Lamont Butler explains how Coach Mark Pope gives this team offensive confidence

Lamont Butler is shooting the ball well early into the season.

Nov 19, 2024; Lexington, Kentucky, USA; Kentucky Wildcats guard Lamont Butler (1) waits on the bench for player introductions before the game against the Lipscomb Bisons at Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Jordan Prather-Imagn Images / Jordan Prather-Imagn Images

Kentucky's basketball team is full of a ton of knockdown shooters, which is why Mark Pope's team has one of the best offenses in college basketball.

Starting point guard Lamont Butler is a player who can shoot the three-ball, but many wouldn't categorize him as a knockdown three-point shooter. Last season at San Diego State, Butler shot 30.2% from three, and his career high from deep is 34.2%. So far this season, for the Wildcat's four games in, Butler is shooting 44.4% from deep.

There are many different reasons for Butler's success from deep, but one of them has to be the confidence Coach Pope puts in all of his players to shoot the three-ball. Butler discussed this after the Wildcats win over Lipscomb. Here is what Butler had to say, “He doesn’t back down from any shot. If I feel comfortable shooting it, he’s comfortable with it. It definitely gives us confidence to go out there and just make shots and make plays.”

If Butler could shoot around 40% from deep this season, it would be a big boost for this offense, as it's just another player on the floor who is capable of knocking down shots.

Butler isn't the first player who has talked about how easy it is to shoot in this system, knowing how much confidence Coach Pope has in his players. It is clear that Coach Pope knows how to make his players feel good about the shots they are taking and this is the reason the Wildcats are lethal from deep.