Riverside Academy alum Jared Butler is doing big things in the NBA. After being overlooked in the first round  and drafted as the 40th overall pick in the second round of the 2021 NBA draft by the Utah Jazz, Butler is letting it be known that ratings/rankings don’t matter. 

In his first week as a pro Butler led all rookies in the NBA with an average of more than 18 points per game, 4.3 assists and a 48.9% shooting percentage.  In his first regular season game on Oct. 20, the Jazz got the win over the Oklahoma City Thunder. Butler played 9 minutes and had one  rebound.  On Thursday, Oct. 28 he hit his first NBA 3-pointer against the Houston Rockets.

Butler graduated from Riverside Academy in 2018. He played college basketball at Baylor in Texas. In 2021, his team won the NCAA National Championship. He was named the NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player, First Team All-American and Big 12 Player of the Year. His jersey was retired from Riverside Academy in May of 2021.