Throw Me a F@#%!&G Bone Basil

A college basketball stud himself,
not even Sheed could believe what he saw
on Monday night in Houston.

For those of you that wasted a few minutes of your cornucopia lives to read my last blog post Why Butler Will Win, which can be found here, then please forgive me. I basically went out on a limb, forgot to pack the parachute, stumbled around more than Brittney Griner in the paint, and took a bigger fall then the Lords of the SMU football program that was slapped with more violations than Rasheed Wallace has T's in his career. 

To my credit, I at least covered my ass more than Lindsay Lohan has in the recent years by stating that March Madness had crept into early April.  I think that might be the understatement of the year when looking at the Butler team that showed up, err didn't, at Reliant Stadium on Monday night.  I think Uncle Vince said it best: 

But to be fair, I don't even think that clip does justice to just what the hell happened in what Fant called a Wisconsin Valley Conference high school game.  I was gathering reflections from some friends and one friend said that it was like watching your first movie with your parents and a pair of breasts flashes across the screen.  The moment is brutally awkward, painful to describe, yet somehow there is that temptation to rewind and see if what happened was actually real.  Not only does that describe the National Championship game, but Butler's sloppy play were the breasts on the television set. 

In the end, there are no words to explain 18.8% shooting from the field besides a little bad luck. Brad Stevens himself couldn't find the right words from any dictionary to describe 12 of 64 on the biggest stage. I wanted to blame the rims and the defense to UConn, which deserves a salutory golf clap, but I think it's best if we just recognize what Butler has done to the college basketball scene over the last two years.  A lot of credit must go out to Brad Stevens and his staff for taking their $1.7M budget and finding a way to be better than the teams that have the misfortune to play them.  For all the mid-majors and little guys in the world, I hope Brad Stevens finds it in him to stick around at Butler for a few more years and then move on to greener pastures (maybe Indiana?) where he can build his legacy and feel good story. 

I have a feeling Butler won't be in the doghouse for long...

-Pat

Why UConn Wins

I told Pat that I would write the rebuttal to why the Connecticut Huskies will cut down the nets tonight in Houston, but as the day progresses, it's hard for me to cheer for UConn. I love Kemba Walker, but that's about it. I cannot stand Jim Calhoun and my hatred for Geno Auriemma carries over to the men's team.  I still think the Huskies will win tonight, but your boy Chuckie T will not be cheering for them.  I like to see the Big East take it, but I am a sucker for the feel good story. So here are the three reasons or ways that UConn can beat the Butler Bulldogs.



1.) Kemba, Kemba, Kemba- Of course, we are looking for comparisons for Kemba Walker, and no one is allowing him to just be Kemba. Is this one of the best 10 game span we have ever seen? Absolutely, but why do we have to say it reminds me of Pervis Ellison or Danny Manning? It's something that grinds me with the media sometimes.  Big East fans are not shocked at the things Walker does on the court. He made plays all season no matter who was guarding him during the year so I am not worried about Ronald Nored locking him up tonight. Not to mention, Walker is better when giving the ball to Jeremy Lamb or Alex Oriaki.  I told you that all throughout the tournament, and it took a couple big games from Lamb for people to believe me about the significance of the other Huskies.

2.) Keep Matt Howard Off The Glass and Court- I don't know if I can remember a player like Howard who is always attacking the glass and somehow finding the ball in his hands. He is guaranteed a double-double therefore it's imperative that UConn finds Howard on every rebound. When Butler gets those second-chance opportunities, they never lose. The other thing about Howard is he always finds himself in foul trouble, and Butler is an entirely different team when he is not on the court.  If I am UConn, I attack inside to start off the game and try to get a quick 2 fouls on Howard.

3.) Push The Ball- I don't know if there is a better player in the nation than Kemba in transition. If he controls the pace, Butler could be in big trouble. I like UConn much better running up and down the court than UConn playing in the half court letting Butler assembled their tough defense . Butler had some troubles with VCU's fast pace style of offense, same thing happened when Butler played Florida.  The Huskies need to find ways to sprint out whenever they get the defensive rebound.

I will take UConn 67-64, with Kemba hitting a three with under 10 seconds left. If I am a Butler fan, the last thing I want to see tonight is Mr. Walker have the ball in his hands with the shot clock turned off because there is no doubt that the ball is going in. If you need an example...

-Charlie.

Why Butler Wins

Well folks, the month of March has come and gone. However, just because we are forced to turn the page on the kitchen calendar, doesn't mean that March Madness hasn't crawled into the early part of April.  The madness continued on Sunday night when both #1 seeds in the NCAA Women's D1 Final Four lost.  The other thing that ruffled some feathers with Wisconsinites was the three-game sweep at the hands of the Cincinnati Reds.  Granted it was the first series against the reigning NL Central Champs, I don't think anyone was expecting an 0-3 start burdened by sloppy defense, bullpen troubles, and an besides Rickie Weeks, an offense that lacked any early April fireworks.  Let's hope that Miller Park gets the Crew back on track with a seven-game homestand against the Braves and Cubs.

The big ticket event of the day though is none other than the 2011 Men's NCAA Basketball Championship game.  Charlie and I had a little discussion about who we thought would win and it led us to preview the game in a different light.  I believe that the Butler Bulldogs will avenge last year's heartbreaking, buzzer-beating loss on Monday night.  Charlie envisions Kemba and the Huskies playing the role of "East Coast Villain."

Without further ado, here are my three keys to why Butler will be barking as the National Champs on Monday night:

1)  Ronald Nored vs. Kemba Walker: Ronald Nored didn't have glittering offensive statistics against VCU, but his defense is as good, if not better than his counterpart.  In the VCU game, Brandon Rozzell was the victim of Nored's torrid defense. Not coincidentally, Nored virtually shadowed Rozzell as each player slated 29 minutes in the contest.  Consider that Rozzell was the only other player on VCU besides Jamie Skeen to score in double-digits in the Kansas game, shooting 4 of 8 from the field including 4 of 7 from three.  Nored chased Rozzell all over and never gave him an open look in the semifinal.  Rozzell shot 1 of 5 from the field and 0-3 from beyond the arc limiting him to two points and warranting Virginia police to issue a missing persons report.  That being said, I think Nored can match Walker on the defensive side of the ball. Don't get me wrong, Walker will get his points, but he'll have to work harder than he has up to this point in the tournament.  I see Walker taking a lot of shots with less success and forcing up some shots when it comes to crunch time.  I think Walker goes 7-24 from the field, 2-8 from long range, and mirrors the last two games going 5 for 6 at the free throw line.  That gives him 21 points, but means that he took 6 to 7 shots more this game rather than getting the ball to his teammates.

2) Player X: I also think Butler will win because they tend to spread the ball around more on offense.  Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard are the unquestioned leading scorers for the Bulldogs.  The key here is that in every game of the tournament besides the Pitt game, Butler had double figures from Mack, Howard, and Player X. Against ODU, it was Andrew Smith.  When Mack struggled against Wisconsin, it was Shawn Vanzant that stepped up.  With a Final Four berth on the line, Khyle Marshall came off the bench for Butler and contributed 10 points and 7 offensive rebounds. In the clash on Saturday against VCU, Shawn Vanzant again stepped up, but it was the 8 consecutive points from Zach Hahn that willed Butler during a crucial stretch of the game.  I'll continue with the theme of being bold, even with the fear of looking like a amateur (which I am) and say that I expect Vanzant to be Player X for Butler on Monday with 13 points.

3) Brad Stevens: For all the experience that Jim Calhoun has in his vault, recent success sides with Stevens and his Butler squad. I won't give you the whole script because we know how close this team came last year to winning the whole thing against arguably a better Duke team.  With a staggering 117-24 record already amassed in 4 years at Butler, Stevens has also become the youngest coach to reach back-to-back National Championship games at the age of 33.  I think the edge goes to Butler here because the players emulate and relate more to their younger coach than UConn does with their coach.  Stevens is a new-age of coaches that has taken more to statistical analysis than just your X's and O's system.  An article I read earlier noted that Stevens and his coaching staff will know where they want to force each UConn player and under what circumstance based on analysis that covers the entire season, highlighted by trends in postseason play. 

Therefore, trying to stay as far away from cliche as I can, I think this is the "underdog's" chance to bring home the National Title on Monday night.  I think Shelvin Mack will also have his struggles especially if Kemba Walker is the man guarding him, but for the three reasons above, I believe that Butler wins this one in the final minute, 68-64.

-Pat

Final Four Picks

I planned on doing this long, extensive post about the Final Four but then it dawned on me that everyone has heard the stories about each team. We know these squads like the back of our hand in the day and age of the world we live in. Instead, I am going to deliver my points in a couple sentences with hopes not to ramble to either look like a champion, or an idiot by the end of night.



11) VCU v. 8) Butler: It's kind of useless to put the seeds in there, but hey, it's what the cool kids are doing. I think this will be a better game than people expect to be because I am sure casual fans *cough Brett Boyer cough* see this as an ESPN BracketBuster.  No power conference tend to turn people off. It's like being at the bar with a bunch of fairly attractive people, no one is really that hot, it's perfect way to sum this battle. VCU has played out their mind in the past two weeks, but at some point that magic will run out. The clock strikes midnight for the Rams as Butler will play them strong on defense, which will translate into a victory. Butler 71-65

4.) Kentucky v. 3.) Connecticut: The purists of the game have a difficult time watching this one. It's two of the most unethical coaches in college basketball going up against one another for a shot at the National Championship. It's like watching a fight between Bernie Madoff and Rod Blagojevich (yes I had to look that up) and you really don't care who wins because you do not want the other to succeed.  For me, I just see it as basketball and there will always be shitty people no matter what industry you are in.  Even though the Wildcats can earn me some money with a win plus my mancrush on Josh Harrellson, I have a hard time seeing them pull through. People don't nearly give Kemba Walker enough credit for his defense and I think that will shine as he shuts down Brandon Knight, Kentucky's x-factor. UCONN 75-67

-Charlie.

Elite Eight Picks

Tomorrow, the first two Final Four tickets will be punched. A lot of interesting story lines and I hope for good games. Generally, the Elite Eight tends to bring second-tier games compared to the ones we have had in the past weeks. I hope for the best especially since the Law of Gus will be in effect.

8.) Butler v. 2.) Florida- Common sense would tell you take Butler because they always find a way to win. One thing that is beginning bother me is the consistent praise by the national media like they are the little brother of the NCAA.

Nope, they are a top 20 program and expectations should be set. Matt Howard isn't stopped by anybody and it seems Andrew Smith will be okay to play Saturday. I see Chandler Parsons being a huge matchup disaster for the Bulldogs because Howard will have to go inside against Alex Tyus who will also be a problem.  I think the guards are pretty even both sides, but Parsons ends up being the difference. UF 70-65

5.) Arizona v. 3.) Connecticut- Deron out of Jersey made a mention how this Wildcat team reminds him of the 1997 team who were not expected to win it all (MY GOD THAT'S MILES SIMON'S MUSIC!!!!). He is right and honestly, anything is possible for the Cats. Derrick Williams is unbelievable and it's hard to bet against guy who is named Mo-Mo Jones. The question is will the Wildcats have an answer for Mr. Walker? Kemba has made everyone look silly in the last 8 games. Kemba needs to keep Jeremy Lamb in the mix if  they want to win this one. But I think this will be a classic. Williams is unguardable right now, I haven't seen enough defensively from Alex Oriakhi to put money on him. The Cats take it late in the second half UA 82-79

-Charlie.

My Sweet 16 Picks (Southeast/West Region)

The second weekend of March Madness provides great theater because we all wonder if Cinderella's slipper will still fit on Thursday or Friday, and what new storylines will develop for the weekend. Due to the new format being able to see every game, I feel more involved with this tournament than ones in years past. 

West Region

3.) Connecticut vs. 2.) San Diego State- I read an interesting stat via The Big Lead: "UConn Huskies are 0-7 since 1992 in NCAA Tourney games in opponent's state".  That makes me feel uneasy, but did anyone ever consider Kemba Walker?  D.J. Gay will struggle trying to get shots off against Walker for damn sure.  But I worry about who will actually defend Kawhi Leonard on the Huskies. They have a couple big bodies, but nothing at Leonard's level. I feel it will be a pro-Aztec crowd, but I am confident the Huskies will win. The Aztecs have not done anything remarkable, just beat teams they were supposed to. I think Kemba and the crew is on another level.  UCONN 77-68

5.) Arizona v. 1.) Duke- A lot of people do not think Arizona belongs here because of some bad calls in their last game against Texas. But Derrick Williams and his crew does not care. He is an absolute monster, and I do think Duke will have some problems against him. Williams could get the Plumlee brothers and Ryan Kelly into some serious foul trouble. Don't think I missed Coach K's comments about trying to get Kyrie Irving being more involved, which scares me because one of the best coaches is trying to sabotage a National Championship contender. The Dukies will get it together and get a big game out of Seth Curry, just feel it's his time to shine.  DUKE 73-66 

Southeast Region 

3.) BYU v. 2.) Florida- Jimmer got the SI Curse. It sucks when he will shoot about 10 for 32 with 18 points. The Cougars have faced two teams that are very similar to their style of play leading to much success. But now they run into the big bad Gators who are nothing like them. By the way, anyone else find it hilarious that they are a bunch of Mormons roaming Bourbon Street as we speak? What could they do there? Anyways, the Gators have a great combination of size with Alex Tyus and Patric Young plus the guard play of Kenny Boyton and Erving Walker. I believe the Gators will have too much size and speed for the Cougars. Sadly, this is where Jimmer time comes to end.  UF 81-67 

8.) Butler v. 4.) Wisconsin- A white boy wet dream!  Just kidding.  This game could go several ways, and I am stealing this thought from my buddy Ron. He told me last week his wish would be for Bo Ryan to have deep conversation with Rob Jeter about UWM's success against Butler. I personally think the Badgers need to go inside much more than they have been doing in the first two games.  The two biggest things I would like to see if I am a Badger fan would be to get Matt Howard into foul trouble and lock Shelvin Mack down. This will be a complete nail-biter with Jordan Taylor hitting the big shot in the final seconds.  UW 64-62

-Charlie. 

Guess Who's Back?

I remember watching the Butler Bulldogs in January/February and did not think much of them.  I also paid attention to them getting bounced twice by UW-Milwaukee. Furthermore, I laughed when the Dawgs got an 8 seed in the NCAA Tournament. Of course, I had to put on the clown suit when Butler ended up in the Sweet 16 for the third time in the last five years.



I got the feeling we were in for something special on Saturday night when the Bulldogs hit a multitude of threes in the first half. It was a recipe for an upset with Jamie Dixon's inability to coach in March, and Brad Stevens being the proverbial Gordan Bombay of the college basketball world. A rising star who has built a name for himself in post season play. Butler's whole team outhustled Pittsburgh down to the last play of the game.

While Shelvin Mack made a dumb shit play on Gilbert Brown,  Nasir Robinson made the one we will all remember.  Matt Howard awareness that Robinson's hack would be a foul at any other point of the game was a great show of his basketball IQ. I commend the refs for making the right call no matter how little time was left. Also, Dixon should have told his players to stay away from the free throw line because nothing good could come from trying to rebound a Gilbert Brown miss.

Howard and Mack were both unsung heroes in last year's Final Four run.  People forgot those guys because Gordon Hayward was that good of a college player. Howard seems to be everywhere on the court whenever Butler plays. He can step out and hit the three then crash for the offensive rebound. Howard is the type of player coaches say, 'I want 5 Matt Howards.'  Some might argue Mack had a hand into Butler's struggles with performances like 1 of 9, and a couple 1 of 7s from three point land.  Mack does not see a three he doesn't like, sometimes that's a bad thing, but in the NCAA Tournament, that can be the difference.  Mack is the spark plug that opposing teams do not want started up in the post season.

Anyway you cut it, Butler has become the new Gonzaga. They are the mid-major you will now look for in the four regions and hope to God, you do not see them with your favorite team. No one has figured this team out and until they do, Butler will be a real problem.

-Charlie.

Panthers One Win Away

In front of a surprisingly rocking student section, the Milwaukee Panthers Men's Basketball team defeated Valparaiso 70-63 on Saturday night.

The Panthers were again lead by senior forward Anthony Hill who had 24 points and 11 rebounds (four offensive) last night and moved into the Horizon League tournament championship game where they will face Butler. They also got 15 points from sharp-shooting 6-8 forward Tony Meier and 16 from JUCO transfer Kaylon Williams.


Valpo was lead by Brandon Wood who had 24 himself but didn't get much from anyone else. UWM held Valpo's Ryan Broekhoff to just 1 of 11 shooting and did a good job containing their 3-point attack. The Crusaders were also only 5-9 from the charity stripe where as Milwaukee was 24-36 and made their last five to clinch the victory in the burning embers of the game.

The Panthers were trailing by five at one point in the first half but never seemed fazed as they regained the lead before half and never looked back. Valpo closed the gap to 64-60 with 2:02 to go in the game but the free throw shooting of Milwaukee was pure from then on.

It's really amazing to see this team now from where they were after they got beat handily by this same Valpo team back on January 21st. They said during last night's broadcast that after that game, coach Rob Jeter talked to the team for two and a half hours about what the goals of the team were for the year and the team responded. The Panthers rattled off wins in their last nine Horizon League games and their only blemish since then was a non-conference tilt against Buffalo in an ESPN "BracketBusters" game.

I think the senior leadership of Anthony Hill and Tone Boyle can take this team into the Big Dance. I really like what the Panthers have with not only those two guys, but also Tony Meier who is capable of doing a lot of damage on any given night.

The only thing that makes me apprehensive about our team going forward is their lack of depth. Outside the starting five of Boyle, Hill, Meier, Williams and sophomore guard Ja'Rob McCallum, the Panthers only other player in double figures for minutes last night was Ryan Allen. You tend to get that from most mid-majors but they're going to need another guy to step up off the bench if they want to beat a Butler team that is possessed right now.

After not being able to attend last night's game, you bet I'll be in attendance on Tuesday and I hope to see everyone else there as well. Tickets are on-sale on campus starting today for $10 with student ID.

Let's help get the Panthers' ticket punched.

-Mitch