In the NCAA, a player may take a redshirt season and stretch out his or her collegiate athletic eligibility over the course of five years.

This can be done for a variety of reasons.

Some athletes wish to gain an extra year of practice with the team while others transfer from a different school. It can also be done to take a break from the competition.

A consequence of this is that the athlete is often done with his or her degree after four years of schooling but may still have to take classes a fifth year in order to maintain athletic eligibility.

The NCAA requires graduate student-athletes take at least nine credit hours in a semester in order to keep eligibility.

While athletes can use this rule to sign up for what may be deemed blow-off classes with very little academic benefit, some Butler athletes use it to further their education and work toward degrees.

Senior Katie Clark, a member of Butler’s cross country and track and field teams, took a redshirt season during the track and field team’s 2012-13 indoor campaign.

She is making the most of her extra time in Butler academics by working toward her master’s degree in Butler’s school counseling program.

Clark said her required fifth year of schooling is an added benefit to red-shirting for one athletic season.

“Even though the whole student-athlete lifestyle can be a struggle at times, unless you have a pro contract waiting for you, I think the unique experience of competing in the NCAA is something you should drag out as long as you possibly can,” Clark said.

For former men’s basketball player Emerson Kampen, who is finishing up his final year, a redshirt allowed an easier schedule during basketball season.

“My fifth year allowed me to spread out my workload during basketball season, “ Kampen said. “I didn’t pick up another major or minor, (but) it was worth it because it allowed me to focus on my classes and not have a large workload during the basketball season.”

Whatever path is taken, it is clear the current redshirt system can be advantageous for student-athletes, providing an extra year of collegiate athletics and offering the opportunity for more time in higher education.

When Butler made the jump from the Horizon League to the Atlantic 10 conference it set itself up for a new schedule and new sights to see.

Experiencing new places is something the team looks forward to each road game, sophomore men’s basketball guard Alex Barlow said.

“All of the places we have been able to see are usually very historical and unique,” senior center Emerson Kampen said.

The team played Indiana University at Bankers Life Fieldhouse  on Dec. 15.

“Playing at Bankers Life was a pretty cool experience for me overall as a freshman in the Crossroads Classic,” freshman guard Kellen Dunham said. “Playing there reminded me of my Indiana All-Star days.”

The team enjoys the ability to see the history and cultures in cities of some of the other programs it plays.

“On some road trips we will see educational things, like when we stopped at Constitution Hall in Philly after playing St. Joe’s,” Barlow said.

During its trip to Philadelphia for its game against Saint Joseph’s, the team immersed itself in the city’s culture with Philly cheesesteaks and cannolis.

The night before every game, the team has a meal together out on the town.

Of all the places the team traveled to, Kampen said Maui was no doubt his favorite place to travel.

The team took part in the EA Sports video game tournament, went snorkeling and had a free day at the beach in Maui, Dunham said.

Although it may seem fun to take vacations from school, the players often miss class, and schoolwork can become hectic at times.

Kampen said it means, in addition to everything else, on the road, the men’s basketball players like to catch up on sleep or get caught up with their studies.

As the spring sports season begins to wind down, many teams are already beginning to prepare for their next season.

The football team had its annual blue and white scrimmage, the men’s soccer team had its spring exhibition matches, and five teams have announced additions to their rosters for next year.

Let’s take a look forward and see how some of Butler’s teams will be changing for the 2012-13 school year.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

The men’s basketball team finished the 2011-12 season with a 22-15 record, averaging 40.8 percent shooting from the field and 28.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc. The Bulldogs were ranked eighth and 10th in the Horizon League in those categories, respectively.

The team has a chance to improve with the additions of senior guard and transfer Rotnei Clarke and incoming freshman guard Kellen Dunham.

In three seasons at Arkansas, Clarke averaged more than 15 points per game and shot nearly 44 percent from 3-point range.

Dunham averaged more than 29 points during his senior season at Pendleton Heights High School.

The Bulldogs will also be adding guard Devontae Morgan from Tampa, Fla., and guard Chris Harrison-Docks from Okemos, Mich.

Morgan led his high school team to a state championship last season, averaging more than 15 points and six rebounds per game.

Harrison-Docks averaged 21 points and five steals per game in his senior season.

The team will lose only two players—guard Ronald Nored and forward Garrett Butcher.

Butler will have to make up for the loss of Nored’s defensive prowess, as well as the experience and leadership provided by the pair.

Clarke and seniors Emerson Kampen, Chase Stigall and Andrew Smith will likely be asked to step up and fill those roles.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The women’s basketball team concluded its 2011-12 season with a 13-17 record and said goodbye to two senior guards—Devin Brierly and Kaley May.

Brierly was the only Bulldog to start in all 30 of the team’s games. She recorded more than 32 minutes of playing time per game, averaging 11 points per game.

Sophomore center Sarah Hamm is the only returning player to average more than 10 points per game last season.

Hamm will be joined by sophomore guard Jenna Cobb, freshman forward Hayley Howard and freshman guard Hannah Douglas, who all played key roles on the team last season.

Butler will also be adding four incoming freshman—forward Katie Brewer from Indianapolis, guard Blaire Langlois from Carmel, guard Lexus Murry from Indianapolis and forward-center Olivia Wrencher from West Chester, Ohio.

Brewer is a versatile player who has the ability to knock down three-pointers and battle down low.

Langlois has deep range on her jump shot but also has the ability to make plays with her passing.

Murry averaged more than 22 points per game during her senior season and can also be effective on the defensive end, where she averaged 3.5 steals per game.

Wrencher will bring size to the Bulldogs that will complement the play of Hamm and Howard under the basket.

SOFTBALL

The softball team will lose seven seniors at the conclusion of its current season, including four-year starting outfielder and third baseman Lauren McNulty, Butler’s home run record-holding first baseman Erin Falkenberry and catcher Mallory Winters.

Despite this, coach Scott Hall has five incoming players who could make an immediate impact on the program.

Alex Kotter, a shortstop from Vincennes Lincoln High School, had a .615 career batting average and was an Indiana first team All-State pick.

Chelsea Conover, an outfielder from Brownsburg, led her high school team in stolen bases, runs scored and on-base percentage for three years.

Audrey East is a utility player from New Palestine High School. East is one of the best power hitters in Indiana and boasted a .902 slugging percentage, eight home runs and 47 RBIs last season.

Taylor Lockwood, a pitcher from Southport High School, has good control and will be a solid addition to the pitching staff.

The same could be said for Kristin Gutierrez, a left-handed power pitcher from Highlands Ranch High School in Colorado.

Gutierrez, a 2011 Triple Crown All-American honoree, is a dual threat with her pitching and hitting. She led her conference with 127 strikeouts and recorded a .542 batting average.

The success of the pitching recruits could be key with the loss of senior pitcher Breanna Fisher and injuries to junior pitcher Jenny Esparza this season.

BASEBALL

The baseball team will add four players who could have an immediate impact next season.

Nick Bartolone is a left-handed outfielder from Harrison High School. Coach Steve Farley said he expects Bartolone to compete for position in the outfield next year.

Chris Marras, a catcher from Vernon Hills, Ill., will get the chance to work with two fifth-year senior catchers, Radley Haddad and Nick Hladek.

Nick Saldutti is a power-hitting first baseman from Westfield High School. He hit .477 with a .571 on-base percentage in his junior season.

Drew Small is a utility player from Zionsville. He was an All-State honorable mention.

His versatility and speed will help him compete for a spot in the outfield, especially with the loss of senior outfielder Mike Hoscheit.

The Bulldogs will also lose pitchers Dom Silvestri, Mike Hernandez, Brad Schnitzer, Brian Padove and Ryan Salvino, as well as senior infielder Griffin Richeson.

VOLLEYBALL

The volleyball team is returning eight players who played in at least 50 sets last year and lost only one senior in Maureen Bamiro.

Bamiro, a former middle blocker, finished with the second-best attack percentage in Butler history and sixth all-time in kills and kills per set.

Last season, she was voted All-Horizon League.

The Bulldogs will return sophomore middle blocker Maggie Harbison, who will likely be a key contributor after being voted All-Horizon League last season.

Butler will also add two transfer students.

Freshman Erica Stahl, a transfer from Cincinnati, will be an addition to the middle blocker position.

Stahl only has four sets of collegiate experience under her belt but was named among the top high school volleyball players by the Under Armour Watch list in 2010.

Sophomore Morgan Peterson, a setter from Middle Tennessee State, will have two years of eligibility with the Bulldogs.

She averaged 8.58 assists and 1.41 digs per set last season.

The Butler men’s basketball team defeated Chattanooga 57-46 yesterday to pick up its first regular season win following the unveiling of a celebratory banner.

Former Butler players Shelvin Mack, Zach Hahn and Grant Leiendecker were on hand for the revealing of a banner recognizing the Bulldogs’ run to a second consecutive Final Four.

On a night that was all about Butler, the Mocs (0-2) did their best to spoil the Bulldogs’ party.

“We challenged our guys before the game, and I thought we responded,” Chattanooga coach John Shulman said. “We played as hard as we’ve played since we went to the NCAA Tournament.”

After controlling the opening tip, the Mocs’ tough defense and opportunistic offense gave the Bulldogs (1-1) fits.

Butler went to halftime with a 28-27 lead. The team was led by sophomore guard Chrishawn Hopkins, who scored 11 points and also added three assists in 19 minutes of play.

The Bulldogs immediately attacked the Mocs in the second half, with senior guard Ronald Nored converting on a lay up 14 seconds in.
Butler held a 45-40 advantage with 12 minutes left in the game before going cold on offense.

During the next nine minutes, the Bulldogs would score just four points.

Junior guard Chase Stigall finally broke the drought with a 3-point basket from the left side with two minutes left.

Prior to sinking that shot, Stigall had missed all nine of his attempts from behind the arc in regular season action.

Junior center Andrew Smith led the team with 16 points and ten rebounds, recording his first double-double of the young season.

“I thought we played pretty well on the defensive end,” Smith said. “Guys stepped up and hit shots when we needed them to.”

Hopkins also made a significant contribution with 12 points and five assists. Stigall contributed seven points in 31 minutes of play.

As a team, the Bulldogs shot a porous 57 percent from the free throw line and 27 percent from behind the arc.

“It probably didn’t meet a lot of people’s desires,” coach Brad Stevens said. “We’re going to have to get a lot better in a lot of areas, but I was really pleased with that win.”

Chattanooga senior guard Ricky Taylor led all Moc scorers with 13 points, closely followed by senior forward Omar Wattad, who tallied 10 points.

Four days ago, the Bulldogs opened the regular season with an 80-77 overtime loss at Evansville.

A crowd of nearly 9,500 turned out for the first game inside Evansville’s new $127 million Ford Center.

Led by 11 first-half points from Hopkins, Butler took a 37-28 lead into halftime.

Hopkins finished with a team-high 22 points in his first collegiate start.

The Purple Aces (1-0) responded in the second half by tightening up on the defensive end, forcing Butler to settle for long jump shots.

Photo by Maria Porter

The result was a four-minute scoring drought for Butler and an 11-0 run for Evansville, tying the game at 54.

Evansville junior guard Colt Ryan made a layup with 44 seconds left to pull the  Aces within one.

Ryan led all scorers with 23 points, including 14 from the free throw line. Evansville tallied 32 points off free throws, eight more than Butler even attempted.

Ryan drew a foul with less than a second remaining, hitting one of two free throws and tying the game at 69.

With nine-tenths of a second remaining, Butler junior center Emerson Kampen threw a full-court pass to Andrew Smith, who made a layup as time expired.

“Three or four times a week, we run situations at the end of practice, and one of those situations is exactly what happened,” Kampen said.

However, upon review, the referees ruled that Smith had been fouled before going into his shooting motion.

Smith’s basket was nullified, and he missed the ensuing pair of free throws, sending the game to overtime.

Led by Ryan, the Aces never trailed in extra time.

Butler will host Louisville on Saturday in a non-conference contest.

The Cardinals (2-0) will look for a repeat of last season’s 88-73 drubbing of the Bulldogs.

The game will begin at 2 p.m.