Da’Sean Butler told himself he was not going to cry prior to the team’s final home game of the season Monday night against Georgetown. Butler, a senior forward who has scored 1,936 career points, third on the school’s all-time scoring list, fought off the tears after being introduced for the final time inside the WVU Coliseum. But when he checked out of the game with 30 seconds to go and the 81-68 win in the bag, it was a different story.
“I’m not going to lie, I started crying,” Butler said with a shaky voice as his eyes watered and reddened shortly after the game. “When I got subbed out, I realized it’s my last time being in here. I just started just thinking back to everything -- everything just kind of hit me. I won’t be here anymore in this gym playing. I’m just going to miss everything.”
With the lights dimmed and the crowd of better than 13,000 roaring in appreciation for Butler’s record-setting career, the 6-foot-7 forward from Newark, N.J. walked out onto the gold and blue carpet, alongside his parents -- Koreena Butler and Ira Puryear -- one last time.
Fiery WVU coach Bob Huggins had to try his best to hold off an emotional outpour when Butler was introduced and made his way to hug him at mid court.
“Da said he wasn’t going to let it get to him and he didn’t,” Huggins said. “I was trying like crazy not to let it get to me because I didn’t want to be the reason he became emotional. It was really hard.”
“I kind of thought about it when I saw coach standing out there,” Butler said. “I just laughed at him so I could just keep laughing and not really think about crying.”
Emotions aside, eighth-ranked WVU (23-6, 12-5 BIG EAST) knew they had an important Big East game to win against No. 20 Georgetown (19-9, 9-8 BIG EAST).
Butler did plenty to assure the Hoyas, who have lost two games in a row, would not play spoiler on senior night. He finished with 22 points, six rebounds and six assists.
In the game’s opening 14 minutes, Butler reeled off 12 points on five of eight shooting, including a pair of 3s, two rebounds and two assists. In the midst of a 16-5 run, the Mountaineers took command of the game and went up, 30-16.
“Da’Sean Butler is a heck of a basketball player. He’s one of the best players I think ever to play here,” said Huggins. “But he’s also one of the best people ever to play here.”
The Mountaineers never relinquished the lead and finished the season 13-2 at home.
WVU senior forward Wellington Smith, who was also honored on senior night, contributed five points, two rebounds, two assists, a block and a steal against Georgetown. Smith, a 6-foot-7 forward from Summit, N.J., joined Butler four years ago at WVU, after both were recruited by former coach John Beilein.
“Everything that’s happened in my career here for the four years kind of came into tonight,” said Smith. “I don’t think I shed a tear, but it was real emotional. It was really something I’m going to look back on and just try to remember all the great memories that I had here, especially remembering the lows because that made me stronger and got me to this point.”
Butler and Smith, a formidable duo of forwards, share a close bond on and off the court.
“Da’Sean is like my brother,” Smith said. “I just really appreciate him as a person, as a brother. He does everything to get us where we need to be.”
Similar compliments came from Butler, regarding Smith. “He’s come along way as a player and a person. He cares about people,” said Butler. “He works hard for his teammates. There’s nothing he won’t do for anybody here -- at all.”
Huggins said, “Wells is the same way on and off the floor. They’re great people.”
This season, Butler averages 17 points and six rebounds. His career scoring average currently is 14 points and he’s averaged double figures in scoring all four years as a Mountaineer. Butler only trails Hot Rod Hundley and Jerry West in career points scored at WVU.
Upon being tagged as one of the greatest Mountaineers ever just before the start of the game, Butler laughed at the moniker. “I’m just happy everybody thinks that of me,” he humbly deferred.
Throughout the season, Butler has been looked to lead the Mountaineers, who have had sky high expectations and never found itself ranked outside of the top 10. He has performed admirably and delivered game winning shots against Marquette, Cleveland State and Louisville, as well as adding countless other plays when WVU needed them.
“He’s a team leader. He’s just a great guy to be around,” said Smith. “I’m not going to miss the Da’Sean Butler as a player -- I’m going to miss him as a person.”
Butler said, “I just feel like you can’t really lead unless you’re consistent at what you do.”
Both Butler and Smith believe WVU can ride the emotional wave of momentum in the team’s final regular season game this Saturday, at ninth-ranked Villanova (23-5).
“If we beat Villanova, honestly I don’t care who we play in the country. We could beat anybody,” said Butler. “Granted they lost to Syracuse, I still think they are by far the best team in the country.”
What Butler says he wants people to remember him by is: “He worked as hard as he could every time he was on the court and most of all, he’s a nice guy He’ll do anything you ask him to do.
“I just want people to think good of me because I tried my hardest to be a good person since I’ve been here.”
Butler joked that he’d one day have a statue next to West, but was happy enough to have the opportunity to be a Mountaineer. “I always said I wanted to be a good player,” he said. “I really do think I’m living a dream right now.”