*Before I get started — sorry for the lack of posts lately, you won’t believe how much work is required to finish a thesis. The bad news is that it’s so much more I imagined. The good news is that I finished it and I don’t need to worry about it any more. The good news is also that I can get back to blogging. Just in time for more NCAA tournament Important Observations.
65. Butler 70, VCU 62 — Like it or not, Butler is America’s team
Unless you are a fan of the UConn/Kentucky winner, you have to cheer for Butler in this final game. You just have to. It’s the American way. As much we love to cheer for the top seeds because we picked them in our brackets, there’s just something about the NCAA tournament that makes the story about the underdog. The Final Four game between Butler and VCU was basically the people’s championship. And Butler won it.
Brad Stevens will stay up past his bedtime to coach the Butler Bulldogs in a second straight NCAA title game. If he gets his homework done.
Looking back at this game, it seems like Butler won it exactly the same way that Butler has won every game. They kept the opposing team under control and Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard made plays. Mack (8-11 shooting, 5-6 from three, 24 points) was unstoppable and even though Matt Howard only made three shots, he still put up 17 points because he got to the free throw line. Those two have been the entire team for Butler this postseason and this game was no different.
I think that both Kentucky and UConn have the players to match up with Mack and Howard, but so have other teams, and look how that worked out for them. It’s hard to actually say what makes Butler so good, but maybe that’s what makes them so good. Maybe that’s how they’ve ended up in a second consecutive championship game, which is an incredible accomplishment. Borderline unbelievable.
Of course, this win means that we have to hear more about the strength of the non-power conferences which I don’t like. Just because Butler has managed to bottle lightning two seasons in a row doesn’t mean all of them are this good. But this Butler team does make you wonder: maybe the difference between the haves and the have-nots isn’t that big. Maybe these mid-major teams are better than we give them credit for. Maybe Brad Stevens sleeps in a cryogenic freezing tank at night to avoid aging.
In all seriousness, I think the statement made by Butler is that Butler this season is as good as the major conference powers. All mid-majors aren’t. But Butler certainly is, and they deserve to be where they are. I’ll be cheering with America for them, and you should be too.
Butler mixes hard playing role players with a few high level players – that also play hard. More upper classmen than most “elite” teams and fewer highly talented players focused on “the next level” and a big payday.
I really do like Butler – hope that they win it all!
wrote:Pellora, it’s like he (they) don’t care at all about the message this sends to the boys. All three boys, acaltluy.Bingo! You are one smart cookie! But I also would say they don’t recognize that they are sending any message at all. (I added to my comment, btw. Typical of me. I added some other thoughts.) In my case, ExAssReno still hasn’t seen his part in any of the situation. I think Kidlet1 is trying now, and tried some time back when he was successful in getting ExAssReno and ExAssBitchReno into at least one counseling session. It did not go well according to Kidlet1. And is not going well now either. Kidlet1 is 29. Some baggage lasts a lifetime. It is how one handles the baggage that makes the difference. TexTeen is past the age wherein you need or would be wise to lie to protect feelings then you become a liar and Ex skates by again. If you really feel that you shouldn’t answer the question, or that you really don’t know, then say so and tell TexTeen that you are sorry that you don’t know and that if he needs to know, he’ll have to ask ExAss. That tells kid all he needs to know from you, and probably all he needs/wants to know of the question.Important If you can form and ask the question, you already know the answer. And are looking for validation or verification. Entirely a different beastie then.