At 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. Butch is also Appleton West's all-time leading scorer with 1,431 points. 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.
