out of the team's 82–46 victory and also had 5 rebounds. Most Rebounds in his Career.

Butler then had 11 points against Radford, followed by 16 points and 6 rebounds in the 76–48 victory over #13 Ohio State. In the 92–66 win over Seton Hall, Butler had 18 points, 9 rebounds and 5 assists. In the next loss to #5 UConn, 61–55, Butler scored 13 points and had 5 steals. As the Mountaineers then lost to #15 Marquette, Butler scored 16 points and had 5 rebounds. Butler then had 17 points and 7 rebounds in the victory over Marshall. Against South Florida, Butler scored 27 points with 4 rebounds, and then he totaled 27 points and 8 rebounds in the win over #14 Georgetown. In the following loss to #4 Pittsburgh, Butler scored 21 points and had 6 rebounds. In the win over St. John's, Butler scored 21 points and had 7 rebounds. Butler recorded his fifth-consecutive 20-point game with 23 points against #7 Louisville to go with 8 rebounds. Butler followed the Louisville loss with 23 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals against Syracuse. Butler's consecutive 20-point game streak ended at six games against Providence with his 17 points and 9 rebounds in the 86–59 victory. In the Backyard Brawl loss to #4 Pittsburgh, Butler only scored 4 points in limited playing time due to foul trouble.

On February 13, the Mountaineers defeated #13 Villanova 93–72. In the victory, Butler scored a career-high 43 points; 24 points coming in the first-half. Butler's point total was the second-highest individual scoring performance in a Big East conference game since the 2002–03 season, only one-point shy of Marcus Hatten's 44 point performance in 2003.^[3] His 43 points were the third-most ever scored in the WVU Coliseum, the most by a WVU player in conference play ever and the first 40-point performance since Lowes Moore in 1978.^[4] In the following 79–68 win over Notre Dame, Butler had 19 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. He followed with 12 points and 4 assists in the win over Rutgers. In the 65–61 loss to Cincinnati, Butler had 8 points and 4 assists. He then had 9 points and 12 rebounds in a win over USF. Butler then had a double-double in the win over DePaul with 16 points and 10 rebounds. In the regular season finale against #6 Louisville, Butler scored 10 points with 10 rebounds for a second-straight double-double. Following the 62–59 loss, he was named to the All-Big East second team.^[5]

In the second round of the Big East Tournament against Notre Dame, Butler scored 20 points and grabbed 5 rebounds. In the quarterfinals' 74–60 win over #2 Pittsburgh Panthers, Butler scored 16 points with 4 assists and 3 rebounds despite sitting out due to 4 personal fouls. In the semifinal round, a 74–69 loss to #20 Syracuse, Butler scored 21 points and had 6 rebounds. In the Big East Tournament, Butler averaged 19 points and 4.6 rebounds. However, the Mountaineers were upset in the first round of the NCAA Tournament by Dayton, 68–60, with Butler scoring 12 points and grabbing 5 rebounds.

Butler finished his junior season with an average of 19.1 points per game and 5.9 rebounds per game. Butler had a season-high 43 points against Villanova and a season-high 14 rebounds against Davidson. Butler scored 20 or more points 12 times in the campaign.^[6]

Senior season[link]

Butler was invited to the 2009 USA Basketball Men's World University Games Team training camp prior to his senior season.^[7] Butler and the Top10-ranked Mountaineers opened up the season with a win over Loyola-Maryland, in which Butler recorded 26 points and 7 rebounds. In a later win over Portland, Butler scored 26 points with 6 rebounds. At the end of December, Butler hit a game-winning jumper to defeat Marquette, adding to his 17 total points.

After losing three games in early to mid-January, Butler and the Mountaineers bounced back with a win over #25 Ohio State and then a win over Louisville in which Butler scored 27 points. In a following win over St. John's, Butler scored 33 points, then he added 32 points in a triple overtime loss to #23 Pittsburgh. The Mountaineers ended their regular season with a 68–66 victory over #6 Villanova in which Butler had a double-double: 21 points and 10 rebounds.

In the Mountaineers' opening game of the Big East Tournament, West Virginia defeated Cincinnati with help from Butler, who banked in the game-winning three-pointer with no time left to win 54–51. In the following 53–51 victory over Notre Dame in the semifinals, Butler scored 24 points. In the championship game, Butler again led the Mountaineers to victory with the game-winning bucket over #22 Georgetown. The victory was the first ever Big East title for the Mountaineers.

Entering the NCAA Tournament as a two-seed, the Mountaineers handled Morgan State in the opening round. Butler scored 28 points and added 8 rebounds in the second round victory over Missouri. After defeating Washington in the Sweet 16, the Mountaineers upset the 1-seed and tourney favorite Kentucky Wildcats 73–66, to advance to the school's second Final Four appearance. Butler had 18 points in the Elite Eight victory, including finishing 4-8 from the 3-point line.

Butler and Duke's Jon Scheyer were the only finalists in 2010's Final Four for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award for Men's Basketball,^[8] which on April 3, 2010, was awarded to Butler. Later that day, in the second half of the Final Four loss to the Duke Blue Devils, Butler injured his left knee. Butler tore his ACL, sprained his MCL and sustained two bone bruises. He was driving hard to the basket and the knee appeared to give way as he planted on it, while Coach Huggins initially seemed convinced Butler was fouled on the play- that does not seem to be the cause of the injury.

Butler was one of 10 finalists for the 2010 John R. Wooden Award.^[9] It is given to the National Player of the Year in college basketball by The Los Angeles Athletic Club.^[10]

Professional career[link]

Butler was selected by the Miami Heat 42nd overall in the 2010 NBA Draft. Butler signed with the Heat on August 30, 2010.^[11] However on October 25, Butler was waived by the Heat at the end of training camp. Butler signed a contract with the San Antonio Spurs on March 25, 2011.^[12] He has been working out this off season with former teamates Joe Mazzulla and John Flowers along with Superstar Chris Paul. In November 2011 he joined for trial period to Latvian Basketball League club Rīgas VEF.^[13] He was officially waived by the San Antonio Spurs on December 13, 2011.^[14]

On December 28, 2011, he signed with the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League.

References[link]

Antoine Walker

Forward
Personal information
Born	(1976-08-12) August 12, 1976 (age 35) Chicago, Illinois
Nationality	American
High school	Mount Carmel HS (Chicago Illinois)
Listed height	6 ft 9 in (2.06 m)
Listed weight	265 lb (120 kg)
Career information
College	Kentucky
NBA Draft	1996 / Round: 1 / Pick: 6th overall
Selected by the Boston Celtics
Pro career	1996–2012
Career history
1996–2003	Boston Celtics
2003–2004	Dallas Mavericks
2004–2005	Atlanta Hawks
2005	Boston Celtics
2005–2007	Miami Heat
2007–2008	Minnesota Timberwolves
2010	Guaynabo Mets (Puerto Rico)
2010–2012	Idaho Stampede (D-League)
Career highlights and awards
NBA Champion (2006) 3× NBA All-Star (1998, 2002, 2003) NBA All-Rookie Team (1997)

Antoine Devon Walker (born August 12, 1976, in Chicago, Illinois) is an American former professional basketball forward. He was drafted with the sixth overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft out of the University of Kentucky and played in the NBA from 1996 to 2008.