Brian Butch

About Brian Butch

Brian Butch (born December 22, 1984 in Appleton, Wisconsin) was a center on the 2003 McDonald's All-American basketball team who is currently attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison on a basketball scholarship and where he's currently a graduate student in Life Sciences Communication. He is a member of the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod (WELS) and is nicknamed the "Polar Bear."

He went to Appleton West High School, Butch was a two-time Wisconsin State Player of the Year by the Associated Press. He averaged 22.8 points and 10.1 rebounds as a senior, leading Appleton West High School to a 23-3 record and the Division 1 State Championship game in 2003. He broke a 35-year old Wisconsin state tournament record by scoring 45 points in the quarterfinals, which was held at the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Kohl Center. Butch averaged 30.8 points in four games at the Kohl Center over his prep career. He elected to play basketball for the University of Wisconsin rather than the University of North Carolina, stating that the North Carolina players had a lot of "swagger."[citation needed]

Butch was later named a 2003 McDonald's All-American ("West" squad) where he shared the court with players such as LeBron James and Luol Deng. He scored 6 points and grabbed 7 rebounds in the nationally-televised contest.