Willesley Butler had a solid freshman year for Pensacola State in 16-17.  He averaged 5.8 points per game and 4.4 rebounds per game in only about 18 minutes per game.  He shot an impressive 59% from the field.  He learned a lot during his freshman season playing behind 6’7 F Harrison Curry (now a junior at Louisiana Tech) and 6’8 F Kani Coles (now a junior at Central Florida).  Butler is expected to handle a much bigger workload this season but is ready for the challenge. 

                The 6’8 forward, originally from Jamaica, has an impressive frame and has only gotten stronger since the end of last season.  He can play both the PF and C positions. He is extremely strong and looks to punish the rim any chance he gets. He has shown the ability to score in the post with jumphooks with either hand and will look to do that even more this year.  Expect him to get a lot more touches in the paint this year.  He is a great rebounder and has very strong hands when catching the ball.  He moves well and gets up and down the floor. He can guard any post positions and much taller players because of his strength. He is a presence in the paint and very good at walling up when defending.  This season, he will need to show that he can be consistent with his offense and produce in the paint every game.  Head Coach Pete Pena said this about Butler, “It’s great to see how Will has grown in the last year. His attitude and work ethic towards being a great player and teammate is fun to watch.”

Sincy July, Butler has heard from numerous schools from the following conferences: Ohio Valley, Missouri Valley, Conference USA, Atlantic 10, Mountain West, West Coast, Big South, Southern Conference, Sun Belt and Mid-American.  JucoRecruiting.com talked with Butler recently and here are the highlights of the interview. 

JucoRecruiting.com: What are you looking forward to about the upcoming season?

Butler: I’m just looking forward to getting better every day in practice, building a strong bond with my team, and most of all helping my team in any way I can so that we can be successful. 

JucoRecruiting.com: What’s one area of your game that you worked on most this offseason?

Butler: I worked a lot on my ballhandling to be more comfortable putting the ball on the floor as well as my jump shot.

JucoRecruiting.com: What’s the biggest strength of your game? 

Butler: I’d say the biggest strength of my game is my rebounding and my post play.

JucoRecruiting.com: What are your current offers?

Butler: I have offers from UAB, Buffalo, Middle Tennessee State, Loyola Marymount and Robert Morris.

JucoRecruiting.com: What are you looking for in a D1 program?

Butler: I want to go to a program where I can be myself and play my game, somewhere where I will have chance to play from the start.  I want to go to a program that has great academics and a culture of winning.  

Butler will continue to get attention from coaches from across the country.  You can see Butler and the rest of the Pensacola State Pirates in game action at the All American Jamboree October 13th-15th in Orlando, FL.