Butler 2010 and Duke 1978

[Spam Filter]

Does the analogy fit?

A small private school whose best players were mostly sophomores makes an unexpected run in the NCAA tournament all the way to the championship game.

Only to play one of the traditional powerhouse of college basketball and lose a close game in the finals.

Thoughts?

[MarkD83]

However, I can't think of anyone on Butler's team quite like Kenny Dennard, a true character of the game. (Buck Williams just fell on top of me that's what happens when two big guys are banging for a rebound :D).

[Mike Corey]

This may work, if Stevens leaves and Butler struggles until its savior arrives.

The better fit may be '86.

If only Butler could keep Stevens. The Bulldogs couldn't hold on to Thad Matta or Todd Lickliter (though the latter really struggled at Iowa); I hope they can hold on to Stevens so that Butler becomes the Midwest's Gonzaga...or basketball's version of Boise State in football.

Perhaps Butler should paint its court blue? haha

[roywhite]

Does the analogy fit?

A small private school whose best players were mostly sophomores makes an unexpected run in the NCAA tournament all the way to the championship game.

Only to play one of the traditional powerhouse of college basketball and lose a close game in the finals.

Thoughts?

Does this mean John Feinstein writes "Forever's Team II?"

[Spam Filter]

Does this mean John Feinstein writes "Forever's Team II?"

Somebody is going to write a book on this year's Butler team, that's for sure.

[Mike Corey]

Does this mean John Feinstein writes "Forever's Team II?"

I vote for Mitch Albom, just so he'll stop writing grocery store checkout line books.

[DevilWearsPrada]

Coach Stevens is awesome. He has done so much in such a short period of time. Brad will have along career of coaching. I look for him to follow in the steps of the great coaches.

[Kedsy]

Does the analogy fit?

A small private school whose best players were mostly sophomores makes an unexpected run in the NCAA tournament all the way to the championship game.

Only to play one of the traditional powerhouse of college basketball and lose a close game in the finals.

Thoughts?

Well, first of all, the only "true" sophomore on the 1978 Duke team was Gminski (Bender and Harrell were both technically sophomores, but they both transferred in). Banks and Dennard were freshmen and Spanarkel was a junior.

Second, Duke was a traditional powerhouse who admittedly had come off a down decade; Butler has never been considered a powerhouse. Third, Duke kept pretty much their entire team the next year while Butler just lost their best player plus a couple other contributors. Foster left two years later while Stevens just signed a long-term contract.

Frankly, other than they both made unexpected runs to the national championship game, I don't see much of a parallel.

[DevilHorns]

Duke had a rich basketball history and established itself as a power prior to 1978, which as Kedsy stated, is a key difference that bites the analogy in half.

Here's a great documentary, free to watch, that covers the length of our basketball history. Get the popcorn!

http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/a_cut_above_100_seasons_of_duke_basketball/

[DukieBoy]

Correct me if I'm wrong on any of this because all I know on the '78 team is what I read by Feinstein, but Duke had EVERYONE returning the next year and were fairly young.

Butler lost their best player and a couple role players. Matt Howard is a senior this year and Shelvin Mack is a junior.

Duke had a team that came back. Butler had a couple of the main pieces come back.

So while it's comparable, I don't think it's that close, IMO.

[Kedsy]

Correct me if I'm wrong on any of this because all I know on the '78 team is what I read by Feinstein, but Duke had EVERYONE returning the next year and were fairly young.

Everyone but Bruce Bell, a little-used reserve.

[sagegrouse]

Does the analogy fit?

A small private school whose best players were mostly sophomores makes an unexpected run in the NCAA tournament all the way to the championship game.

Only to play one of the traditional powerhouse of college basketball and lose a close game in the finals.

Thoughts?

Wrote SI about that team (paraphrase/I'm sure Sumner has the exact wording): "Duke -- now there's a famous name that hasn't been heard from in a while." Duke was a traditional basketball power that had been to three final fours in the previous decade and had been out of the national picture for only a few years.

sagegrouse

[bjornolf]

This may work, if Stevens leaves and Butler struggles until its savior arrives.

The better fit may be '86.

If only Butler could keep Stevens. The Bulldogs couldn't hold on to Thad Matta or Todd Lickliter (though the latter really struggled at Iowa); I hope they can hold on to Stevens so that Butler becomes the Midwest's Gonzaga...or basketball's version of Boise State in football.

Perhaps Butler should paint its court blue? haha

Yea, right after the championship, I believe I wrote "Butler 2010 = Duke 1986?"

Ah, found it: http://www.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?20736-Huge-props-to-Butler&p=393115#post393115

:D

[hq2]

"Duke -- now there's a famous name that hasn't been heard from in a while."

The exact words are (and I still have the copy of SI with Gene Banks ripping down a rebound to prove it) "Duke. Now there's a proud but forgotten name. It used to stand for the words excellence in college basketball, the way letters UCLA do today".

Actually, Butler parallel-wise, however, I'd say the '86 team is a little closer, as it was K's first great team as a young coach, as this was for Brad Stevens. If Stevens goes on to have a great career, this past year's game will become famous for possibly being the passing of the coaching leadership baton from one great coach to another (not that K's quite ready to pass it yet!).