The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

SHAVAUL Butters has picked up his second NCAA Division I offer of his prep recruitment process.

The 6’8”, 210 pound forward received an official offer from the Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros and new head coach Matt Figger.

The Vaqueros compete in the Western Athletic Conference.

Listed as a two-star recruit by Verbal Commits, Butters is in the midst of his final season with Elevation Prep in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The Grand Bahama native spent the previous season with Aspire Academy in Louisville, Kentucky.

Butters began to garner attention from major Division I basketball programmes and received his first offer of what is expected to be an active recruiting process last summer.

He was officially offered by the Austin Peay State University Governors. The Governors compete in the Ohio Valley Conference and most recently made the NCAA Tournament in 2016.

Figger, the former head coach at Austin Peay, takes over a Vaqueros programme still healing after the death of previous coach Lew Hill back in February.

Butters posted impressive numbers in his final season with Aspire Academy. He was the only member of the roster to compete in all 33 contests and led the team in several statistical categories. He led the team in total points (386 points), field goal percentage (57 percent, 173-303), three point percentage (40 percent, 19-48), and total rebounds (323).

He finished second on the team at 11.7 points per game and averaged a double double with 10 rebounds per game. He shot 64 percent from the free throw line and also finished with 32 total blocks, 28 steals and 35 assists. His season was highlighted with 30 points, 21 rebounds and two blocks against Tennessee Prep last December at the Marshall County Hoopfest in Kentucky.

In the classroom, Butters has a 3.0 GPA and a score of 20 on his ACT.

He has also received high interest from UNLV, Maryland, Eastern Kentucky, North Carolina- Greensboro and several others.