City of Basketball Love

By Luke Adams (@lukebrownsports)
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(Ed. Note: This article is part of our 2024-25 season coverage, which will run for the six weeks preceding the first official games of the year on Nov. 4. To access all of our high school and college preview content for this season, click here.)

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Nearly one year ago, Mark Butler was a true freshman, grinding in the preseason for minutes every single day, trying to prove himself at a new school, a new environment and a new challenge. Butler led his high school, Penn Charter, to its first Inter-Ac championship in 18 years, and started all four years at point guard. 

He knew starting wouldn’t be as easy at  Lafayette, a team coming fresh off an unlikely run to the Patriot League final in 2022, finishing just one win short of a March Madness berth despite a losing record. Butler was trying to prove himself to earn minutes and show head coach Mike McGarvey that he is capable of contributing early and often to the team straight off the bat. 

As Butler prepped for the team’s first game of the season, a November 6 meeting with St. Joseph’s, he read the names on the white board, reading the starting lineup, and found his name on it. As any player would, Butler immediately got excited, but the nerves came right along with it, as a true freshman was about to make his first start in the season’s first game – 12 minutes away from his high school stomping grounds.

“The day we played St. Joe’s. I was grinding for minutes all fall. We’ll play five-on-five, but it’s never the starters versus the bench guys, it’s always mixed in,” Butler said. “So at St. Joe’s when he wrote the names up of the guys that are going to go in, I was honored and I was just excited for the opportunity. I was scared but I was excited for the opportunity.”

Butler played 19 minutes that day, starting his college career off with a quiet two points and two steals. He went on to start every single game last season, averaged 7.4 points a game, 3.7 assists and 2.8 rebounds. His best stretch was an 11-game run from Dec. 5 through Jan. 24, when he averaged 11.1 ppg and 3.9 apg, with an assist-to-turnover ratio of 2.3:1. 

He stepped into the role and gave it everything, placing himself on the Patriot League all-freshman team, and an advanced leadership role in the coming season. 

“Just a couple months ago, I was just a little freshman,” he said during a preseason practice at the Sixth Man Center, “but now I’m coming into my own, trying to be a better leader, so it’s a quick turnaround but I think I’m ready.”

Like Butler, the Leopards improved throughout the season as well, shaking off a 1-12 start to win their first seven Patriot League games, finishing 11-21 (10-8) on the season.

It’s easy to think that Butler came into the role with all the tools at his disposal, equipped to handle whatever comes at him. Despite the early success, it wasn’t the case for him. It’s a faster game in college, but Butler was in fact more equipped than most for that, crediting the 30-second shot clock used in the Inter-Ac during his time at Penn Charter, implemented in 2020.

“The Inter-Ac implementing the shot clock definitely helped,” he said. “It’s a fast pace of play, just like in college. Going up and down, fast pace, guys getting shots up, so I’d say that definitely helped.”

This season, McGarvey said he’s looking for leadership skills to translate into a productive sophomore year for Butler, who’s one of three returning starters along with senior forward Justin Vander Baan (9.3 ppg) and senior guard Devin Hines (9.8 ppg). Butler’s presence is always felt by teammates on the court, but he’s not yelling, he’s not loud, he’s just there and leading by example.

“Mark handles his business on and off the basketball court,” McGarvey said. “He’s a great student, he’s got a great work ethic when it comes to hoops as well. And he’s someone that the team looks up to because he’s so consistent, so Mark doesn’t always have to be the most vocal, but his presence and his maturity for a young age really stands out when he’s leading our group.”

Butler says it was a struggle, at times, last season to embrace that leadership role. Yes, he was starting every single game and contributing, but at the end of the day, you’re still a teenager and in college for the first time in your life as a true freshman.

“I think with being a sophomore, some things change. We’re all just teammates, I’m not the underclassmen anymore. It was hard at times last year, because I’m 19-years old, I don’t want to overstep. With me being a sophomore, I have to take on that leadership role. Like, I have to.”

Butler will truly begin the leadership role on Monday, November 4 in the same city that it all started, both in high school and in college: Philadelphia. Lafayette pays a visit to Villanova, Monday at 8 PM. 

This time, he won't be surprised to see his name on the whiteboard.