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WSN15: Boys Basketball Top Players #1 -- Brian Butch, Appleton West

04/19/2018, 11:45am CDT
By Mark Miller

The WSN15 series will celebrate the 15th Anniversary of WisSports.net by looking back at the top players, teams, and moments of the past 15 years (2003-2017). 

The WSN15 boys' basketball series continues with the Top 15 Players of the WSN Era.

Simply put, he set the table for all of those who followed.

Brian Butch of Appleton West was a senior when WisSports.net and its predecessor, WisHoops.net, came into existence on the internet in 2002.

And the first truly outstanding high school basketball player in the WisSports.net Era wound up paving the way for so many others from Wisconsin who followed in his footsteps.

As a national recruit and a five-star prospect who ranked among the top 10 players nationally in the class of 2003, Butch attracted the recruiting attention from collegiate coaches from throughout the United States.

His combination of size, length and skill were featured nationally on the club circuit with the Fox Valley Skillz (Playground Warriors).

While others from the state -- most notably Joe Wolf of Kohler in 1983 and Sam Okey of Cassville in 1995 -- garnered national acclaim, it was Butch who opened the doors for good and put Wisconsin on the map as a mini hotbed of prep hoops talent in the country.

The 6-foot-11 post player wound up selecting Wisconsin as his collegiate choice, but he also entertained offers from the likes of Arizona, Kansas and North Carolina, among many others. 

Butch's prep career at Appleton West included trips to the WIAA Division 1 State Tournament in 2002 and 2003, including a runner-up finish to unbeaten Milwaukee King in 2003.

He was voted Player of the Year by the Associated Press as a junior and senior, earned the Mr. Basketball award from the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association in 2003, and broke a 35-year state-tournament record by scoring 45 points against Milwaukee Custer in the 2003 quarterfinals held at the Kohl Center.  

As a senior, Butch averaged 22.8 points and 10.1 rebounds and led the Terrors to the championship of the Fox Valley Association. He completed his prep career under coach Greg Hartjes at Appleton West with 1,431 points. 

Butch played in the McDonald's All-Star game following his senior season at West and scored six points while grabbing seven rebounds while playing alongside players such as LeBron James. 

After a redshirt season in 2003-04 at Wisconsin, Butch went on to have a very productive four-year career with the Badgers. As a senior in 2007-08, Butch averaged 12.4 points and 6.6 rebounds while helping Wisconsin to a 31-5 record, Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles and a spot in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. 

Though Butch never appeared in an NBA game, he did play professionally for more than a decade, both overseas and in the NBA Developmental League (now the G League). He currently is an assistant coach with the Wisconsin Herd, the Milwaukee Bucks' affiliate in the G League. 

For the latest and most up to date boys' basketball news and recruiting information, follow Mark on Twitter @wisbbyearbook. Email story ideas, recruiting info, etc. to Mark by clicking here.

Tag(s): News Archive  BBB News  Mark Miller  WSN15