RICHMOND — Ashton Feldhaus really didn’t know what to expect when she made an unofficial visit to Butler University last year.

The experience turned out to be one that she would never forget.

“Right from the beginning, that’s where I made the connection with the coaches,” Feldhaus said of the visit. “They had my best interest in mind the whole time. They were so nice to me. They were so patient with me. I had a bond with them I didn’t have with any other coaching staff.”

Feldhaus would make visits to other schools — Indiana, Western Kentucky, Nebraska and Iowa State — but in the end, that connection to the coaching staff at Butler made the biggest difference in deciding where she wanted to play basketball at the next level.

On Tuesday, the 6-foot-2, senior forward gave a verbal commitment to Butler.

She was drawing interest from a long list of schools, including: William & Mary, Fairfield, Bowling Green and Wake Forest.

“She had eight or 10 offers, but I think honestly that Butler has always been her No. 1 choice,” Allen Feldhaus said.

That made the decision easy.

Feldhaus has been considered a Division I prospect for several years. She jumped into the starting lineup as a freshman and has been a big key to Madison Central’s success the past few years.

The Lady Indians won their first-ever 11th Region Tournament title in 2011 and advanced to the championship game again this year.

This past season, Feldhaus averaged 16 points, six rebounds and two blocks a game. She also scored her 1,000th career point and was selected to the Kentucky Junior All-Star Team.

“She’s probably the most skilled player that we’ve had come through the program in quite some time,” Central coach Robbie Cooksey said. “She’s able to play the perimeter. She’s able to play the post. She’s very good at both. She’s very skilled fundamentally and has a very good basketball IQ. She’s a very unselfish player. She does a lot of things really well.”

And perhaps Feldhaus’ best quality is her versatility.

The senior usually starts at forward for Central, but she has the ability to post up against taller players and also has a nice touch from the outside.

“She’s going to be a very young senior,” Allen Feldhaus said. “She’s going to graduate when she’s 17. I think her better days are ahead of her because she’s going to get stronger. I think the college coaches know that. They see the potential.”

The Butler coaching staff envisions her greatest potential as a small forward or a shooting guard.

“They mainly recruited me as a shooter, which is great because I love to shoot,” Feldhaus said.

Even though Ashton had never been on the Butler campus before that first visit, her father already had a connection to the school.

Allen’s first college game as a player at EKU was against Butler at historic Hinkle Fieldhouse.

The iconic arena, which is called “Indiana’s Basketball Cathedral,” was built in 1928 and was the site of the filming of the classic movie “Hoosiers.”

Now his daughter will get a chance to play in the same building.

“That was awesome,” Feldhaus said. “I didn’t realize how big of a deal it was until they told me a little about the history. The whole experience was just awesome.”

Even after the visiting Butler, Feldhaus had positive experiences at both Nebraska and Iowa State.

Still, in the end, the connection with the coaching staff at Butler and the location of the school was a perfect combination.

“I’m glad that we went out there,” Allen Feldhaus said of Nebraska and Iowa State. “Both places were very impressive — the campuses, the coaches and the programs. I’m glad that we drove, because it was a long way. And that’s what it came down to. Indianapolis is only three hours away. Iowa State was 10 hours away and Nebraska was 13 hours away.”

Butler finished last season with a 13-17 overall record and a 9-9 mark in the Horizon League.

The school will be moving to the Atlantic 10 in 2013 — which will be Feldhaus’ freshman season.

Last month, Central’s other standout senior, Larryn Brooks, gave a verbal commitment to Indiana.

Feldhaus and Brooks are very close friends, but in the their freshman year of college they will have to play against each other.

Butler and Indiana are scheduled to play in each of the next two seasons.

“We had been asked if we were a package deal several times and we always said that it would be awesome to play together, but it’s whatever we felt is right for each other,” Feldhaus. “We had talked about.”

Just like Brooks, Feldhaus was relieved to make her decision official.

Now, that pressure won’t be a distraction as they try to lead Central back to the state tournament.

“At first it’s kind of exciting,” Allen Feldhaus of the recruiting process. “Then it gets overwhelming.”