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!

[uh_no]

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:

It's no sunday drive from storrs to houston...a 30 hour drive..almost twice as far as it is from butler. I can fully understand why students wouldn't be able to make a trip like that. Last year we were blessed with 4 teams all within driving distance of indianapolis, and that showed in 4 packed student sections. I don't have the stats, but i believe schools get 500 student tickets (that was last year's number, though to me at least, this years section appeared a bit bigger...not sure). I can see how difficult it would be to find 500 students willing to make the commitment (and who had the available resources) to make such a trip.

You are correct (assuming its the same as last year). For the semis, half of your student section is courtside and the other half is up in the nosebleeds. For the championship, the whole student section is downstairs for the playing teams. Stinks that uconn is so far out in the middle of nowhere...(i mean...i know how it is living there for 18 years...)

[devildeac]

Let's go Bulldogs: clap, clap, clap/clap/clap!

[dukelifer]

This is a tough call. Butler is a tough team to play and Mack can get hot. Kemba did not have a "Kemba" game and it is hard to limit great players two games in a row. Still, it is hard to imagine this will not be a close game down the stretch. I will take Bulter in a last minute win.

[RoyalBlue08]

I think UConn is a much better matchup for Butler than Kentucky would have been. I like Butler's chances in this one.

[rsvman]

I sure hope it's Butler.

I rooted for VCU yesterday, but now I have to turn around and root for Butler, because I can't stand UConn.

[-bdbd]

I think UConn is a much better matchup for Butler than Kentucky would have been. I like Butler's chances in this one.

I was thinking the same thing all week. I had fully expected Butler to emerge from their semi, but knew that the other would be a dog, er, cat fight. KY was favored in their semi and I thought had more raw talent. Butler was going to be an underdog regardless of the opponent in the finals. But I thought KY woulda been favored by, maybe, 4 points more.

So, while certainly no fan of the cons, I dislike KY just as much. So, in the end, it worked out just fine. All we need is Butler to execute the final part of this eviil plan. They DO match up better with U-Con. Who guards Walker? I think Butler has the dogs to hang inside with the Huskies, but can they run as well on the exterior??

I expect a tough, hard fought game on both sides. Here's hoping Butler can find someone to hit that shot this year... That would be perfect.

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Let's go Bull-dogs (clap-clap, clap-clap-clap)

(repeat)

[Duke: A Dynasty]

70-62 Butler!!!!

[Dev11]

70-62 Butler!!!!

62-61 Butler. Sweet redemption as Mack makes the long three at regulation to secure the victory.

[hurleyfor3]

You are correct (assuming its the same as last year). For the semis, half of your student section is courtside and the other half is up in the nosebleeds. For the championship, the whole student section is downstairs for the playing teams. Stinks that uconn is so far out in the middle of nowhere...(i mean...i know how it is living there for 18 years...)

At last year's Final Four, the upper four or five rows of one section waaaaay in the upper deck were filled with Michigan State fans acting differently from everyone else nearby -- they were all wearing similar clothing, standing during most of their game with Butler, cheering especially vehemently, etc. On Monday night, these seats were empty. Now I see this was probably the "other" MSU student section. I didn't see any other similar student sections up there, but from my seat in the Duke section (100 level, even with the baseline) two of the sections wouldn't have been in my field of view, and the third would have been far away and/or blocked by the scoreboard.

Do you know how it was determined who got to sit on the floor and who got section 867, row QQ or whatever? That's about the biggest delta possible in a 70,000-seat stadium.

[uh_no]

At last year's Final Four, the upper four or five rows of one section waaaaay in the upper deck were filled with Michigan State fans acting differently from everyone else nearby -- they were all wearing similar clothing, standing during most of their game with Butler, cheering especially vehemently, etc. On Monday night, these seats were empty. Now I see this was probably the "other" MSU student section. I didn't see any other similar student sections up there, but from my seat in the Duke section (100 level, even with the baseline) two of the sections wouldn't have been in my field of view, and the third would have been far away and/or blocked by the scoreboard.

Do you know how it was determined who got to sit on the floor and who got section 867, row QQ or whatever? That's about the biggest delta possible in a 70,000-seat stadium.

The students sections upstairs were spread across the stadium...so MSU migh have been in one section, and duke all the way across the stadium.

first come first serve for the floor...i made sure i got there like 5-6 horus early

[hurleyfor3]

first come first serve for the floor...i made sure i got there like 5-6 horus early

Oh wow, and no alcoholic beverages once you're in... not sure sitting up there is worth it. Actually after wandering around the stadium before Monday night's game I *know* sitting up there isn't worth it.

[marinbobbyduhon]

I think UConn is a much better matchup for Butler than Kentucky would have been. I like Butler's chances in this one.

I certainly hope that you are right. To my mind, if UConn wins the NCAAT, that would make the NCCA look even worse than it does now. Auburn won the NCCA Football Championship game, and I for one think Auburn should have been ineligible (Cam Newton is not alone in the matter of payment for play) and then UConn winning with Calhoun suffering the consequences of the pay for play with Miles not going into effect until next season - this would leave a bad taste in my mouth.
Who says crime doesn't pay?!

So please Butler, beat Conn tomorrow night and restore some decency to College sports again!

[Cameron]

This has been an excellently crafted run by head coach Jim Calhoun, but can you imagine what Connecticut could be doing right now if they had Nate Miles for whom they paid big bucks? The Huskies could probably win the World Series with that kind of talent.

Yes, a fine day for the community of Storrs and its probationary basketball leader.

[Chris Randolph]

Butler 61-59