Butler On A Mission Part II

Last year when the Butler Bulldogs made it to the Final Four, and then the National Championship game, it was this feel good story of a little school going to play down the road from home in the Hoosier state. They were Cinderella, but were also a five seed, with an NBA lottery talent, and had an up and coming coach even before that run. They were not supposed to be there, but you could see why an upset or two got them there.

This year they come into the tournament a team that lost that NBA player, at one point were 14-9, an eight seed with a very losable first round match up, and once again not on people's radar. Well here they are now back in Monday night's National Championship game, and 40 minutes away from getting what eluded them by a half an inch on a half court heave. They beat the regular season champions from the Big East, the SEC, and took down a Big 10 foe to get there, and then last night they took out the team of destiny in VCU.

Both halves of last night's game really started out the same way, VCU coming out hyped and energetic and really taking control of the early going. Each half then followed the same suit of Shelvin Mack taking over for a period of time, and in each half Butler regained control and took the lead. Eventually both halves ended the same way too, with Butler ahead on the scoreboard.

These games are won by the players of course, but Brad Stevens continues to make brilliant moves here and there. Able to sit his two stars for extended periods of time in both halves, and put the lineups together that can keep their gameplan working and on pace for the victories.

Mack was able to take over the game when it was necessary, hit a dagger shot here, dagger shot there from outside to keep the Bulldogs in control, or to help them take control back. Just look at the stats, he went 5-6 from behind the arc, and all of those were huge shots. Matt Howard was able to his strong play despite not making a three, pulling down eight rebounds to go along with 17 points.

Much like the Kentucky and Connecticut game though, it was about the other guys that really got this win for Butler, and is that not what Butler always is though, a team. Shawn Vanzant was able to hit big shot after big shot, a corner three when they needed it, a pull up 15 footer with both Howard and Mack on the bench. Just big shots. Then little Zach Hahn who had not really scored thus far in the tournament, he decides to go on a streak of scoring eight in a row before Mack would step up and do the same thing. Khyle Marshall came in and got nine rebounds, five of which were offensive and gave them extra possessions in a slowed down tempo.

That is what VCU was missing, because though Mack played incredible he was still not the best player on the court. Jamie Skeen of VCU played an MVP-caliber game last night, scoring 27 points on 10-17 shooting, while ripping down six boards, dishing out three assists, and making three of his four three point attempts. Unfortunately for the former Mr. Basketball in North Carolina the rest of the team only was up to score 35 points between them.

No, it was Butler again playing the team game, with a couple players of upper echelon talent taking over when necessary, and winning a national semifinal to play its way into a national championship game. They lost to Duke last year, maybe they can pull a Duke, a-la the loss to UNLV in 1990, only to come back the next year and win it all. It could happen.