Da’Sean Butler Continues Adapting to Coaches
by Ray Floriani
NEW YORK – Over the past three seasons Da’Sean Butler has played for three different coaches. All of them are different from one another, each outstanding in his own right. Two years ago Butler was finishing his high school career at Bloomfield Tech under Nick Mariniello, one of the better mentors in New Jersey. Butler then chose West Virginia and played a year under John Beilein. After Beilein opted for Big Ten country, Bob Huggins came on board for this, Butler’s sophomore season.
The 6-7 sophomore forward out of Newark, NJ chose WVU largely because of Beilein. One meeting with Huggins told Butler the school found a great replacement.
“He is a tough individual,” Butler said of Huggins. “He told us the way he would train and prepare us we shouldn’t lose.” While expecting to be undefeated is unrealistic these days, Butler likes that mindset of truly believing every game you enter is winnable. “He has brought energy to the program and the entire campus.”
Butler was asked for a comparison of Mariniello and Huggins. Both in their own right can turn up the intensity level if needed. “Nick (Mariniello) was on me every day my freshman year,” Butler said. “I didn’t play as much that first year but he stayed on me. For basketball and school, he was concerned about both. Sophomore year things changed but Nick could still get on you. With Nick and Coach Huggins it’s a different style of yelling. Nick could get on you right away. Huggins will stand there and keep it in then let you hear about it during a timeout.”
With both, Butler saw the end result as positive. “They both could get on you but it was part of making you a better player.”
A member of the Big East all-rookie team last winter, Butler, who has added 25 pounds since coming to Morgantown, was instrumental in West Virginia’s run to the NIT championship. Butler averaged 12.5 points per game this season, third-highest for the Mountaineers. He did tie teammate Joe Alexander for the rebounding lead at 6.1 per game. During the Big East tournament, Butler was a model of consistency as the Mountaineers advanced to the semifinal. He had identical 17-point, 9-rebound efforts in wins over Providence and UConn. With Alexander struggling offensively against the Hoyas in the semis, Butler led the way with 16 points while grabbing three boards.
To even have an opportunity to meet the likes of UConn and Georgetown, West Virginia had to battle back from an early deficit against lowest seed (12) Providence. “It is true there are no easy nights in this conference,” Butler said. “You can watch another conference team on television and see they do not have a good record. When you face them though, they are giving you all you can handle. There truly are no nights off.”
