Butts hopes

to return Thursday
By Steve Behr
sports@wataugademocrat.com

Appalachian State may add to its depth at the post should Isaac Butts return for the Mountaineers’ game at Elon Thursday.

Butts, who partially tore the MCL and tore a quad muscle in the Mountaineers’ win over Chattanooga on Jan. 17, has not gone through a full practice yet, but the 6-foot-10 freshman hopes he’ll be ready for Thursday when the Mountaineers travel to face the Phoenix.

“It’s coming along and getting better,” Butts said. “It’s getting stronger every day from running on it.”

Butts said should he not be able to play Thursday, he would be shooting for the Mountaineers’ game Saturday at UNC Greensboro.

Butts has missed playing during Appalachian State’s stretch run, which included an 83-55 victory over Wofford Monday night.

“It bothers me not being out there,” Butts said. “I know we’re not doing something right and the bench is helping and I hate that I can’t go out there and give the team a boost from the bench.”

Butts said he was starting to get used to the faster pace of the college game.

“I had a pretty good feel for it,” he said. “I used to get nervous when I went in, but I settled into it and I get into the flow of the game and I’ve felt pretty confident lately.”

• Appalachian State’s win over Wofford was its fourth straight over the Terriers. ...Jeremy Clayton, who holds the ASU record for career blocked shots, blocked his 200th and 201st shots against Wofford.

The Mountaineers are 9-2 in their last 11 games. ...The Mountaineers have scored over 70 points in 12 of their 16 victories this year.