Berry Chooses Butler

Nolan Berry won't graduate from De Smet until the spring of 2013, but the Spartan standout forward knows where he wants to be in the fall of the same year.

De Smet varsity basketball coach Kevin Poelker confirmed Berry has made a verbal pledge to play at Butler University. The move was first reported by HighSchoolSports.net. Poelker said Berry made the decision in person Sunday during a trip to the Indianapolis campus after he also made a visit to Boston College.

from the University of Missouri and Purdue, among others, and that he made unofficial visits to Stanford, Santa Clara and Notre Dame.

The verbal pledge is non-binding until Berry signs an official letter intent. He could not be reached for comment Sunday. Poelker said Berry was Butler's number one target in the class of 2013 and that the forward "knew that Butler couldn't afford to recruit him and only him for the next two years."

Butler has reached the last two NCAA championship games and is coached by Brad Stevens, considered a superstar in the college coaching ranks.

Poelker praised the efforts of the new coaching staff at the University of Missouri in the recruiting process. He said Mizzou went from being "a non-consideration to someone he was taking very serious."