Lamont Butler is a Kentucky Wildcat. Now those are words I never expected to write.
The senior guard, fan favorite, team leader, and the dude who hit the biggest shot in San Diego State University men’s basketball program history just last April has made the decision to take his talents to the Southeastern Conference. Ugh.
Even before the arrival of the transfer portal, SDSU and its passionate fan base regularly welcomed news of incoming transfers sure to make an immediate impact at Montezuma Mesa.
To name a few, Tony Bland, Lorenzo Wade, Dwayne Polee, Malachi Flynn, Matt Bradley, and most recently Reese Waters, all left bigger conference programs to make their mark in Viejas Arena.
Their play, experience, and desire to become better players have all helped SDSU to conference championships and NCAA Tournament appearances. They’ve all become household names for Aztecs fans everywhere.
Keshad Johnson bolting for the riches offered in the Arizona desert last year, Aztecs fans felt the sting of an Aztec leaving for greener pastures for the first time in a long time. Keshad’s one COVID season of eligibility remaining allowed for this opportunity to extend his collegiate playing years.
For a while it looked like Johnson’s departure would serve as an outlier, a one-off of a player looking to collect more NIL money at a power 5 school. Lamont Butler would enter his name in the NBA draft process once again, as he did a year earlier. With no mention of entering the transfer portal in the way that Micah Parrish had done, Aztec Nation felt solidly in place.
But the power of the portal moves quick. Micah Parrish officially made the move to Ohio State and the news of Butler’s decision to enter the portal and commit to Kentucky hit the airwaves last week.
The negative power of the portal pulled a considerable amount of the positivity Aztec’s fans had navigating their off season.
The arrival of bad news often comes in pairs. In this case, in threes. Just when we thought it couldn’t get any worse, on Monday more shocking news: Elijah Saunders has entered the portal two days before the deadline.
The worst part? Many of us are stuck wondering will he be the last or are we in for another body blow soon?
Let me state this very clearly, I am NOT mad at either Keshad or Lamont for their decisions. Both players gave their all to SDSU for four years. When you sign a high schooler that’s all you can expect.
Both met their commitments athletically and academically. They played hard, worked to get better, represented the university in the community well, progressed on the academic-side, and gave us all plenty of reasons to cheer.
They are Aztecs for Life.
But, I am mad at the current system that rewards a “me” versus a “we” attitude. SDSU head coaches Steve Fisher and now Brian Dutcher have built a program based on family, players sticking together through the good and bad, steady growth and development over three, four, even five years.
Players committed to the ideals of team and family, represents all that is right with college athletics. The current state of college basketball with NIL and the transfer portal being all the rage, reflects the opposite of all that I find appealing about rooting for my alma mater.
If all we are going to see is a continuous revolving door of players coming and going each season, with no loyalty to the name on the front of the jersey, it might be time to rethink my fandom.
Moving forward what’s to keep programs not in the power conferences from quickly becoming feeder programs for the so-called Blue Bloods and their huge alumni boosters?
Sure, SDSU will bring in players to replace those departing, but will there be much of a connection to them if they arrive with only one year of eligibility remaining?
Conversely, do fans really want to develop affinities for incoming freshmen knowing there is a high likelihood they’ll be bouncing as soon as the money becomes to great to turn away from?
Sorry, I don’t think too many are going to want to be rooting for college basketball mercenaries hunting points, steals and rebounds for team A one season and Team B the next. This is not the reason I spend thousands of dollars on season seats—something my wife and I have done since before Cox, now Viejas Arena was built.
That required donation to the athletic department that has become affixed every season, just feels less and less mandatory.
Yes, the college basketball portal giveth and taketh from fans of successful and not successful programs all across the country. Will it now take away the very reason for fans to be, well … fans?
Update: On Tuesday afternoon two current Aztec men’s basketball players gave their public support of returning to the program for this next season. Both Miles Byrd, and Reese Waters, via social media spoke to their followers in different ways.
With veterans Butler & Parrish gone, this clears the way for Byrd & Waters to each step-up into much bigger leadership and production roles on this years team. With the additions of Nick Boyd and Jared Coleman-Jones, and a host of young talent, the new look Aztecs still have some holes to fill in the roster to round it out.
The official Transfer Portal is set to conclude at the end of May 1st giving just several hours to keep watch if these public notices to return to SDSU hold-up and if SDSU makes any additions. Sons of Montezuma will keep you up to date.
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One Response
Thank you for this story. #Aztec4Life