Hall of Fame
Mario Butler graduated in 1979 and was an integral part of Briar Cliff's famous Panama Pipeline. He played in 102 games during his career, scoring 815 points and totaling 664 rebounds, which ranked 14th and seventh all-time, respectively, at the time of his graduation. He shot 55.4 percent for his career and averaged 12.0 ppg and a senior, while leading the team with 9.4 rpg. Butler played on teams which produced the best four-year record in school history (91-24), reaching the NAIA tournament all four years which were also the first four national tournaments in program history. He helped the Cliff to a quarterfinal finish at the national tournament.
Butler was selected in the eighth round of the 1979 NBA Draft by the Golden State Warriors and he played professionally in Argentina, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain and Uruguay. Butler was named Defensive Player of the Year on eight different occasions and was invited to the Philadelphia 76ers Veterans' Camp in 1995.
