Ohio Chatter DEV

Non

Butler seems a little bit like Duke Jr.

Like the Duke teams from the 80s. Coach K was young, in his 30s, like Stevens.

Not entirely similar because Duke already made Final Fours and championship games in the 60s and 70s.

Butler could very well be a one-year wonder but who knows if the young coach hangs around. They're in Indianapolis which is a good spot to recruit if you can start to establish success on a national level like this.

Red_Skin_Pride

If Butler can pull it off, I will freak out right in my living room...I mean seriously, who would ever think that a team from the HORIZON LEAGUE would be a serious contender to win the National Championship? Everyone on here talks about Nova from 85, but only because their regular season was less than stellar, and they earned an 8 seed; not because they were a little mid-major. I mean, in the Duke/WVU intro before the final four game, they had a clip of Scheyer saying "this is why I came to Duke"...how many of the kids on Butlers team, or ANY mid-major, HONESTLY can say the same thing? The kids that chose Butler/mid-majors did so for many different reasons, but to honestly say that they chose Butler because they were a legit final 4/NC contender, most people would have laughed at before about two weeks ago. And I'm in no way anti-Duke; I actually respect coach K a lot, though I do think he looks a little fishy sometimes lol...but I think that most people who don't have a team in this game are going to pull for Butler. How could you not? This is certainly the most percieved "David v. Goliath" matchup, probably since that Villanova/Gtown game from 1985. And I think that Butler is a lot better than people give them credit for, but mass perception is going to be that Duke is a HUGE favorite. And given history, they should be. However, IF...IF Butler pulls this game out, I will be ecstatic...just to see the little guy win it all. Just about like I did when I didn't give up on Boise State a few years ago and watched them beat OU in football!

Red_Skin_Pride

Non wrote: Butler seems a little bit like Duke Jr.

Like the Duke teams from the 80s. Coach K was young, in his 30s, like Stevens.

Not entirely similar because Duke already made Final Fours and championship games in the 60s and 70s.

Butler could very well be a one-year wonder but who knows if the young coach hangs around. They're in Indianapolis which is a good spot to recruit if you can start to establish success on a national level like this.

That is very true, but a lot of depends on academic standards and athletic facilities as well. Obviously having an energetic, and proven success of a young coach helps immensly, as does geography, BUT if Butler is hard to get into academically, or if their facilities are below average, they will be like any other "upper crust" mid-major (think Gonzaga; I held this same belief about them about 7 years ago, but they haven't progressed any since then, and facilities are the biggest reason why) who is competitive, but not as successful as most major schools.

Non

Duke played awesome against WVU, too. So even if you just watched those two games it makes Duke seem like they're untouchable.

Syracuse looked awesome at times this year and so did Kansas State before playing Butler.

I really don't think it's that improbable in the context of this season.

But I guess for all time, it would be the most unlikely champion coming from the Horizon League.

FairwoodKing

I'm an MAC person so I have to root for the mid-majors. I think Butler will surprise everyone tomorrow.

GO BUTLER!!!!!

Non

Red_Skin_Pride wrote:
Non wrote: Butler seems a little bit like Duke Jr.

Like the Duke teams from the 80s. Coach K was young, in his 30s, like Stevens.

Not entirely similar because Duke already made Final Fours and championship games in the 60s and 70s.

Butler could very well be a one-year wonder but who knows if the young coach hangs around. They're in Indianapolis which is a good spot to recruit if you can start to establish success on a national level like this.

That is very true, but a lot of depends on academic standards and athletic facilities as well. Obviously having an energetic, and proven success of a young coach helps immensly, as does geography, BUT if Butler is hard to get into academically, or if their facilities are below average, they will be like any other "upper crust" mid-major (think Gonzaga; I held this same belief about them about 7 years ago, but they haven't progressed any since then, and facilities are the biggest reason why) who is competitive, but not as successful as most major schools.

Yeah, I think they have a good location in Indy and a cool niche with Hinkle Fieldhouse. Not sure about the rest of the facilities but those things could certainly be upgraded if you're competing for the national championship.

The coach is the key. Coach K has been at Duke 30 years. They're playing the same great, team basketball that they began to establish in the early 80s.

Stevens is going to have a lot of opportunities to leave but if he wanted to stay there and follow K's model, I think Butler could be around awhile, winning 25-30 games and making some tourney runs.

This team could actually be back together next year:

Howard jr.
Hayward soph.
Nored soph.
Mack soph.

RiverRat13

Duke's has too much size. Even if Duke has an off shooting night, they will kill Butler on the boards and get too many second opportunities.

reclegend22

Well, I'm about to head out for Indy. Butler vs. Duke. I watched the movie last night and God am I pumped up. Obviously not for a Hickory-like upset, but for the national championship game in Indiana, the basketball capital of the world. This has potential to be a classic, one of the all-time greats. At about 11:30 tonight, either five of us here will be at near death in acclamation and euphoria, or the rest of the site -- probably non-traditionalist college bball forum posters and random serious business people included -- and world will have already died and joined Jesus in the floating sea of Zion.

"Some people dream about playing in the NBA, and that's always been a dream of mine. The (big) dream of mine is to be in the Final Four and play for the national championship and to win. That's something I've always wanted to do. To have an opportunity to do that is great. I'm not going to let it slip away. I'm going to make the most of it."

-Jon Scheyer

Let's bring home No. 4 boys.

sportswizuhrd

Word on the street(Mike and Mike and this link), that the new Nets owner, Mikhail Prokhorev, wants Coach K to be the coach and GM of the team and might offer him between 12-15 million per season to take the jobs. 28 players in the NBA currently make 14 mill per or more.

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/rumors/post/Nets-want-Coach-Krzyzewski?urn=nba,232054

Dukies might get their title and lose their coach after tonight. IMO, he doesnt take it though.

reclegend22

Krzyzewski isn't going anywhere. He -- and his family -- is too invested in the Duke program. Basketball in Durham is his life.

This post isn't defensive in nature either. He simply isn't leaving for the Nets. The Celtics, Lakers and countless others have all come calling before. It's not happening now.

vball10set

Hoosiers redux--Butler by 3

j_crazy

Duke - 74
Butler - 58

visionquest

Duke by 20. I couldn't care less about this game.

Leonardo

Duke: 86
Butler: 73

gibby08

Sadly....

Duke 80
Butler 70

Laley23

Duke should win by double digits.

BTW, 15 million a year is enough to get anyone to at least ponder a decision for a few days. I dont care what they have going for them.

Footwedge

People forget that Duke got absolutely destroyed by Georgetowm this year. The same Georgetown team that got obliterated by OU.

I think Butler will pull the upset in front of their home crowd and snip down the nets.

Butler 66-Duke 52.

centralbucksfan

Laley23 wrote: Duke should win by double digits.

BTW, 15 million a year is enough to get anyone to at least ponder a decision for a few days. I dont care what they have going for them.

'Cuse should have won by 20....KSU should have won by 15....MSU should have won by 10. I do think Duke will win. But I won't be surprised if Butler does. And I wouldn't bet against them at this point if I were a betting man. This team isn't a fluke anymore. At this point in the NCAA, nothing would surprise me.

swamisez

I will stick with Ken Pomeroy, I think Duke will win this game 66-59.

They become the first to break 60 on the bulldogs.

that being said, I am still nervous as heck. Felt like I was gonna vom before the WVU game. I am way too emotionally invested at this point, gonna be nice to have a break. Constant defense of Duke takes it out of the fan base as well as players.

Prescott

People forget that Duke got absolutely destroyed by Georgetowm this year.

Butler doesn't have the offensive firepower that Georgetown had. They also don't have Greg Monroe.

Don't forget that Butler lost to Clemson, a team that Duke rolled twice.

CinciX12

swamisez wrote: I will stick with Ken Pomeroy, I think Duke will win this game 66-59.

They become the first to break 60 on the bulldogs.

that being said, I am still nervous as heck. Felt like I was gonna vom before the WVU game. I am way too emotionally invested at this point, gonna be nice to have a break. Constant defense of Duke takes it out of the fan base as well as players.

Poor guy. You have one more Duke from the time the game tips to the time it ends tonight.

But thats just because i'm a hater against Butler.

Laley23

centralbucksfan wrote:
Laley23 wrote: Duke should win by double digits.

BTW, 15 million a year is enough to get anyone to at least ponder a decision for a few days. I dont care what they have going for them.
'Cuse should have won by 20....KSU should have won by 15....MSU should have won by 10. I do think Duke will win. But I won't be surprised if Butler does. And I wouldn't bet against them at this point if I were a betting man. This team isn't a fluke anymore. At this point in the NCAA, nothing would surprise me.

Actually, Duke has the biggest spread in Vegas than any of them. Butler was favored over MSU. Cuse was favored by about 5, and KSU by 3.5. Duke is favored by 8.

As for my reasoning, Duke provides by far the most match-up problems. Nored can shut down Scheyer if he plays well, but thats about it. Not to mention, I think Duke has the players (Singler) to stop Hayward.

I wont be shocked to see Butler win at this point, but Duke SHOULD win by double digits.

centralbucksfan

ccrunner609 wrote:
gibby08 wrote: Sadly....

Duke 80
Butler 70
Butler isnt scoring anywhere near 70 points on Duke

And its doubtful Duke will score 80 on Butler.

centralbucksfan

Laley23 wrote:
centralbucksfan wrote:
Laley23 wrote: Duke should win by double digits.

BTW, 15 million a year is enough to get anyone to at least ponder a decision for a few days. I dont care what they have going for them.
'Cuse should have won by 20....KSU should have won by 15....MSU should have won by 10. I do think Duke will win. But I won't be surprised if Butler does. And I wouldn't bet against them at this point if I were a betting man. This team isn't a fluke anymore. At this point in the NCAA, nothing would surprise me.
Actually, Duke has the biggest spread in Vegas than any of them. Butler was favored over MSU. Cuse was favored by about 5, and KSU by 3.5. Duke is favored by 8.

As for my reasoning, Duke provides by far the most match-up problems. Nored can shut down Scheyer if he plays well, but thats about it. Not to mention, I think Duke has the players (Singler) to stop Hayward.

I wont be shocked to see Butler win at this point, but Duke SHOULD win by double digits.

Well, I am not a big person on the whole spread thing to be honest. And that spread is based on one game, and one game only.....the semifinal game vs WVU.
And as we speak, its actually down to 7 currently.

Trueblue23

Game time fellas.

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National Championship: Duke vs. Butler