Saturday evening will mark the final time seniors Will Butler and Antonio Ralat take the Bartow Arena floor. Prior to the game against Old Dominion, the UAB Department of Athletics will honor the duo for their contributions to the men’s basketball program.
Both Butler and Ralat traveled a great distance to arrive in the Magic City. They logged approximately 5,156 miles from their hometowns to high school to junior colleges and finally to Birmingham to play at UAB and earn their degrees.
Butler began his journey to Birmingham from St. Catherine, Jamaica. He played his high school ball at Redemption Christian Academy in Troy, N.Y. Following graduation, he enrolled in Pensacola State College, a junior college located in Pensacola, Fla. for two years. In his sophomore season, Butler was named First-Team All-Panhandle Conference after averaging 13.0 points per game and 6.6 rebounds per game. Butler’s field goal percentage of 63.0 percent ranked him third in NJCAA Region 8 and 23rd nationally.
The 2018-19 season was cut short for Butler, when he sustained a season-ending injury in Jan. 2019. The forward missed the final 18 games of the year.
Butler underwent rehabilitation and returned to the hardwood in UAB’s 2019-20 season opener at Troy. In his first action, he grabbed nine rebounds – five on the offensive glass – in 20 minutes of play. Since returning, he has bounced back to become one of Conference USA’s most improved players. He ranks fourth in the league with a .598 shooting percentage and 11th with 54 offensive rebounds. He recorded a career-high 20 points in UAB’s win at Middle Tennessee. Butler recorded his first career double-double when he scored 16 points and had a career-high 11 rebounds against Marshall on Feb. 27.
He is going to graduate with a degree in general studies with minors in African-American studies and communication management.
Ralat had more of a non-traditional journey in joining the men’s basketball team. The San Juan, P.R. native came to Birmingham in 2017 to join the UAB baseball team, where he was a fixture at short stop for three seasons. However, his passion has always been about basketball.
He attended high school in Florida and played one year at Palm Beach State, a junior college in Lake Worth, Fla. Ralat came to UAB in 2017 and played three seasons with the Blazers baseball team. After the season 20019 ended, Ralat asked the UAB compliance office if he had another year of eligibility remaining. Learning that he did, he tried out for the basketball team in the summer while completing his marketing degree.
Trading the diamond for the hardwood, he has played in 29 games this year. But it’s not the numbers that show Ralat’s importance to the team. He is no stranger to putting his body on the line diving for a loose ball as he had forced dozens of turnovers and created numerous scoring opportunities with his selfless play.
Ralat is currently pursuing his master’s in business administration. He earned a bachelor’s in marketing from UAB in 2019.
Saturday’s tipoff is at 7 p.m. Lower level tickets can be purchased for $12 here using promo code THANKYOU. Additionally, the game is a Corporate Night Out. Local companies can buy discounted group tickets & fan experiences here. Lower level tickets are $12 on a pre-ordered basis and upper level reserved tickets are available for $8 per ticket.
