My Thoughts on Butler's Run

     No. I am not a Butler grad, but neither are alot of the fans that will pull for Butler this weekend, and thats ok. How could you not fall in love with the story, the team, the coach, and the Butler way. I feel I have been adopted into the Butler family, working for the flag ship station of Butler, 1070 The Fan,  and meeting many Butler grads, their isn't a better team to be pulling for in the Final Four.

     What separates Butler from most of the teams in this tournament? They do things the right way, for example, some players on the day of last year's national championship game attended class on campus, and then headed downtown to Lucas Oil Stadium for the National Championship. The problem with the NCAA today is, most basketball players are athletes before students, as for Butler, they are the perfect example of the student athlete. These players are committed to getting an education, as well as a Championship banner in Hinkle. While in Houston, some players even knocked out some homework in the locker room before practice.

     It also helps to have one of the smartest, up beat and passionate coaches in the country. The silent assassin has taken down some of the top coaches in the nation over the past two tournament runs, all while staying true and loyal to Butler, signing a twelve year extension through the 2022 season. Butler has won all of this years tournament games by seven points or less, include last minute wins over Old Dominion, Pitt and Florida.

    This is another magical run for Butler. They are no longer the cinderella, they are now a contendor and one of the top programs in the country. The key to Butlers success is playing as a team. Lead by Shelvin Mack  Matt Howard and Shawn Vanzant, The Dawgs go nine deep and can beat you in so many ways. Ronald Nored, Andrew Smith, Kyhle Marshall and Zach Hahn are key players to the success of Butler, along with a very famous mascot cheering them on in Blue II.

     To all the fans, in Indy and nation wide. Enjoy the Final Four. For the second straight season a mid major will play of the national title. Take a minute before tip, and think about how Butler has got to this point, how hard it is to make one Final Four, let alone two, and the way they get it done on and off the court, The Butler Way.