Well I have to admit that this is the matchup I've been hoping for since probably the Elite 8. I honestly didn't expect Butler to keep up their "Cinderella" run, but they've proven that they are a legit contender. We must remind ourselves that Butler isn't really a huge surprise to be here. We're talking about a team that has won 25 straight games, had a preseason ranking of #11(AP) and #10(ESPN), and who's only losses came this year to Minnesota, Clemson, Georgetown, and UAB.
Led by super sophomores G/F Gordon Hayward and G Shelvin Mack, this real life "Hoosiers" squad is scrapping their way through this tournament beating some of the tournament's best. The best part of it all is that not only does Butler epitomize the small town team in the movie Hoosiers, but they actually play in the gym where they filmed the movie.
As far as their opponent goes, Duke fits perfectly in the role of the big time program with their history and certainly their Coach. Suffice to say we have the makings of a legitimate David vs Goliath type matchup, with a small mid-major school, like Butler, taking on one of the giants of the game, in Duke.
As far as the game itself, this has the makings of a thrilling final despite the lack of a Syracuse, Kentucky, or Kansas. Many predicted that one of these three teams would be the ones hoisting the trophy at the end of the tourney thanks in great part to their athleticism, an adjective that certainly never came to anyone's mind when referring to Duke or Butler. Though it may be true that neither team is the most athletic in the tournament, they both subscribe to the old adage of "Defense wins Championships". Butler has held their opponents to an astounding 55.2ppg where as Duke has kept pace with 56.4ppg. That being said there is no reason to think that these teams can't put points on the board when they have to.
As much as I would like to see Butler win this game, completing the "Hoosiers" analogy and giving us another Cinderella (ala NC State '83 or Villanova '85), I just don't see it happening. As an NC State fan I must admit it is one of the harder things for me to do, but I have to give Duke credit here and the nod in this matchup. Duke has a significant amount of experience on this team and in all the right places. Their top 3 scorers, Scheyer, Singler, and Smith are all upperclassman and their coach has certainly "been here before", whereas Butler's coach is only 33 and their top scorers are a pair of sophomores. Another thing working against Butler is that currently 2 of their top three players (Mack and Howard) are currently question marks for the game. Mack had to leave the Michigan St game early due to dehydration and Howard suffered a minor concussion so he, too, is questionable.
All these things combine to make this game an uphill battle for Butler and for those reasons I'll predict that come Monday night Duke will be the 2010 NCAA Tournament Champions, but I know two things for sure:
1. Butler hasn't let anything get in their way so far and has nothing to lose.
and....
2. This NC State fan will certainly be pulling for the Bulldogs in hopes that Gordon Hayward can channel his inner Jimmy Chitwood or Bobby Plump and give us something we'll all remember.
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