Butler helps Redhawks despite ongoing foot pain

Cameron Butler refused to give in to the painful foot problems that threatened to ruin his senior season.

Butler's perseverance has helped key Southeast Missouri State's longest Ohio Valley Conference winning streak in men's basketball since the 2004-05 campaign.

"I've seen him in such pain and agony just walking around, yet he continues to give us everything he's got," Southeast coach Dickey Nutt said.

Butler will make his seventh consecutive start Thursday night when Morehead State (11-6, 4-2) visits Southeast (5-11, 4-2) in a battle of squads tied for second place in the 10-team OVC.

The Redhawks have won four straight OVC games and five of six contests overall while the Eagles are riding a five-game winning streak.

Southeast Missouri State's Cameron Butler knocks a loose ball to teammate Lucas Nutt during Saturday's 78-75 victory against Eastern Illinois at the Show Me Center. (Laura Simon)

"It should be a great game," said Butler, a 6-foot-6, 220-pound forward. "It's going to be a big challenge, but hopefully we can keep the winning streak going."

Butler, who missed eight games late last year with a stress fracture in his foot, has been hobbled all season by what is believed to be severe arthritis in both feet.

"I'm so young. It's usually when you get older," Butler said. "They really can't put a finger on it, but it's pretty intense."

Butler, who said his current problems are not believed to be related to last year's injury, is scheduled to see a foot specialist next week to try to get a better grasp on the situation.

Butler played a combined 26 minutes off the bench during Southeast's first two games before missing the next seven contests.

Southeast Missouri State's Cameron Butler takes a load off his ailing feet during a game against Hannibal-LaGrange in December. Butler made his first start of the season in the game, which also marked the Redhawks' first win of the season after an 0-10 start.

"We tried to have Cameron stay off it. We thought it would get better that way," Nutt said. "It didn't, so he just decided he was going to play through it."

Said Butler: "We've been trying everything. It is constant. It never goes away. But I was determined I was going to play."

Butler, who estimates that he is operating at about 50 percent, finally returned to the court Dec. 8 at SIU-Carbondale but played only seven minutes during a loss that dropped the Redhawks to 0-10.

Butler made his first start of the season during a 49-point rout of NAIA Hannibal-LaGrange on Dec. 11 that got Southeast into the win column. He played 13 minutes.

Southeast followed with four more victories in five games, the only loss a nonconference defeat at SMU. Butler has played at least 17 minutes in each of those five contests, including at least 22 minutes per night during the Redhawks' four-game OVC winning streak.

Southeast junior Cameron Butler(1) passes a loose ball to teammate Lucas Nutt in the second half Saturday, January 8, 2010 at the Show Me Center. Southeast defeated Eastern illinois 78-75. (Laura Simon)

"When Cameron came back, it's made a big difference," Nutt said. "We lost our first two conference games when he didn't play. We're a different team with him in there. He brings that toughness that coaches look for. He certainly has it.

"Cameron brings a lot of experience and leadership. He provides a lot of stability on defense. He can jump out of the gym and really run, but unfortunately he's dealing with a lot of pain so he can't do all the things he's capable of doing."

Butler not only has aided the Redhawks with the traits Nutt raves about, he also has provided solid scoring and rebounding.

Although Butler is averaging just 4.9 points and 5.2 rebounds for the season, he is averaging a little more than eight points along with nine rebounds during the past four OVC games.

Butler has two double-doubles during that span after having only one all of last season.

Butler recorded 11 points and a career-high 12 rebounds in Southeast's first OVC win, at Jacksonville State on Dec. 19. He collected 10 points and 10 rebounds while going 8 of 8 from the free-throw line in Saturday's 78-75 victory over Eastern Illinois that featured Southeast rallying from 17 points down.

"I just try to do whatever I can to help my team win," said Butler, a general studies major with a minor in recreation who wants to work with children some day. "It was a rocky start, but I feel like once I came back, I provided a lot of toughness and leadership."

Nutt said Butler would be among his all-time favorite players even if he hadn't been able to return to the court.

That's how much admiration and respect Nutt has for the Malvern, Ark., native who spent his first two seasons at Division II Southern Arkansas but never gave up on his dream of playing Division I basketball.

Butler, who received no Division I scholarship offers out of high school, left Southern Arkansas and attended junior college for a year without playing basketball to get eligible academically for Division I hoops.

When Nutt took over at Southeast in March of 2009, one of the first people he got a call from was Butler, who had known about Nutt from his days coaching at Arkansas State.

"He just called me out of the clear blue when I got the job. And he kept calling me every night," Nutt said with a laugh. "He wouldn't give up."

Butler, who ultimately landed a scholarship as a member of Nutt's first Southeast recruiting class, had a solid rookie season with the Redhawks. He was third on the squad in scoring and second in rebounding with averages of nine points and 5.3 boards while posting a team-high 21 blocks.

Butler's overall numbers are not as good this year on a club with more talent than last season's unit, but he has been even more valuable.

"It all starts with the type of person he is," Nutt said. "He's just a super young man and I have all the admiration in the world for him. I am so proud of him."