BUTLER TWP — You won't find him in uniform, but Luke Patten is easy to spot.

That's him wearing warm-ups on the bench during Butler's junior varsity and varsity basketball games, home and away. That's him on the court during pre-game and halftime warm-ups, talking and laughing with teammates.

That's him with a huge brace covering his left knee.

The 6-foot-4 Golden Tornado senior guard was participating in a fast break drill during an open gym in October “when I went in hard for a dunk, came down, turned ... and my kneecap popped out,” Patten said.

After surgery for a torn ligament and with rehab, Patten had hopes of returning to action late in the season and be ready for the WPIAL playoffs.

The knee buckled again in December, a second surgery was required and Patten's season was lost.

He averaged 11.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.5 assists for Butler last season as the Tornado reached the WPIAL 6A title game. Butler coach Matt Clement referred to Purdue-bound senior guard Ethan Morton and Patten as “1A and 1B” in his eyes.

“It sucks what happened to him. It just sucks,” Morton said. “I'm sickened by that whole situation and I'm not even him. It didn't happen to me. I can't imagine what Luke's going through.”

Clement said Patten “was robbed of his senior year. He could have disappeared and hid out of frustration. Nobody would have blamed him or second-guessed him.

“A lot of kids in his situation would have done exactly that.”

Yet Patten has been as visible as ever.

“He called me to ask if he could help coach our JV team this year. That was his idea, not mine,” Clement said.

Patten talks to the JV players every day. He runs the clock at practice. He is in constant communication with his varsity teammates.

He remains a leader — only in a different way.

He calls Clement any time his rehab schedule — three days a week — prohibits him from being on time for practice.

“I just wanted him to know I'm still a part of this team,” Patten said.

That team that is taking a 10-game winning streak, perfect section record and Butler's first boys basketball section title in 28 years into Tuesday night's section finale at Seneca Valley.

“He (Patten) could have come around every once in a while, showed up at the games as a fan and nobody would've questioned it,” Morton said. “But anyone who thought he would go that route doesn't know Luke.

“I'm more of a vocal leader. Luke is a leader by example, by his actions. He's still a leader that way.”

Patten will be cleared to resume full basketball activity in June. He has received collegiate interest from Dickinson, Geneva, La Roche and Grove City.

He is also considering attending IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla., for a year. His older brother Nick spent his senior year there in preparation for a baseball career.

“I could go there for a year of prep school and not lose a year of college eligibility while making sure I was ready for college, making sure my knee is stable,” Patten said. “I haven't decided what route to take yet.”

He has decided to remain fully vested in supporting his Butler team.

“Luke even got thrown out of a JV game this year (after coming on the court to defend a teammate during an altercation),” Clement said, laughing. “He's never lost his passion for his teammates or this program.

“Even though he can't physically play, he continues to contribute to this team.”

Morton agreed.

“He sees thing from the bench that we don't see on the court,” Morton said. “Luke is great at explaining things to us as a fellow player, describing what he sees in a different way than a coach can.

“I know he's helped me during games and I'm confident I can speak for the entire team that way.”

For Patten, it's all about being a teammate.

“If I can lend some insight to a younger player or even a (varsity) starter, I'm gonna do that,” he said.

No one appreciates that attitude more than Morton.

“Luke did so many little things on the court for us the past couple of years that we really miss ... that I miss,” Morton said. “I've been playing basketball with him since second grade.

“The biggest piece of adversity we've had to overcome this season was not having Luke Patten on the floor. One of our biggest assets this season has been having him on the bench.”