MBB NCAA Final: Connecticut 53, Butler 41

[Chris Randolph]

Monday night tip set for 9:23 pm eastern...

Thoughts? Keys to the game? Which player steals the show? An unsung hero? Prediction?

[uh_no]

Monday night tip set for 9:23 pm eastern...

Thoughts? Keys to the game? Which player steals the show? An unsung hero? Prediction?

Uconn will be tired. It was clear watching them that UK took a LOT out of them, more than Ithink VCU took out of butler (nothing against VCU). I think the key to the game oriakhi vs howard...everyone knows about uconn's guards...but tonight oriakhi went for 8 and 10...those rebounds down the stretch were huge. Both teams are great rebounding teams, and I think the fight down low on the glass will be all important

not sure about unsung hero...I sing about uconn all day, so for me, this one would have to come from butler...just not sure who

prediction? gosh it depends so much on how uconn can recover from tonight...butler is disciplined...gonna have to with uconn

[Son of Mojo]

With all my heart.......


GO BUTLER!!!!!!

[loran16]

I think Butler can limit Kemba to a performance like today. The question will be whether Butler can limit the supporting cast that has improved all season for UConn

[Bluedog]

It will be a close one. That's the only way Butler knows how to play. I think the big keys will be offensive rebounding and defending the three. If Butler can hold its own on the glass and doesn't give up open looks, they have a good shot. I'm not as concerned with their interior D and help defense because they're incredibly well-coached and have been doing those things well all tournament.

Another question: can UConn fill more than 25% of their assigned student section for the National Championship game? Where were they tonight? I believe they also get UKs/VCUs empty seats (well, have of them anyways) so there's even more space available on Monday. Maybe it'll be 10% full. Very odd...Check out the UConn section:

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Let's Go Butler!

It's like happens so often in the Super Bowl. A team gets there for the first time and loses, but when it gets there again the next year, it wins. Not the Buffalo Bills, of course, but just about every other team! Hmmm. Let's hope there isn't a BB curse - Buffalo Bills, Butler Bulldogs. Nah, Butler will take care of business on Monday night!

[striker219]

Let's Go Butler!

It's like happens so often in the Super Bowl. A team gets there for the first time and loses, but when it gets there again the next year, it wins. Not the Buffalo Bills, of course, but just about every other team! Hmmm. Let's hope there isn't a BB curse - Buffalo Bills, Butler Bulldogs. Nah, Butler will take care of business on Monday night!

You know, if Butler is still following the Milan High School path to success demonstrated in Hoosiers they should take care of business. Although the movie obviously didn't show it, Milan won the state championship in 1954 after losing in the semi-final in 1953. Yeah, I know, Butler lost in the final last year, not the semi-final, but it's close enough for me.

Fun related fact, any time a Carolina fan mentions four-corners as one of the many wondrous innovations bestowed upon the game of basketball by the great and powerful Dean Smith, feel free to mention that particular 1953-54 Milan High School team which rode the strengths of a four-corners/stall offense to a state title (they called it "cat-and-mouse"). That includes a stretch of over four minutes near the end of the championship game where Bobby Plump (the real life Jimmy Chitwood) just stood at the top of the key, ball in hand, before missing a shot, and on their next possession another solid minute of standing still with the ball before hitting the game-winner.

While not the first time this type of offense was used, it is one of the better known situations.

[SoCalDukeFan]

Calhoun is one of the best if not the best game coaches in college basketball.

He will have the Uconnvicts well prepared.

Of course, Brad Stevens is pretty good also.

Walker is the best player in the game. Butler actually has more experience.

Go Bulldogs

SoCal

[uh_no]

Calhoun is one of the best if not the best game coaches in college basketball.

He will have the Uconnvicts well prepared.

Of course, Brad Stevens is pretty good also.

Walker is the best player in the game. Butler actually has more experience.

Go Bulldogs

SoCal

While calhoun is no doubt a great in game coach, I don't think I'd call him best. That said, uconns lack of experience hasn't hurt them thus far, I think part of it is that the super freshmen don't realize they're supposed to be inexperienced.

What I'm worried about is fatigue for uconn. We saw it yesterday, will it comme back to bite them?

[Cameron]

“You’re known by the company you keep.” –Jim Calhoun last night on SportsCenter

And if by "company you keep" you mean Danny Almonte, CCNY, Tiger Woods, Charles Ponzi, Shoeless Joe Jackson and Al Capone (minus the mass murder), then I agree.

Laughing out loud at you, Jim. You are a cheat and will always be remembered for being a cheat. With your marvelous record of compliance, we should probably check and see if the equipment in Storrs is even regulation. Who knows, you might have been using nerf balls.

Please, if you're up there listening, Wilt, Pistol and the rest of the basketball Gods, let Butler win this game. Keep this game pure and let one of the greatest stories in the sport's history unfold. Let the Milan Indians' run 57 years ago in the Indiana state basketball tournament prove prophetic. What a wonderful story it would be.

[flyingdutchdevil]

Don't like UCon. Never have, never will. Will be rooting for Butler all the way.

That said, I really like Kemba Walker. He seems like a great guy. I remember watching that interview between Nolan, Jimmer, and Kemba and all the three of them did was praise one another. He's such an exciting player. This may be the first time that I like a UCon player. It's a strange feeling.

[Papa John]

With your marvelous record of compliance, we should probably check and see if the equipment in Storrs is even regulation.

Actually, given past behavior of some of Calhoun's recruits, we should probably check and see if the equipment in Storrs is still there.

[Nrrrrvous]

Actually, given past behavior of some of Calhoun's recruits, we should probably check and see if the equipment in Storrs is still there.

I just snorted cheerios milk out my nose...

[Billy Dat]

As a Duke fan, disliking UConn is a given (sans fans of both teams such as uh_no), and I certainly don't want Jim Calhoun winning a third ring, but I have to say that this UConn team is a lot more likeable than past elite UConn teams. There is a remarkable lack of woofing, shucking and jiving. Kemba Walker is really fun to watch, as is the rest of the perimeter with Lamb and Napier. I am rooting for Butler, but I don't find myself detesting the UConn players. I feel the same way about Kentucky, they just seemed a little more humble this year, but I guess that's easy compared to last year with Demarcus Cousins.

I echo the sentiment of those who feel like Butler is going to win. They play great defense, and they make big plays when they need to, especially Matt Howard. That kid's nose is always right in the action in the biggest spots. He plays ugly, but he defines winner.

For the match-ups, it is a perimeter tour du force with Walker/Lamb/Napier against Mack/Vanzant/Nored. I haven't paid close enough attention to Butler's rotations, but why does that kid Stigall start over Nored? Whatever, against UConn's talent, I am sure Nored's going to get most of those minutes. While I think UConn has the talent advantage, it's not huge and Butler has much more experience so I think it's a draw.

Up front, I think Howard is the best player by far because, again, he just knows what needs to be done to get the W. UConn did a great job in the semi getting points for their bigs. The big Nigerian kid, Okwandu, had a really unexpected solid game. On the Butler side, they got NOTHING from Andrew Smith...how many layups did he miss? I think they are more dynamic with Marshall in for Smith so it will be interesting to see who gets the more critical minutes. In typical Butler fashion, I see Howard staying out of foul trouble until midway through the second half when he'll pick up a few in rapid succession but somehow figure out how to play the last 5-6 minutes with 4 fouls and still make big plays. So, a frontcourt nod to Butler because of Howard.

From a coaching perspective, I give the edge to Calhoun because of experience, and I also happen to think he is an excellent in-game coach (as '99 and '04), but Stevens seems to be below no one in anything save experience...what a prodigy he is.

That leaves everything else, and I feel like Butler plays better team defense. Obviously, both teams have showed that they know how to win close games. It just feels like Butler is back for a reason, and while the hoops gods can be really cruel, it doesn't feel like they are back to be runner-ups again.

[bjornolf]

There is a remarkable lack of woofing, shucking and jiving. Kemba Walker is really fun to watch, as is the rest of the perimeter with Lamb and Napier.

What about Walker's flop after the shoulder bump that got the technical and changed the momentum of the SDSU game? What about the three-fingered monocle after he made the three-pointer? Or getting in the Texas player's face? It seems like every time I see Kemba, he's doing something to bring attention to himself or denigrate his opponent.

And if this ain't shuckin' and jivin', I don't know what is:


This wasn't the same finger time as I was thinking of, but he's doing the same thing:

[mehmattski]

What about Walker's flop after the shoulder bump that got the technical and changed the momentum of the SDSU game? What about the three-fingered monocle after he made the three-pointer? Or getting in the Texas player's face? It seems like every time I see Kemba, he's doing something to bring attention to himself or denigrate his opponent.

And if this ain't shuckin' and jivin', I don't know what is:


This wasn't the same finger time as I was thinking of, but he's doing the same thing:

To be fair, Nolan Smith and Seth Curry were doing the "three-finger monocle" thing all season. Often, it was in front of opposing teams benches.

[uh_no]

To be fair, Nolan Smith and Seth Curry were doing the "three-finger monocle" thing all season. Often, it was in front of opposing teams benches.

I brought that up and posted a couple videos. while i don't really appreciate that kind of thing, I can't blame kids for getting excited when they make a big shot/big dunk. There's a ton of adrenaline and people at all levels of the sport due stuff like that (the worst is in the NFL where people do dances for everything...pick up 1 yard running BETTER CELEBRATE.

Anyway, I just wish so many people here wouldn't criticize kemba for the same thing duke players do. it amazes me that despite doing so many things right, how many people on this board go to the ends of the earth to find things not to like about the kid.

[Duvall]

What about Walker's flop after the shoulder bump that got the technical and changed the momentum of the SDSU game? What about the three-fingered monocle after he made the three-pointer? Or getting in the Texas player's face? It seems like every time I see Kemba, he's doing something to bring attention to himself or denigrate his opponent.

And if this ain't shuckin' and jivin', I don't know what is:

Surely that's Midnight Madness. That hardly counts as taunting, since there's no other team there.

[bjornolf]

Surely that's Midnight Madness. That hardly counts as taunting, since there's no other team there.

Note I said this was "shuckin' and jivin'" and put a winky face. I was just laughing along with the dancing on that one. I wasn't saying he was taunting there. I was trying to be funny. Sorry. I hate that these new smilies all look so much alike. It loses all the nuance.

[throatybeard]

You know, if Butler is still following the Milan High School path to success demonstrated in Hoosiers they should take care of business. Although the movie obviously didn't show it, Milan won the state championship in 1954 after losing in the semi-final in 1953. Yeah, I know, Butler lost in the final last year, not the semi-final, but it's close enough for me.

Fun related fact, any time a Carolina fan mentions four-corners as one of the many wondrous innovations bestowed upon the game of basketball by the great and powerful Dean Smith, feel free to mention that particular 1953-54 Milan High School team which rode the strengths of a four-corners/stall offense to a state title (they called it "cat-and-mouse"). That includes a stretch of over four minutes near the end of the championship game where Bobby Plump (the real life Jimmy Chitwood) just stood at the top of the key, ball in hand, before missing a shot, and on their next possession another solid minute of standing still with the ball before hitting the game-winner.

While not the first time this type of offense was used, it is one of the better known situations.

My understanding, too, is that Dean borrowed the 4C from a guy at a small Methodist college in NC.