SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Former Slippery Rock University men's basketball standout Antonio Butler has decided to continue his basketball career by signing a professional contract with AS Soleuvre of the Total League in Luxembourg for the 2016-17 season.
 
"We are extremely happy for Antonio," Slippery Rock men's basketball head coach Kevin Reynolds said. "He had a great career at The Rock. He won 41 games in two seasons, led us to two postseason berths and graduated with the class of 2015.  Antonio definitely deserved this contract."
 
Butler is the second former Rock player to sign with AS Soleuvre this offseason; 2015-16 All-Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference honoree Cornelius Brown will also play for Soleuvre next year. Both former Rock greats will report to AS Soleuvre in August for the Total League's season, which runs through May.
 
Butler appeared in 62 games, 37 of which were starts, for two years at Slippery Rock from 2013-15. For his career, he averaged 11.8 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 0.8 steals per game.
 
As a senior in 2014-15, Butler had a career-year with per game averages of 15.8 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 0.9 steals to lead SRU to a 21-11 record and to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. His 990 minutes played as a senior were the fifth most in program single-season history.
 
For his efforts in 2014-15, Butler earned first team All-PSAC West and second team National Association of Basketball Coaches Association All-Atlantic Region accolades.
 
Butler graduated from Slippery Rock in May of 2015 with a bachelor's degree in interdisciplinary studies.
 
Butler is the 15th Rock player to sign a professional contract since 2009 and the sixth to do so in Luxembourg. Denell Stephens, who played at Slippery Rock during the 2008-09 season, recently agreed to a contract extension with T71 Dudelange in Luxembourg to play his eighth season with the Total League power. Stephens is also a member of Luxembourg's national team.
 
"Slippery Rock basketball has become the top destination not only in the PSAC and Atlantic Region, but arguably, in all of NCAA Division II for future overseas professional players," Reynolds said. "We have had tremendous success placing our players overseas and they have played well in return."
 
SRU Basketball Pro Signees Since 2009
(Country of professional league in parenthesis)
 
Denell Stephens (Luxembourg)
Kyle Camper (Germany)
Devin Taylor (Luxembourg/ Latvia)
Michael Evans, Jr. (Canada)
Darious Clark (Luxembourg/ Saudi Arabia/ Mexico)
Erroll Robinson (USA)
Jabril Bailey (Thailand/ Mexico)        
Luiz Santos (Brazil)
Joe Vines (Taiwan)
Cecil Brown (USA)
Gerald Brooks (Argentina)
Maurice Lewis-Briggs (Luxembourg/ Georgia)
Tabari Perry (Japan/ Cyprus/ Ireland)
Cornelius Brown (Luxembourg)
Antonio Butler (Luxembourg)