One of the few greater basketball players to come out of Fox Valley Association (FVA) conference from Appleton West High School in 2003, Brian Butch, known by teammates as “The Polar Bear, has taken many fans by recent surprise.Butch is a former Wisconsin Badger center who played in 36 games his senior season and averaged 12.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.8 blocks per game.
In his junior season with the Badgers, Butch suffered a gruesome elbow injury against Ohio State, which ended his season. When he recovered, he attempted to rehab and make a push towards the 2008 NBA Draft.
In July 2008, Butch began playing Las Vegas summer league games for the Memphis Grizzlies in hopes of getting a contract with the team after going undrafted.
Fast-forwarding to 2010, Brian Butch is trying to revive a comeback to the NBA as he is currently a member of the Bakersville Jam in the NBA Development League. Wearing #44 and standing a mean 6’11” 240 lbs, Butch is averaging 17.6 points per game with 8.5 rebounds. Butch is joined on the team by teammate Reece Gaines, formerly a point guard for the Milwaukee Bucks in 2005-2006.
In conclusion, Brian Butch is making a name for himself in the NBA D-League and fans out there of “The Polar Bear” should not be surprised if we hear his name mentioned in the near future. On a side note, Butch has even briefly starred in a recent local commercial for Pep’s Frozen Pizza.
EDITOR'S NOTE:
Butch's elbow injury came during his junior season, therefore it did not end his career.
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