Junior guard Chrishawn Hopkins was dismissed from the Butler men’s basketball team, according to a statement released by the athletics department last Wednesday.

“I am sorry to have to announce that Chrishawn Hopkins has been dismissed from our team,” coach Brad Stevens said in the release. “We consider it a privilege to represent Butler University as a member of our team. With that privilege comes a requirement and responsibility to meet the standard of our team rules.

“Dismissal is the consequence of failure to do so.”

Stevens did not say which rule Hopkins violated.

Hopkins’ family also released a statement on Wednesday shortly after Stevens’ statement was released.

“It’s with extreme regret that we were informed today that Chrishawn was released from the Butler men’s basketball program,” the statement said. “His dismissal was due to a repeat violation of team rules and standards.”

The statement went on to thank the university for the opportunity Hopkins received at Butler, saying his mistakes “will not define who Chrishawn is as a person or a player.”

“On behalf of our family, we extend our deepest and sincerest apologies to everyone whom this impacts,” the statement said.

The Indianapolis Star has reported Hopkins has been suspended by the university and plans to transfer to another institution.

Hopkins did not return phone calls or emails from The Collegian.

Stevens was not available for comment to The Collegian.

Levester Johnson, vice president for student affairs, declined to comment on Hopkins’ status with the university.

Sophomore forward Roosevelt Jones said in a text message last Wednesday that the news was,“sad to hear.”

“He was like a brother to me and everybody else on the team,” Jones said. He will be greatly missed, but I know he will bounce back from this.”

On Sept. 14, Hopkins posted on Twitter, “Just hit me that I’m losing control over everything I love everything that makes my life complete all In a blink of an eye #gottagetitback.”

Current and former Butler players also took to Twitter last week to give their reactions to the news of Hopkins’ dismissal.

Former Butler player Garrett Butcher tweeted, “Very unfortunate news but mistakes don’t define a person. #unbelievable.”

Jones tweeted, “Is this real?”

Former Bulldog Ronald Nored tweeted, “Unbelievable.”

Hopkins averaged 9.1 points per game last season, starting 24 games for the Bulldogs.

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 lost to the Pittsburgh Panthers 68-62 in overtime Wednesday night in a rematch of last season’s NCAA Tournament game.

The game was part of the semifinal round of the College Basketball Invitational.

Photo by Reid Bruner

Sophomore forward Khyle Marshall scored a career-high 22 points to lead all Butler scorers. He also collected eight rebounds, a team-high for the Bulldogs (22-15).

The game was back and forth with neither team leading by more than six points.

Butler came out hot in the first half and jumped out to an 18-12 lead.

Freshman walk-on guard Alex Barlow keyed the run with several assists, including an alley-oop pass to Marshall that brought the crowd of 3,754 people to its feet.

Barlow finished tied with senior guard Ronald Nored for the team lead in assists with four.

“[Barlow] works on his game as hard as anybody we’ve got,” coach Brad Stevens said. “He’s here for the right reasons.”

Junior center Andrew Smith continued his run of solid outings late into the season. He contributed 19 points and six rebounds.

“This tournament has been really good,” Stevens said. “The practices between games were terrific, and we had some guys that really grew. Khyle and Andrew have had moments in this tournament where they’ve been great.”

The Bulldogs went to the locker room down 26-24 at halftime but came out firing in all cylinders.

The team repeatedly worked the ball to Smith and Marshall in the paint and the Panthers could not find an answer.

On the other end of the court, the Pittsburgh offense was just as potent. The rest of the Panthers (20-17) had no trouble scoring, despite 2012 Big East Preseason Player of Year senior Ashton Gibbs being held scoreless.

Redshirt sophomore forward Talib Zanna came off the bench to lead Pittsburgh with 15 points. Redshirt junior guard Tray Woodall, Gibbs’ mate in the backcourt, scored 12 points, all of which came in the second half.

“We had our chances,” Stevens said. “There were a lot of things we could have done to control that game. The difference between winning and losing is not that much.”

Freshman forward Roosevelt Jones headed to the free throw line with four seconds remaining in regulation for the Bulldogs. With the score tied at 52, Jones missed both free throws.

Pittsburgh was able to salt the game away from the free throw line in overtime. The Panthers shot 80 percent from the charity stripe while Butler shot a mere 57 percent.

The loss Wednesday marked the final home game for the team’s two seniors, Nored and forward Garrett Butcher.

Butcher’s only minute against Pittsburgh came in overtime when the game was all but out of reach.

“I can’t put it into words,” Butcher said. “Everything I’ve felt about this place for the last four years is going to make it a great memory for a lifetime.”

Nored played 35 minutes and contributed four points and two steals. He has expressed interest in coaching sometime down the road.

“I think my playing days are over,” Nored said.

“They’ve given so much,” Stevens said. “No two seniors we’ve ever had could have done a better job with this team.”

Butler senior forward Garrett Butcher made two free throws with 3:35 remaining in last night’s game against Illinois-Chicago.

On the Bulldogs’ next possession Butcher made a long jump shot.

On the ensuing Flames’ possession, senior guard Ronald Nored stole the ball and went the length of the floor for a score.

Coach Brad Stevens then called a timeout to remove the pair.

That was the way Butler’s two graduating players ended their regular-season home careers.

Tuesday’s game was Senior Night, and the two lone athletic seniors left their mark by helping the Bulldogs (18-12, 11-6) beat the Flames (8-19, 3-13) 69-44.

Butler could return home in the Horizon League tournament in a few different scenarios or through the National Invitational Tournament.

Nored came close to his first-ever double-double, scoring 12 points, dishing out eight assists and capturing seven rebounds.

Butcher recorded four points and two steals in his time on the court.

Though it was a night for  celebrating the seniors, freshman forward Roosevelt Jones led the way for the Bulldogs with his second consecutive double-double, scoring 13 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.

“[Jones’] toughness allows you to win at home and on the road,” Stevens said.

Two other Bulldogs also posted double figures in points.

Junior center Andrew Smith and sophomore guard Chrishawn Hopkins scored 10 apiece.

Sophomore forward Khyle Marshall provided nine of the Bulldogs’ 20 bench points.

The Flames were led by junior guard Gary Talton and senior center Darrin Williams, who scored 13 and 11 points, respectively.

When Nored and Butcher left the game with 2:39 to go, Hinkle Fieldhouse erupted and an emotional ceremony shortly followed the game.

Photo by Taylor Cox

Stevens thanked the crowd for their support all season and for future support, because “we’re not done yet.”

Each senior also spoke briefly.

“We couldn’t have a better coaching staff,” Butcher said.

“There’s nothing better than Butler,” Nored said in front of his mother, grandmother and high school basketball coach from Alabama.

In a post-game press conference, Butcher described the night as bittersweet.

“It is a special moment I’ll hold in my heart,” Butcher said.

Butler’s victory coupled with Cleveland State’s loss to Green Bay allowed the Bulldogs to gain sole possession of second place in the Horizon League.

In order to secure the No. 2 seed in the conference tournament, the Bulldogs will need to win Friday night against the tournament’s No. 1 seed, Valparaiso and hope for another Cleveland State loss.

On Saturday afternoon, the Bulldogs won a non-conference game against Indiana State as part of BracketBuster Saturday.

In front of a sellout crowd at Hinkle, Butler routed their in-state foe 75-54, showing a glimpse of their late-season heroics from the past two seasons.

Smith led the Bulldogs in scoring with 12 points while collecting five rebounds.

Jones, Hopkins and sophomore forward Erik Fromm each scored 11 points in the contest. Jones also had 12 rebounds, recording his third career double-double.

The Bulldogs got 25 points off the bench, with Khyle Marshall chipping in 10 as one of five  players in double figures.

Butler shot 8-for-20 from behind the 3-point line. All nine of junior guard Chase Stigall’s points came from beyond the arc.

Sophomore forward R.J. Mahurin led the Sycamores (16-12) with a career-high 22 points, going 4-for-6 from the 3-point line.

The Bulldogs will hit the road to take on Valparaiso in the regular-season finale at 7 p.m. Friday.

FROM BLOOMINGTON–

Butler men’s basketball coach Brad Stevens’ jacket was gone midway through the second half of yesterday’s game against Indiana.

With it went Butler’s chances to win in Assembly Hall.

The Hoosiers (6-0) defeated the Bulldogs (3-3) 75-59 Sunday night in the finale of the Hoosier Invitational.  It was the first matchup between the schools since Nov. 14, 2006.

The final score did not reflect a game that was close throughout.

Sophomore guard Chrishawn Hopkins led the Bulldogs with 19 points and sophomore forward Khyle Marshall scored 16.

No other Butler player had more than six as the team shot just 38.2 percent.

“I’m not big on losing,” Stevens said. “I know what type of team we have. We’ve got to do a better job.”

Indiana remained undefeated and has won each of its games by at least 16 points. Butler fell to .500 and trailed at halftime for the fourth consecutive contest.

Stevens said the raucous atmosphere in Bloomington was tough on the Bulldogs, and it showed in the statistics.

Butler turned the ball over 19 times, many on errant passes. Hopkins had a team-high seven turnovers and no assists.

“I needed to be tougher with the ball,” Hopkins said. “I didn’t do that.”

Sophomore forward Will Sheehey led the Hoosiers with a career-high 21 points. Freshman center Cody Zeller finished with 16, junior guard Jordan Hulls added 14 and sophomore guard Victor Oladipo had 10 for Indiana.

Hoosiers coach Tom Crean said it meant a lot to beat the Bulldogs.

“There’s no question why they win,” he said. “They’re well-coached, and they’re battlers.”

The Hoosiers scored the game’s first six points but neither team led by more than six until Indiana went ahead 44-37 with 11:10 to play.

At that point Crean used a big lineup to try to stay in front. He inserted Zeller, a center, as well as senior Tom Pritchard and junior Christian Watford, two power forwards.

Stevens countered with Marshall and junior center Andrew Smith.  This left the 6-foot-3 Chase Stigall on the 6-9 Watford, creating a mismatch that would result in points for the Hoosiers.

With 9:27 to go, Stevens summoned his team to the bench for the second time in less than a minute.

“We did not sustain,” Stevens said. “Does that mean we would have won? No, but you’ve got to sustain discipline.”

The anticipated duel of Smith and Zeller, a matchup of 6-11 centers, did not materialize.

Smith entered the game leading Butler in scoring with a 12.6 average. He finished with three points on 1-of-7 shooting.

Crean said Zeller did “an excellent job” guarding Smith.

Despite corralling eight offensive boards and holding the Hoosiers to 32 percent shooting in the opening half, Butler was behind 31-28 at intermission.

During the first half, Hopkins scored 11 of Butler’s 13 points in a five-minute stretch.  The last of those came on a crossover on the right wing. The crowd groaned as Hopkins sunk a long jumper.

Butler suffered when Hopkins cooled off in the second half.

“We did a better job staying with him,” Crean said. “They do a great job sending him off screens, and awareness was a key.”

Oladipo guarded Hopkins in the first half.  After the break, Butler’s emerging guard was checked by Sheehey, who made an adjustment.

“We were giving him too much room,” Sheehey said. “He could take a dribble or give a jab step. We played tighter.”

Marshall was also strong in the first half, recording a pair of dunks. One was a two-hand jam on a fastbreak, while the second was set up by a pass from freshman guard Jackson Aldridge.

Marshall did not start, however, as Stevens opted for seldom-used senior forward Garrett Butcher, a native of nearby Ellettsville.

Butcher did not score but responded with plenty of hustle, recording five offensive rebounds.

There were four ties and eight lead changes in a first half dominated by defense.

The game’s turning point came after Marshall slipped to the basket, hit a floater in the lane and was fouled seven minutes into the second half. He completed the three-point play to draw the Bulldogs within 38-35.

That’s when the Hoosiers broke loose.

Sheehey had six points and a steal in Indiana’s ensuing 13-4 run that caused Stevens to toss aside some clothing.

“We need to play 40-minute games,” Hopkins said, “not three-quarters of a game.”

Senior guard Verdell Jones made two free throws with 4:20 left for his only points. Still, the points triggered an 8-0 run by Indiana to put the game out of reach.

The victory over Butler was important to the players in cream and crimson.

“They’re a great team,” Hulls said. “It’s an in-state rivalry game. That’s a big thing trying to claim the state.”

The young Bulldogs got the chance to play in an arena sporting five championship banners and Stevens got to face the team he rooted for growing up for the first time as a head coach.

“I hope they have a great year,” he said. “It doesn’t get any easier for us from here on out.”

Butler next plays at home Tuesday against Oakland City.

The No. 8 seed Butler men’s basketball team will play No. 1 seed Pittsburgh tomorrow night in the third round of the NCAA tournament after a 60-58 victory over No. 9 seed Old Dominion yesterday.

But the Bulldogs (24-9) advancing to the third round and tallying a 10th consecutive win might not have happened, if senior forward Matt Howard hadn’t channeled some Irish luck on St. Patrick’s Day.

While many were searching for a pot of gold at the other end of a rainbow, Howard found a missed tip-in on the other side of the basket and laid it in as time expired.

“Matt did what Matt does, and that is win games for Butler,” Brad Stevens, the Bulldogs’ head coach, said after the game.

Howard gave credit to sophomore center Andrew Smith, who was able to tip a heave from senior guard Shawn Vanzant off the backboard and in Howard’s direction.

“My guy went with [Smith] on that jump,” Howard said, “And it’s pretty easy when it’s just you and the ball and the rim.”

Howard finished with 15 points and eight rebounds—right around his season averages of 16.7 points and 7.8 rebounds.

Things looked gloomy for Butler early in the second half. Howard was called for his third foul with 16:36 remaining, and Smith was called for his fourth 40 seconds later.

But up stepped junior forward Garrett Butcher, who finished with six points (2-3 FG, 2-2 FT) and six rebounds. While Smith was being protected on the bench, Butcher’s sporadic plays of proper positioning and hustle kept the Bulldogs in the game and, sometimes, in the lead.

And speaking of leads, there were 21 lead changes in the game.

Junior guard Shelvin Mack, Smith and Vanzant battled to keep the Bulldogs on the right side of those lead changes.

Mack tied Howard’s 15 in the game, going 5-of-14 from the field on three 3-pointers, and also led the team in assists with five.

Smith efficiently scored 11 on 5-of-9 shooting to go along with six rebounds. Vanzant finished with eight points, two rebounds and one assist.

Redshirt senior forward Frank Hassell of Old Dominion (27-7) was mostly responsible for ODU re-taking the lead. In a back-and-forth game, he was the Monarchs’ go-to-guy.

Hassell led all scorers with 20 points, getting all of those from low in the paint or at the free throw line.

Butler had a six-point lead with 2:35 remaining, but that lead disappeared during the next two minutes. ODU redshirt junior forward Kent Bazemore hit a pair of free throws with 32 seconds remaining to tie the game at 58.

But having a game’s final possession is a clear advantage, as proven by other games’ winners (No. 7 seed Temple, No. 4 seed Kentucky and No. 7 seed UCLA) that same day.

The rest is history—Vanzant drives but somehow throws the ball up as he goes to the floor, Smith tips it up off the backboard, and Howard swoops in to clinch the win.

“Shock,” Hassell said when asked what he felt during the buzzer beater. “I was praying to God that the red light had come on [before Howard’s shot]. When they showed the replay, the shock just turned to hurt.”

Surprising to most was Butler’s rebounding advantage when all was said and done.

The Monarchs entered the game as the nation’s leader in rebounding differential. But the Bulldogs outrebounded their opponent 32-39 overall and 18-13 on the offensive glass—perhaps none more important than Howard’s as the final seconds ticked away.

“That was two really good teams playing a really hard-fought game,” Butler head coach Brad Stevens said. “It’s what you envision the eight-nine game to be in an ideal world.  Both teams came out shooting the basketball well and both teams, kind of unusually, found their defensive rhythm later in the game.

“We had the last possession and we were fortunate to win.”

Butler’s game versus Pittsburgh tips at 7:05 p.m. Eastern.