Former Butler guard Ron Nored shared his testimony of faith to roughly 100 attendees at a Converge church service last year.

This year, it’s Rotnei Clarke’s turn — with the possibility of an audience more than double the size of Nored’s.

On Feb. 10, Clarke will give his testimonial in the Johnson Room of Robertson Hall at an event Converge has been working on since last October.

Austin Weaver, Converge president, said in an email the idea is to give as many students as possible the chance to hear Clarke speak.

The event will also provide refreshments, including a meet-and-greet session with Clarke and a photographer to take pictures of attendees.

“The point of having Rotnei Clarke come share his testimony is to possibly reach students that are looking for something more,” Weaver said. “Rotnei Clarke is a professed Christian, and he wants to share his story of what God means to him in his everyday life.”

Weaver said Clarke “instantly agreed” to speak at the service.

“Anytime I have the chance to speak about the Good News and the Gospel and what I’m about, I take it,” Clarke said. “A lot of people just see what we’re doing on the court. They don’t get to see the heart of the athletes, how they are off the court or field.

“I think it’s important for us to be good examples. So there wasn’t any hesitation for me.”

Converge arrived on Butler’s campus just last year.

Clarke will be attending for the first time this Sunday. But Weaver said he hopes after this event, more students will realize this is an on-campus option for church.

Converge is a non-denominational Christian church service held in the Johnson Room every Sunday at 4pm. There is a worship leader, as well as a pastor who delivers the day’s message.

The invitation list has grown from 200 to over 1,000 since the event was created last week. At press time, the event’s Facebook page had 1,073 invited, with 226 people confirmed and 76 undecided.

Butler junior Ari Kasle is one of those confirmed to attend the event. Kasle said he’s never been to any of the Converge events — he’s just going to support Clarke, whom he met during Clarke’s first semester at Butler. The two have become friends, with Kasle even helping Clarke around after his ankle surgery last year.

Kasle is Jewish, so he doesn’t believe the same things Clarke does.

“Rotnei’s a devout Christian,” Kasle said, “but at the same time, he’s really open to other religions too. He’s never tried to convert me or anything like that.

“Faith is a huge part of his life, but he’s not the kind of guy that’s going to force his beliefs on you, preaching all the time.”

Clarke said his message is meant to make an impact on peoples’ lives, particularly by using basketball as a podium.

“I’m just trying to use the opportunities I get with the platform I have,” he said. “I don’t want to pressure anyone to go, but if they want to go, great. If not, that’s also their decision.

“But reaching out to people and giving people hope — that’s why I play.”

In light of the recent success of the Butler men’s basketball team in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championships, the Butler community, as well as Indianapolis, has grown closer. We have all utilized the team’s success as a reason to unite as we cheer “our team” on to victory. It is a unique experience to see an entire city unite over a simple sport and a simple team.

At the beginning of the tournament, different Indiana residents were cheering for different teams. But as the competitive field was narrowed, the view was narrowed onto Butler.

Although it’s been said that many fans are jumping on the “band wagon,” I think it is so much more than that. It stems from the fact that there is a team in the national spotlight who is representing our state and its residents. We are taking pride in that by supporting Butler throughout the remainder of the tournament.

This year, sportscasters around the nation have been asking, “Who’s the new Butler?” even though Butler is still in the spotlight from last year. I haven’t been able to understand why so many people insist that Butler has had its fifteen minutes of fame and will now slip into the shadows.

Butler making its way to the national championship game last year and this year was not a result of luck or coincidence—it was the result of hard work. While it is enjoyable to beat the odds and be labeled the underdog, it grows tiresome. Perhaps it is time for those who doubt us to accept the fact that Butler has a quality basketball program. I’m not asking for everyone to become instant Butler fans, but simply to respect the quality and talent that our team possesses.

As I drive through downtown Indianapolis and even to my hometown of Franklin, In., I spot people donning Butler t-shirts, hats and jackets. I drive past houses with signs in their front yards proclaiming “Go Dawgs.” I always take pride in seeing fellow residents cheer on Butler. Amidst all the hype of the tournament, conversation can be struck up with any stranger about Butler. It is the one topic of conversation that never grows tiresome.

Butler has repeatedly been referred to as “America’s Team” and it isn’t difficult to understand why.  Butler has captured hearts around the nation as well as the hearts of Indiana residents.

Butler is the small school that has for two consecutive years fought its way to the NCAA championship game. It is hard not to root for a team and university that is so small and is succeeding so immensely against powerhouses like Wisconsin, Florida and Pittsburgh.

Butler has the ability to inspire fans across the state and country, as well as energize the nation to cheer for a new team with passion and intensity. The excitement for Butler is definitely contagious as it spreads across our country, engulfing even the smallest cities and towns.

As the tournament nears its end, I take pride in knowing that Butler has made such a significant impact on the country and has united the city of Indianapolis through their victories and hard work on the court. Band wagon or not, it is hard to deny the energy and enthusiasm that accompanies the Butler Bulldogs.

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The Butler men’s basketball team was the victim of its own demise in Monday night’s NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, making them the fourth team in NCAA history to lose consecutive title games.

The Bulldogs’ worst shooting performance of the season came against the No. 3-seed Connecticut Huskies, who defeated the Bulldogs, 53-41, in Houston’s Reliant Stadium.

Butler head coach Brad Stevens said on Sunday that Butler would have a shot to win if they played their best.

There was no shot to win in the end, as the Bulldogs played from behind for more than the final 18 minutes and never found a breakthrough moment or spark.

“We weren’t getting the loose balls initially, and that carried into the second half,” senior forward Matt Howard said.

Junior guard Ronald Nored repeated those words, saying that not getting the 50-50 balls was the difference in the game.

Butler shot 18.8 percent from the field—the worst ever in an NCAA championship game—and was unable to use rebounding or defense to overcome their poor shooting performance.

Whenever Butler got a stop on the defensive end, offensive plays rarely came to fruition.

Stevens said it was painful to watch the guys he cares about struggle in their biggest game.

“I told them I don’t care if they make shots and don’t love them any less because we lost,” he said. “You’re not always going to make shots, which is part of the game.

“Very rarely will you go 12-of-64, but UConn had a lot to do with that. The credit deserves to go to them.”

There may have been hope at halftime, when Butler led 22-19 despite shooting 22.2 percent from the field, but that hope quickly dissipated when it was clear Butler could not score in the paint and shot 16.2 percent in the second half.

“We kept feeling the shots would go down—that’s the belief we had,” Howard said. “It just wasn’t happening.”

Howard went 1-for-13 from the field, finishing with seven points and six rebounds.

“I wish I was able to give a little bit more to my team,” Howard said. “It was just one of those days, and it’s really frustrating now looking back at it, realizing we had our chances.”

Sophomore center Andrew Smith said it was awful watching Howard struggle to score.

“When you see a player like that, who’s had such a good career end like that,” Smith said. “He played as hard as he could and no one blames him for anything. Unfortunately, just like everybody else, he couldn’t put the ball in the hole.

“He’s played his heart out his entire career at Butler—something I’ve learned from him and will do in the future. He’s offered priceless stuff to this university.”

Junior guard Shelvin Mack—the only Bulldog to score in double-digits with 13 points—said he too was frustrated.

“We’re all upset about the game tonight,” he said. “We had chances and opportunities, and we let them slip away by not being solid.”

Mack was 4-of-15 from the field, with all four buckets coming from behind the arc.

“They’re a great defensive team,” Mack said. “They were tough and contested every shot we took—contested shots that people normally wouldn’t be able to contest.”

The defense was so tough that shortly after Butler made its 10th field goal of the game, UConn had its 10th block of the game.

Howard, along with fellow seniors Zach Hahn and Shawn Vanzant, finished their Butler careers with a combined 12 points and 14 rebounds.

Walk-on seniors Alex Anglin and Grant Leiendecker round out the five not returning next season.

“The seniors losing was the worst part about it,” Smith said. “To go out on a win with them would have been the most unbelievable thing because of everything they’ve offered to the university.

“Seeing them cry is hard to watch.”

Stevens, whose 117-25 record is the best four-year coaching start in NCAA history, said the emotions in the locker room were a true sign of Butler’s family bond.

“It’s a real locker room when the freshmen are crying,” Stevens said. “They’ve got three more years to play, but they are feeling for the seniors.”

Howard said he feels fortunate to have been a part of the senior class.

“This group has been able to do something that we’ve never done before,” he said. “It’s hard to put that into words right now because we wanted more, but maybe at some point, I can look back and be proud of what this group has accomplished.”

Sophomore guard Chase Stigall, who made three 3-pointers in the game, said he was already proud of the departing senior class.

“I know we’re going to be lifelong friends,” he said. “They’re going to go down as one of the best senior classes in Butler history, and I couldn’t be more thankful to be a part of these two years with them.

“We’ve lost five brothers today.”

Vanzant said he gave credit to UConn for their performance and that the loss hurt.

“I’ll remember being around [my teammates], the coaches and just being a part of this team,” he said.

Vanzant and Hahn both said the group was a special and unique one.

“This group of guys really believed in each other,” Hahn said. “That’s what made it so special, and I’m just proud.”

Watch the dog fight progress in the championship game between the Butler Bulldogs and the Connecticut Huskies.

What do you think about the Bulldogs’ match up in the championship game against Connecticut? We’ve done our homework and gathered the dish on our Husky opponents. Here’s what we’re up against:

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Since Butler eliminated Virginia Commonwealth in last night’s national semifinal game, things are back to normal, or as normal as they can get on the eve of a national championship.

The No. 8 seed Bulldogs are about to appear in their second consecutive national title game, and many outside the “Butler Bubble” continue to be in awe of a Hayward-less team repeating a deep run in the NCAA tournament.

Butler (28-9) is back to being the underdog and will face No. 3 seed Connecticut (31-9), led by head coach Jim Calhoun and junior point guard Kemba Walker.

Butler has kept a business-as-usual approach throughout the tournament and even in the intense heat of the national spotlight. Players continue to have what head coach Brad Stevens called a “normal road trip”—attending study tables while on the road and Skype-ing into classes should they be asked to.

But even as Butler continues to preach they’re handling things with their ho-hum approach, it’s undeniable that they’ve changed the landscape of college basketball forever.

Final Four runs by other mid-majors, such as George Mason in 2006, can be written off by college basketball bluebloods as “flukes” or “anomalies.”

But Butler’s back-to-back appearances in the championship game are neither of those. The two-year journey is a result of a young head coach running what he calls “a values-based program with a mission and a vision” and finding ways to win on the court with a mix of young and old talent.

Butler has even managed to change the way some refer to mid-majors, as there’s a newfound sense of higher respect for schools from non-BCS conferences.

Ironically enough, Butler will have to defeat a school from the nation’s largest conference in order to be the 2011 National Champions.

Connecticut, which won the Big East conference tournament as the No. 9 seed, will be led by the NBA-level talent of Walker. In the month of March, Walker averaged 26.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, and 2.0 steals per game in March and had 18 points with seven assists last night against No. 4 seed Kentucky.

Walker will be supported by the team’s second-leading scorer, starting freshman guard Jeremy Lamb, who had 12 points, nine rebounds and four assists against the Wildcats.

A lesser-known key to the Huskies’ game is freshman guard Shabazz Napier. A player who offers options off the bench, Napier is intended to open the court and give options to Walker rather than dial up numbers on the stat sheet.

Essentially, Napier is the anti-Ronald Nored—intended to facilitate scoring rather than shut down opponents defensively.

“I think Lamb, Napier and their other guards really put people in a tough position,” Stevens said. “[Those two and Walker] along with the activity of their bigs are why they’re one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the country. Those guards break you down, get inside, cause you to rotate, and then you’re in bad rebounding position.”

And rebounding, a skill both teams have used to reach the title bout, will be important during the national final matchup.

Both have used a combination of length and positioning to out-rebound opponents throughout “March Madness”—guys like senior forward Matt Howard, sophomore center Andrew Smith and freshman forward Khyle Marshall crashing the boards for Butler and sophomore center Alex Oriakhi and freshman forward Tyler Olander doing the same for Connecticut.

The Bulldog-Husky matchup will be a reunion for two summer teammates—Butler junior guard Shelvin Mack and Walker, who played together on the USA U-20 gold medal-winning team and have kept in contact during the season via text messaging.

“We had a lot of fun together on and off the court,” Mack said. “I like to see the success he’s having, and I know he’s been working hard. He’s just continuing to get better these days.”

Mack will certainly be looked to as Butler’s response to anything Walker does. Both junior guards have been the offensive leaders of their teams this season, and whichever one has the better game tomorrow night may very well be responsible for taking a championship trophy back to campus.

Following the trend of simplifying the magnificent, Butler is 40 minutes of game play away from potentially winning a national championship.

“I don’t know if it’s selfish or not, but we want to do it for ourselves,” Stevens said. “We don’t need to disable some theory. It’s about this team and believing that we can accomplish the next task at hand.”

The game tips off tomorrow at 9:23 p.m.

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