Butler Doesn't Want to be 'Runner-ups' Again

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

To some, the most important game in history for the Butler Bulldogs (27-9, 13-5) came last year against Duke, in their first ever National Championship.

To some, Butler is still considered a Cinderella mid-major team.

With their, young, but gifted head coach Brad Stevens, Butler made their second-straight Final Four with an OT thriller over No.2 seeded Florida.

The first mid-major to do so since UNLV did it in '90 and '91.

That same UNLV squad won the National Championship out of its two tries. Butler is trying to achieve the same feat.

Just after Butler punched it's ticket to the Final Four, they returned from New Orleans only to receive a standing ovation from their home fans.

Junior guard Ronald Nored was the most outspoken player saying, "I told somebody today that this year, we're going to get the real call from President Obama and not the runner-up call," which really got the crowd going.

Nored, was a key asset to last seasons team that just fell short of a National title. He did lose his starting position this season, but hasn't folded, it was only motivation to continue to get better.

In 2009, Butler needed late-game heroics from Gordon Hayward and a halfcourt shot that fell just short at the buzzer.

Coach Stevens surely wanted to win but even after defeat he told his players, "There's certainly nothing to hang your head about. I told them in there, what they've done, what they did together, will last longer than one night, regardless of the outcome."

It will be a similar feeling for Butler, but this time around, they want to win it. The Bulldogs should have a decided advantage, as far as experience goes.

This Butler team knows how to win and fight through adversity. It was just late January, early February, when you witnessed Butler lose three straight road games, one to bottom-feeder Youngstown State.

The one game at a time cliche paid dividends because, since then, Butler hasn't loss a game and went on to win the conference title and was selected as one of the 68 teams in the field after going off the radar for sometime.

The Bulldogs managed to squeak past Old Dominion in the first round after a buzzer beater by senior Matt Howard but really shocked the world with their last second defeat over No. 1 seeded Pittsburgh.

The Bulldogs, not only made two straight trips to the Final Four, but also has defeated the No. 1 and No. 2 seed in their region for the second straight year as well.

As usual, the path to the National Championship is never easy. The Bulldogs will have a tough time with one of the hottest teams in America in the VCU Rams, who are coming off a 10-point victory over No. 1 seeded Kansas.

If Butler does what is possible the next two games, this team, along with its gifted coach, should go down as one of the best teams of all-time.

Howard and Shelvin Mack have led Butler throughout the tournament thus far, but the Bulldogs will only go as far Shawn Vanzant and Khyle Marshall takes them.

For more CoHoops news follow us on Twitter (@Collegiate_Hoop) or subscribe via email

Butler Down But Not Out Following Loss to Duke

Posted by CoHoops DeAnte Mitchell

The Butler Bulldogs (4-3), last years runner-ups, recently fell to the No. 1 Duke Blue Devils (8-0) 82-70.

With 13:04 left in the second half Ronald Nored picked up a cheap fourth foul after grazing Nolan Smith on a three-point attempt that sidelined him with his fourth foul.

At the 12:48 mark in the second half, Shelvin Mack fired up a three and came down awkwardly.

Many people found out later that it was leg cramps, and instead of coming back in Mack sat for the rest of the game, which hurted the Bulldogs.

With those two on the bench, Duke's knockout punch was a 12-0 run that pushed the game out of range for Butler.

Howard returned only to pick up his fifth foul with 2:17 left in the game, with Shawn Vanzant working to pull Butler closer to the lead.

Thereafter, Duke knocked down nine straight free-throws and marched away with a 12-point victory in the National Championship rematch.

With Butler falling for the third time in seven games, the Bulldogs are off to their worst start since 2005-06. Now many people are starting to count Butler out, but that is not the right thing to do.

The Bulldogs are on a rough stretch with losses coming at Louisville, against Evansville and Duke.

Three losses in which Matt Howard faced foul trouble. Nored, Butler's best on-ball defender, and leader of the defense did not play against Evansville, and with all three, the Bulldogs were 10-minutes away from getting closure on the defending National Champs.

Butler also saw an emerging guard in Vanzant who can score the basketball on offense just as good as any player on the team. Andrew Smith, and Garret Butcher stepped up big for the Bulldogs in the post showing a lot of maturity.

If both can start finishing around the rim, the Bulldogs might establish a lot of depth in the frontcourt. Despite the (4-3) record, I expect the Bulldogs to improve as the season progresses.

The Bulldogs are back to health, hopefully, and have a chance to make a statement against the Xavier Musketeers (5-2) December 9, 9 PM ET.

For more CoHoops news follow us on Twitter (@Collegiate_Hoop) or subscribe via email