It’s not as if the Wildcats (4-0) needed his perfection Tuesday. The hosts never trailed in a wire-to-wire domination of the Bisons. 

Where Butler’s long-range shooting could come in handy is in bigger matchups down the road, in contests against opponents far more daunting than Lipscomb (2-4). Perhaps the best news for Butler is that even if Tuesday was more the exception than the rule when it comes to his 3-point accuracy, he’ll never be asked to shoulder that responsibility alone. 

Take his teammate Jaxson Robinson, for example. 

One game after managing just one point in UK’s win over Duke, the fifth-year senior Robinson bounced back to pour in a game-high 20 on 6-of-10 shooting, including 3-for-6 on 3s. And Butler wasn’t the only Wildcat with an unblemished showing in the 3-point department Tuesday: fellow fifth-year senior guard Koby Brea also sank all three of his 3-point attempts. 

UK will return to the floor Friday, when it hosts Jackson State. 

The game is slated to tip off at 7 p.m. at Rupp Arena. It will stream live on SEC Network+. 

This story will be updated. 

Reach Kentucky men’s basketball and football reporter Ryan Black at rblack@gannett.com and follow him on X at @RyanABlack.