Since bursting onto the scene, Jimmy Butler has established himself as one of the best players in the game. When he accepted the position of team captain with the Chicago Bulls, he experienced his real breakthrough. He has, however, demonstrated tremendous promise of what kind of player he is ever since joining the Miami Heat. He is once again in charge of leading the Heat to another conference final and perhaps a chance at a championship.
Butler has had a tough upbringing, as he was kicked out of the house at the age of 13. However, fortune favors the brave and Butler made the most of what life blessed him with. He has not always been the star player we see him today, even in his college years, he never made a serious case. However, since joining the league, he has majorly picked up his career. Let s take a look at how Butler performed in his college days.
Jimmy Butler played for Tyler Junior College before moving to Marquette University
Butler was required to play at Tyler Junior College in order to be eligible for a scholarship from Marquette. He failed to get the interest of D1 institutions. However, he began drawing attention when he enrolled at Tyler Junior College. Butler was frequently scoring 30 or 40 points in games. Butler was in the top spot on the team’s scoring charts as early as his junior year of college. Butler had a per-game average of 18.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.1 assists.
following interest from a number of prestigious universities, including Marquette, Kentucky, Clemson, Mississippi State, and Iowa State. He ultimately chose Marquette because of the academic opportunities they were providing. He struggled in his first year of basketball, though, managing only 5.6 points per game on average across 35 games. The following year, Butler was put through a demanding regimen by the coach, which nearly caused him to give up basketball.
The No. 6 Xavier and No. 3 Sycaruse seeds in the competition both lost to Butler, just as they did now. However, in the third round, his squad was defeated by No. 2 North Carolina. Butler eventually averaged 12.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.7 assists over the course of his college career. The Chicago Bulls selected Butler with the 30th overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft.