National Championship Game: (8) Butler vs. (3) Connecticut; Monday 9:23PM

• ou1980

  Here we go...Lets go Butler!!
  
  Can't help but think of Hoosiers when I watch this team...Probably will pop it into the Blu-Ray Player tomorrow afternoon...
  
  Coach Norman Dale
  "Five players on the floor functioning as one single unit: team, team, team - no one more important that the other."
  
  
  
• Ironman92

  

  karma to Butler
  
  Calhoun is so dirty....but Kemba is so good.
  
  I think Butler can frustrate Kemba and UConn and win it.....we'll see.
• Tiger2003

  

  Pulling for Butler.
• Hb31187

  

  Lets go Uconn
• sleeper

  

  UCONN is going to win.
• Red_Skin_Pride

  

  ou1980;731498 wrote:"Five players on the floor functioning as one single unit: team, team, team - no one more important that the other."

  
  Except Shelvin Mack lol.
  
  Seriously though, this Butler team basically embodies all those teams you've ever heard of that people describe-in any sport- of tough. They're just tough as hell, and they don't believe they're going to lose when they step out on to the floor; they know they're going to win. I think that's part of the reason that they look so composed and pull out so many close games, they always feel like they've got it under control.
  
  I think Kemba will give us the best game we've seen to date, and that's saying a lot. I think he'll have somewhere around 35 only because I don't know who in the world is going to stop him (not sure anyone can when he's on), but I do know one thing. If the game doesn't go over about 75, I'll take Butler. If Uconn is hitting everything and they can get it over 75, they'll win. But if it's Butler's kind of game, they'll pull it out. Duke had enough weapons last year on the outside, plus Zoubek and the Plumlee's in the middle, that Butler couldn't defend everybody the way they like. Walker is a GREAT player, and Lamb is coming on strong, but I don't feel like Uconn has anywhere near the number of threats that Duke had last year. Of course, Butler is down a few players from last year's team as well, but that's also been kind of a blessing once they "figured it out" at around the halfway point of the season, because now this team isn't so much about Hayward as the star, and Mack/Howard as decent #2 or #3 options, but rather, all 5 players on the floor having to play their A game, and even guys of the bench like the Hahn kid tonight. And it's obviously working, winning 14 in a row coming in. I have no dog in the fight, but obviously I'd love to see the underdog win it, only because I know Uconn is going to have other years when they'll have serious chances to make runs to the Final 4 or beyond again, and that's a lot harder to count on at a midmajor in the Horizon League.
• dwccrew

  

  UConn will win, but I am pulling for Butler.
• killer_ewok

  

  I think Butler pulls it off this time.
• bigorangebuck22

  Wake me up when the game ends...
• wghfan

  Take the under, and go to sleep. Then go collect your money in the morning. It will be an ugly game.
• believer

  

  Pulling for Butler. They deserve it. How many times does a team need to make the Final 4 let alone the NC before they are no longer a "Cinderella"? The way this season's tourney flowed, it would be fitting for Butler to win it all.
• ytownfootball

  

  Pulling for Butler, not too often you get a second chance. I really like Stevens and think he has what it takes too pull it off, keeps it close and gives his team a shot no matter who they play. More than anything though, I hope UCONN loses, if the NCAA had any semblance of credibility the Huskies wouldn't even be in the damn tournament.
• believer

  

  ytownfootball;731553 wrote:Pulling for Butler, not too often you get a second chance. I really like Stevens and think he has what it takes too pull it off, keeps it close and gives his team a shot no matter who they play. More than anything though, I hope UCONN loses, if the NCAA had any semblance of credibility the Huskies wouldn't even be in the damn tournament.

  Agreed but when exactly has the NCAA been credible....basketball or football for that matter?
• Little Danny

  

  ytownfootball;731553 wrote:Pulling for Butler, not too often you get a second chance. I really like Stevens and think he has what it takes too pull it off, keeps it close and gives his team a shot no matter who they play. More than anything though, I hope UCONN loses, if the NCAA had any semblance of credibility the Huskies wouldn't even be in the damn tournament.

  
  wait... weren't people saying that about the Sugar Bowl this year?
  
  In regards to the game, I think a major advanatage for UCONN will be their BIGS. I don't see anyone on Butler able to match up with Okwandu or Orihaki. These big guys were a menace to UK last night and a major reason for the Husky victory. Also, people know about Walker's scoring prowess, but don't sleep on the Husky defense. They have a lot of length on that court which enables them to alter/block a lot of shots and passes. Lamb and Walker feasts on transition points.
• killer_ewok

  

  What an amazing run that Uconn is on. 5 games in 5 days in the BET and now in the NCAA title game.
  
  I didn't have them getting past the first weekend of the NCAA's. Major fail on my part. I had Butler losing to ODU too. #mypickssucked
• BigAppleBuckeye

  

  I win either way: I would be thrilled to see Butler win, and I am pulling for them, but if UCONN wins I finish 13th (out of 1,250) in my NCAA pool so I will make some nice cash!
• SportsAndLady

  

  Little Danny;731568 wrote:wait... weren't people saying that about the Sugar Bowl this year?

  
  What is your point? Most Ohio State fans realized how hypocritical it was for the NCAA to let the OSU players play in the Sugar Bowl. It's not like we were arguing for it, and then it happened and we were like "told you so!!" NCAA makes money off their star players playing in the big games, so they suspended them for next season's games...that's it.
  
  UCONN committed violations that would normally result in a post season ban..but they weren't because they're UCONN and the NCAA needs them in their biggest tournament. It's perfectly valid to think UCONN shouldn't even be in the post season.
• vball10set

  Go Horizon League....GO BUTLER!!!!
• believer

  

  SportsAndLady;731591 wrote:What is your point? Most Ohio State fans realized how hypocritical it was for the NCAA to let the OSU players play in the Sugar Bowl. It's not like we were arguing for it, and then it happened and we were like "told you so!!" NCAA makes money off their star players playing in the big games, so they suspended them for next season's games...that's it.
  
  UCONN committed violations that would normally result in a post season ban..but they weren't because they're UCONN and the NCAA needs them in their biggest tournament. It's perfectly valid to think UCONN shouldn't even be in the post season.

  It's all about the money. Ethics? Only if the NCAA can afford it.
• reclegend22

  

  Yeah, it's been a great ride by UConn and its probationary coach. If the Huskies do cut the nets down on Monday night, as we already know, the win will be tantamount to beating the Deering Tornadoes and will mean less than a regular championship. It would be equivalent to Hakeem Olajuwon dunking on Air Bud. Butler is only as good as its slipper. And that's a fact.
• Little Danny

  

  SportsAndLady;731591 wrote:What is your point? Most Ohio State fans realized how hypocritical it was for the NCAA to let the OSU players play in the Sugar Bowl. It's not like we were arguing for it, and then it happened and we were like "told you so!!" NCAA makes money off their star players playing in the big games, so they suspended them for next season's games...that's it.
  
  UCONN committed violations that would normally result in a post season ban..but they weren't because they're UCONN and the NCAA needs them in their biggest tournament. It's perfectly valid to think UCONN shouldn't even be in the post season.

  
  Overall, you and I are on the same page. The NCAA is hypocritical and they want to protect their own wallets. As far as none of the OSU fans saying they shouldn't have played in the Sugar Bowl, I disagree. I saw many posts on here and some other boards were OSU fans argued repeatedly the players should not have been punished for selling "their own stuff". They would then argue the 5 game sentence was too harsh and that the NCAA was picking on the Buckeyes.
• SportsAndLady

  

  Little Danny;731649 wrote:Overall, you and I are on the same page. The NCAA is hypocritical and they want to protect their own wallets. As far as none of the OSU fans saying they shouldn't have played in the Sugar Bowl, I disagree. I saw many posts on here and some other boards were OSU fans argued repeatedly the players should not have been punished for selling "their own stuff". They would then argue the 5 game sentence was too harsh and that the NCAA was picking on the Buckeyes.

  
  I said "most" Buckeye fans...meaning, the intelligent, reasonable ones.
  
  And OSU fans weren't saying they shouldn't be suspended, they said the rule is dumb. Even though they are somewhat consistent on this ruling (see: AJ Green), it's still a pretty dumb rule that you can't sell your own stuff. Now, i'm not saying I agree or disagree with that; just saying that seemed to be the general consensus on here.
  
  Now of course you'll have the delusional Buckeye fans ruining it for the entire fanbase, but I saw a fanbase that were ashamed of these kids and their actions, understand the 5 game penalty, and laughed at the hypocrisy of the NCAA not suspending them for the Bowl game.
• devil1197

  Butler wins this one in a low scoring game.
  
  Their defense and toughness will slow Walker imo.
  
  Stevens is setting himself up for a pretty big payday if he ever decides to leave Butler.
• bigkahuna

  Can the bandwagon get any bigger for Butler? lol. After last night, I jumped on it.
• wildcats20

  

  UConn will double up(again) this year. Both men's and women's teams will bring it home.