University of South Carolina Aiken Athletics

One of the top 50 high school players in the nation coming out of high school, USC Aiken senior Arbry Butler had a lot of schools after him. One could say he had the world at his fingertips for a brief time.

Although Butler started getting more offers from schools near the end of his senior season, the Little Rock, Ark., native, inked his name to a National Letter of Intent with Wichita State.

After arriving on campus and excited to play for head coach Mark Turgeon, things suddenly changed for Butler. Turgeon left after his redshirt season and Gregg Marshall took over for a program that had been fairly successful in the past.

“Coach Turgeon was training me to play as a small forward,” Butler said. “After Coach Turgeon left, Coach Marshall came in. He was a very passionate coach.”

Just prior to the start of Butler’s redshirt-freshman season, he tore his MCL and was forced to sit out a second year.

“I had to miss my second straight season of playing the game I loved,” Butler stated. “We were having a horrible season and I put a lot on my shoulders because I wanted to help. I got depressed because I wasn’t able to play and I didn’t care about anything after I got injured. My grades dropped because of it.”

Butler ended up leaving after just 1.5 seasons with the Shockers as he went to Paris Junior College. After he got his grades back up and rehabbed his knee, he committed to go to another junior college in Oklahoma. Butler went to a Junior College All-American camp and ranked as one of the top-10 junior college players. With his stellar turn-around, he had Division I offer letters from Kansas, Baylor, Oklahoma, San Diego State and Arkansas, among others.

Even though Butler thought he had his next move planned out, things did not exactly work out like he expected.

“I had a disagreement with my family and I moved to Virginia with my best friend,” Butler said. “I started working at a shipyard. It was tough work and made for some very long days.”

While he was working at the shipyard, Butler held the title as a “Riggor.” He worked cranes, forklifts and staging, which meant he would make a foundation for a welder to stand on so they could do their job.

“It was a lot of strenuous work,” Butler stated. “Anything over 50 pounds, I moved. I worked with ventilation systems, setting up blowers and tubing to suck toxins out and bring proper air flow in. I learned a lot of life skills while I was there – and I had to mature quickly.

“Growing up, I thought everything was supposed to be given to me. At the shipyard, I had to work for everything. There were days I didn’t want to get up, but I had to in order to have what I needed so I could survive.

“Working there took away a lot of my fears,” Butler continued. “I was high up working on equipment before there were any nails put in. I There were times I would be standing off the side of an aircraft carrier in 30 mph winds and rain. There were days that it was so cold couldn’t feel my body, but I would have to grab a 24x3’ board with one hand while maintaining my balance so I wouldn’t fall 300 feet. People died doing similar work while I was there.”

On his own, Butler worked so he could support himself while his best friend from high school was attending Newport News Apprentice School. His friend started talking to the coach for Butler, who realized he could get a new start with his career.

Re-energized, Butler was excited about the game once again. However, Butler’s grades suffered once again. He left school but continued working at the shipyard for the next six years, occasionally playing in PRO-Am’s, such as the Ben Wallace Tournament in Richmond, where he was named the Newcomer of the Year.

“I played pick-up games with Division I schools like Hampton and Norfolk State,” Butler said. “I’d tell the coach I would try to get my transcripts, but I never did because I didn’t want to play.”

Butler went through a tough time trying to find himself. He also started losing a lot of family members, including his aunt and grandparents back-to-back. The ones that had been to all of Butler’s games throughout the years were no longer around.

“After my grandfather passed away, I wanted to give collegiate basketball another shot,” Butler stated. “Coach Alexander started recruiting me and I loved everything about him, including his passion for the game. He helped me spiritually as well. I needed him in my life as he helped me grow into a man.”

Almost 10 years older than everyone else and just a few months removed from Alexander leaving USC Aiken while head coach Mark Vanderslice arrived in his place, Butler is enthusiastic about his senior season. However, there are times he still struggles.

“I remember how I used to perform before I stopped playing,” Butler said. “My mind tells me I can do something, but my body says no. I want to get back to the point where I used to be.”

Butler has been forced to alter his game over time. Some of his teammates may score on him in practice, which hurts Butler’s pride a bit. However, the adjustments he has made should prove beneficial for Vanderslice’s team this season.

“I’m a better all-around player than I was when I was at Wichita State,” Butler said. “I thought I was the same guy I was after sitting out for over five years. Now, I’m a smarter player both offensively and defensively. When I first arrived at USC Aiken, I knew what I needed to do, but my reaction time was a little slower. I’ve steadily improved on those areas, but I’m not back to where I was coming out of high school.”

This season, Butler wants to leave it all out on the court – and fans can see how passionate he is about the game of basketball.

“Words can’t express what it means to me to play this season,” Butler said. “Coach Vanderslice is just as passionate as Coach Marshall. There is a lot of positivity from Coach Vanderslice. From the moment he came in, we clicked.”

Although he is far removed from his senior year of high school, Butler has one last chance to leave a lasting impression at the collegiate level. There is little doubt he will leave it all out on the court this year, but as an older, wise and more mature Butler than the younger version of himself.  Once again, Butler could very well have the basketball world at his fingertips one last time.