EDWARDSVILLE - Junior shooting forward Miccah Butler himself is off the a great start for the 2024-25 boys basketball season at Edwardsville High, and in turn, has helped the Tigers of to a 7-1 start as the team gets ready to play in the Don Mauer Holiday Invitational Tournament at Mary Institute-Country Day School in Ladue, Mo., in mid-St. Louis County.
Butler is a Spencer Homes Male Athlete of Month.
In a game against Riverview Gardens played on Dec. 16, Butler scored 16 points in helping the Tigers go on to a 64-33 win over the Rams at Lucco-Jackson Gym. For the season, Butler is the team's second-leading scorer, averaging 14.9 points and five rebounds-per-game, and also has 15 assists, 12 steals and three blocked shots to add to his stat line. He's helped provide much leadership and hard work in helping Edwardsville get off to a great start.
In a postgame interview that followed the win over Riverview, Butler was feeling good about how the Tigers have been playing, and is very happy with how things have gone along so far.
"I'm feeling really good," Butler said. "I feel like I'm having a good and strong start to the season. My team is playing well, and we're just having a good start."
The Tigers are off to a very good start, and there are more good things ahead for the team as the navigate the Holiday tournament, where Edwardsville won the number two seed and the rugged waters of the Southwestern Conference schedule.
"We're ready for war, I know that," Butler said. "We know that we can win this tournament, for sure, and we're a good team. We can do it for sure, I know that."
The Tigers have also played good defense, holding the Rams to nine points in the first half of their win, and have prepared well. Sticking to the game plan helps tremendously.
"I think that we stick to the game plan well," Butler said, "and always stick to the scouting report, or whatever coach (Dustin Battas) tells us to do, we do it. We always do our responsibility and our job on the court, and it shows."
The Tigers have worked very hard in the practices and games, and it's definitely a good sign for the remainder of the season, going into post-holiday play as the calendar turns into 2025.
"I think my role is like, a leader," Butler said. "I'm really a shooter, but I'm more than a shooter. I'm a rebounder, I guard my man, I can get to the basket off close-outs, and stuff like that. And I run the floor. So, I'm really just an-everything type of guy right now."
The Tigers are looking forward to the upcoming challenges ahead, and Butler is relishing the challenges.
"Yes, sir, I think so," Butler said confidently.
