Friday, May 22, 2020

#By RENALDO DORSETT

#Tribune Sports Reporter

#rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

#SHAVAUL Butters’ junior season has set the stage for a breakout senior year and a busy recruitment period for his upcoming senior season.

#Butters – a 6’8”, 210-pound “stretch four” power forward – posted impressive numbers for the Aspire Basketball Academy Wizards in Louisville, Kentucky.

#The only member of the roster to compete in all 33 contests last season, he led the team in several statistical categories in his first year with the programme.

#Butters led the team in total points (386 points), field goal percentage (57 per cent, 173-303), three point percentage (40 per cent, 19-48), and total rebounds (323). He finished second on the team at 11.7 points per game and averaged a double double with 10 rebounds per game.

#He shot 64 per cent from the free throw line and also finished with 32 total blocks, 28 steals and 35 assists.

#His season was highlighted with 30 points, 21 rebounds and two blocks against Tennessee Prep last December at the Marshall County Hoopfest in Kentucky.

#In the classroom, Butters has a 3.0 GPA and a score of 20 on his ACT. He became the second former St George’s Jaguar within the last three years to attend the Aspire programme following Ahmard Harvey who is currently in his freshman season with the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers.

#Aspire Academy is a residential, basketball-centred college preparatory programme and training institute on the campus of Holy Cross High School in Louisville.

#The Wizards have produced 20 players who have matriculated to NCAA basketball over the past three years, including 14 at the Division I level.

#Student athletes have earned over $975,000 in scholarship money from those DI universities and $150,000 amount of scholarship money earned from two-year colleges.

#Aspire Academy offers an 11-month post graduate programme which gives participants an additional year of development, exposure and academic prep while maintaining four years of college eligibility.

#The basketball schedule consists of approximately 45-40 games against junior colleges, prep schools and D1 JV teams.

#According to its website, the vision of Aspire Academy is “to use the game of basketball as a vehicle to inspire, develop and cultivate future community leaders with the core academic and leadership skills to prepare them for life beyond Aspire.”