Butler's motor drives Hornets on, off court

Devante Butler has been the leader on and off the court for the Aiken High School boys' basketball team this season. Staff photo by Noah Feit.

Last season, the Aiken High School boys' basketball team was one of the best and deepest teams in the area. But when the campaign ended, the Hornets lost 10 seniors to graduation.

That left a number of questions about the quality of this season's squad. Aiken would be counting on a number of players who would be making their debut on the varsity team.

Devante Butler was one of the few holdovers and was counted on to provide leadership on and off the floor. At this point in the season, the senior guard has been everything the Hornets hoped for - and more.

"He has a great attitude," Aiken head coach Tony Harrell said of Butler, who was named to the Class AAAA All-State team last season and was runner-up for region player of the year. "He's the type of kid you want to lead the team."

That's exactly what Butler has done for the Hornets this season. He's provided outstanding play, leading the team in scoring with an average of 16.5 points per game, more than four points better than his average last season. Butler has also served as a calming force for all of the young Hornets. He's somebody who can always be turned to.

Perhaps more than anything, Butler has provided an excellent example. He has the reputation as one of the most dedicated and hardest-working players in all of South Carolina.

"No question, he plays harder than anybody in the region," Lexington High School coach Bailey Harris said of Butler, after he scored 14 points in a 63-37 loss to the Wildcats on Friday. "I love his intensity. Facing him, it's always a challenge for our guys."

The challenge for Butler's opponents is to keep him from lighting up the scoreboard. At 6 feet tall, he's not physically imposing. But on most nights, he's the hardest player to guard. He's exceptionally quick, a good ball handler and - above all else - a great shooter.

"He's a very good shooter," Harrell said, crediting Butler's long hours in the gym for his fine shooting ability.

Butler's deft touch is the starting point for his potent scoring. With defenders conscious of trying to guard Butler tight, to prevent open looks, he can utilize his dribbling skills and speed to drive to the basket.

He's shown tremendous ability to get in the lane and finish. Shots have come from a variety of arm angles and at varying degrees of difficulty, as he slashes into openings and is faced with defenders.

Because of his skills, several colleges have shown interest in Butler. He said he's already been offered a scholarship to Wallace State Community College in Alabama, as well as having contact with Greenville, Woodruff and Mount Olive among others.

"I can shoot the ball well," Butler said of his strengths. "I can also put the ball on the floor and dribble. I try to run off a spot and get to the cup. I can also draw contact and get to the free-throw line."

Butler has scored in double figures in 15 of the Hornets' 17 games this season, helping them get off to a 11-6 start. He's gone over 20 points four times, including a season-best 29 in a Dec. 20 win over Batesburg-Leesville.

"He has a little bit of everything, but he plays so hard," Harris said.

His effort has been crucial to Aiken's good start. In spite of back-to-back losses to Region 5-AAAA opponents, Butler's optimistic about the Hornets' possibilities this season.

"We're coming together and having a good season," Butler said, seeing some comparisons between this year's team and last season's squad. "Last year we came together as a family. We did special things. Talent wise, we can't compare to last year, but this year we've got more role players and we're coming together. We're growing together, as a team and a family."

Butler said the goal is to win a region championship. The Hornets have their work cut out for them to achieve that but will get a chance to even their region record at 2-2 on Tuesday when they play North Augusta.

Aiken will have to play better as a unit to prevail. That's something Butler knows about because of another of his passions. The self-confessed gearhead sees parallels between how a basketball team plays and a motor operates.

"A team, like a motor, takes every part," Butler explained. "Everything is important. If one thing messes up in a motor, it messes up everything. Like basketball, it's a well-oiled machine."

Butler knows plenty about cars. His father's a mechanic, and he said just about everybody in his family is involved with cars in one way or another.

"It runs in the family," said Butler, who's currently restoring a 1986 Oldsmobile Cutlass but said his dream car is a 1970 Chevrolet Chevelle. "It's got so many different looks. You can do so much to it."

The same could be said of Butler's game. He's working on improving his own repertoire by honing his decision-making skills on the floor. Teams have zeroed in on stopping him, so Harrell has tried to counter that by putting the ball in Butler's hands as soon as possible, bringing it up the court at times. He knows Butler doesn't mind the extra load.

"Devante is one of the hardest-working kids and has a non-stop motor," Harrell said. "He's got the heart of a champion."

Noah Feit is a reporter for the Aiken Standard and has been a professional journalist for more than a decade.

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