What a outstanding NCAA tournament we just saw come to a close. Duke now wins their 4th National Championship with a 61-59 victory over Butler. Tonight’s game was the type of game you hope for. Competitive, drama, and down to the wire. In the end, Gordon Hayward missed two shots in the last ten seconds by a narrow margin. Should Hayward’s hail mary have went in from midcourt, the city of Indianapolis would have erupted.
What a tournament it was throughout this May. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” is a motto that the NCAA tournament committee should take to heart. They did a tremendous job fielding the tournament field. It is almost inevitable however, that the tournament will be expanded to a 96-team tournament in the future. But why? Tonight and this past month was proof that the current way of fielding a tournament is correct and works.
Everybody counted Butler out, most from the very beginning. Butler carried at 25-game winning streak into the championship game, and their confidence was obvious. They had knocked off UTEP, Murray State, Syracuse, Kansas State, and Michigan State to reach the ultimate destination. It’s a tough game to fathom, but once again it came down to the last 10 minutes where Butler had another 9-minute drought. Matt Howard kept the Bulldogs in it with 2 layups, but they couldn’t get it done.
Lucas Oil Stadium was loud and rocking which was a testament to Butler faithful and Indianapolis. They rallied behind this team from the start and it was magical to see.
Butler’s image is forever changed and it will become evident in the upcoming years. The Bulldogs have already experienced great success, 20-plus wins in 14 of the last 16 years. It’s pretty remarkable how a school of 4,200 students, a $1.7 million dollar basketball budget (142nd in the nation) can be so successful. This is a drastic improvement from 25 season-ticket holders 15-years ago to thousands now. Expect greater sponsorships, and greater respect.
I sure hope Coach Brad Stevens does not follow suit from previous Butler coaches. It didn’t work for Barry Collier or Todd Lickliter. Hopefully he remains at Butler and makes his mark for decades to come, similar to Gonzaga’s Mark Few.
There’s nothing better than ending the tournament with “One Shining Moment.” I guess a Butler victory may have been a bit sweeter…
Note: what’s up with Jennifer Hudson performing One Shining moment now? It’s not the same without Lu
ther Vandross…
Good job Butler! Great season Dawgs! Keep your heads up. Gordo, great job bud. You're a great player.
the spirit and pride u have brought to indianapolis is overwhelming and cannot express enough what gift u have given us,reminds me of rooting for indianapolis colts for superbowls. U brought indiana basketball hype back and should be very proud of all that u have accomplished!
Duke really is the blue DEVILS. Coach K should go back to where he belongs. GO DAWGS!!
Great game Butler…you changed my heart…i am proud of your great run.you made our state happy…I LOVE YOU GORDAN HAYWARD…you are amazing…National champs next year
Fantastic year by my Bulldogs! I could not be anymore proud. The way they represented themselves on and off the court was outstanding and a class-act.
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