The Bill Walton Champion, 2016-2017

[uh_no]

It's time for the best metric for evaluating the top team: The walton title!

backstory:
http://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?33027-The-Walton-Rankings-Who-is-No-1&p=701611#post701611

Last year:
http://forums.dukebasketballreport.com/forums/showthread.php?36977-The-Bill-Walton-Champion-2015-2016&highlight=walton+title


TLDR: the title belt stays with whatever team has it and only moves on when that team is beaten. So the current holder is

Villanova


The title will likely move on by the time nova plays creighton at the start of the year (simply looking at KP win %). The best chance of it coming to duke before the national title game (right now) is for ND to beat nova at the beginning of december....which would make it likely to end up in the ACC, and perhaps stay there through the rest of the year.

[killerleft]

Whoa, it's too early! I was in scan mode and thought this was an obit for half a sec. Whew!

[BigWayne]

Only non-conference game Villanova is likely to be threatened in is Notre Dame on Dec 10th. Otherwise, it likely will move around in the Big East unless Villanova survives until their trip to Charlottesville Jan 29.

[juise]

I feel like there should be a corollary to the Walton title in which the preseason #1 starts with the title and it goes from there. So Ft. Wayne holds the corollary title right now. This might be a fun thing to track if the actual Walton title doesn't budge for a while.

[mr. synellinden]

I feel like there should be a corollary to the Walton title in which the preseason #1 starts with the title and it goes from there. So Ft. Wayne holds the corollary title right now. This might be a fun thing to track if the actual Walton title doesn't budge for a while.

Wouldn't Kansas hold the title right now? Indiana beat Kansas before Duke played them.

[BLPOG]

I feel like there should be a corollary to the Walton title in which the preseason #1 starts with the title and it goes from there. So Ft. Wayne holds the corollary title right now. This might be a fun thing to track if the actual Walton title doesn't budge for a while.

6888

(also, you've got your dates/ordinality confused)

[pfrduke]

Hinkle Magic gives Butler the Walton Championship Belt for the time being.

[Turk]

Hinkle Magic gives Butler the Walton Championship Belt for the time being.

"Trust the Process!" (oh wait, wrong guy....)

[Troublemaker]

Hinkle Magic gives Butler the Walton Championship Belt for the time being.

Huge for Duke, too, in our race with Villanova for the 1 seed in the East. Oh, yes, I'm thinking about that again. I'm greedy!

[ChillinDuke]

Speaking of Walton, did anyone catch the intro to the Washington v Oregon game last night after ours? It was fantastic on so many levels.

[Some background for those of you that don't know, Dave Pasch is Bill Walton's often-paired play-by-play colleague. The two have a funny chemistry, because, well, Bill Walton.]

First off, we have the welcome segment. I don't remember exactly the quote so I'm paraphrasing, but Pasch kicks off the broadcast with an incredible self-deprecating line, something on the order of: "Hello folks, and welcome to the end of my life. Alongside Bill Walton, I'm Dave Pasch." Pasch seems to be forewarning about the next sequence of events...

Next, there's this graphic: ESPN Announcer Graphic (http://awfulannouncing.com/2017/espn-college-hoops-graphic-features-bill-walton-and-dave-pasch.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter)

So they publish this hysterical graphic - which in and of itself would have been superb television. But wait there's more...

Next, Walton proceeds to enter into some semi-scripted intro segment where he pretends he doesn't know who Pasch is (the two are paired almost daily). Sort of playing into the graphic - so I think this whole bit was purposeful. Which is even more hysterical. Pasch can't do much but smile and ponder how it all came to this. Which finally leads me to...

ESPN exits the pregame segment with the normal outro "College Basketball on ESPN" or whatever. And up pops a Bill Walton cartoon in the bottom left corner of the screen wearing a tie-dyed shirt that reads, "Walton's World." So apparently ESPN is now explicitly producing and branding Walton's games?

Perhaps this hysterical insanity has been going on all year with Walton's games. But for those that didn't see last night, it was one of the most absurd Walton-isms I've seen to date. Which is saying something.

- Chillin

[uh_no]

it looks like the belt will stay in the WCC, as I don't see anyone playing further OCC in that league. Shame. What a boring year for the belt!

[pfrduke]

it looks like the belt will stay in the WCC, as I don't see anyone playing further OCC in that league. Shame. What a boring year for the belt!

You mean the Big East? There could be a scenario where it gets to the ACC (if it gets back to Villanova before the UVA game and then Virginia wins) but I haven't looked at what needs to happen for that to work.

ETA: now I have looked. Simplest way is for Butler to win its games until losing to Marquette on 1/16, then Marquette win until losing to Villanova on 1/24, then Villanova losing to UVA.

[tbyers11]

You mean the Big East? There could be a scenario where it gets to the ACC (if it gets back to Villanova before the UVA game and then Virginia wins) but I haven't looked at what needs to happen for that to work.

ETA: now I have looked. Simplest way is for Butler to win its games until losing to Marquette on 1/16, then Marquette win until losing to Villanova on 1/24, then Villanova losing to UVA.

Since we don't play UVA until after they play Villanova we could reclaim the belt. C'mon Wojo make it happen :)

[El_Diablo]

Speaking of Walton, did anyone catch the intro to the Washington v Oregon game last night after ours? It was fantastic on so many levels.

[Some background for those of you that don't know, Dave Pasch is Bill Walton's often-paired play-by-play colleague. The two have a funny chemistry, because, well, Bill Walton.]

First off, we have the welcome segment. I don't remember exactly the quote so I'm paraphrasing, but Pasch kicks off the broadcast with an incredible self-deprecating line, something on the order of: "Hello folks, and welcome to the end of my life. Alongside Bill Walton, I'm Dave Pasch." Pasch seems to be forewarning about the next sequence of events...

Next, there's this graphic: ESPN Announcer Graphic (http://awfulannouncing.com/2017/espn-college-hoops-graphic-features-bill-walton-and-dave-pasch.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter)

So they publish this hysterical graphic - which in and of itself would have been superb television. But wait there's more...

Next, Walton proceeds to enter into some semi-scripted intro segment where he pretends he doesn't know who Pasch is (the two are paired almost daily). Sort of playing into the graphic - so I think this whole bit was purposeful. Which is even more hysterical. Pasch can't do much but smile and ponder how it all came to this. Which finally leads me to...

ESPN exits the pregame segment with the normal outro "College Basketball on ESPN" or whatever. And up pops a Bill Walton cartoon in the bottom left corner of the screen wearing a tie-dyed shirt that reads, "Walton's World." So apparently ESPN is now explicitly producing and branding Walton's games?

Perhaps this hysterical insanity has been going on all year with Walton's games. But for those that didn't see last night, it was one of the most absurd Walton-isms I've seen to date. Which is saying something.

- Chillin

Walton then proceeds to riff on the "Conference of Champions" and how UCLA is definitely deserving of a 1-seed:

Walton: How is UCLA not a 1 seed? Joe Lunardi just doesn't have a television set that gets West Coast games. You're telling me there's four teams better than UCLA? I don't think so.
Dave??: Well...
Walton: Okay, there's Kansas, of course. They're really good. And Kentucky--they're tough. Maybe North Carolina...?
Dave??: And Villanova.
Walton: Yeah, they're the champion until someone beats them.
Dave??: Duke?
Walton: Uh, I haven't seen Duke play this year.

[Jeffrey]

Say what you will about Big Red, he has great music taste!

[WillJ]

Bill Walton is a nut, albeit an entertaining one. UCLA is also very entertaining......both Lonzo Ball and, especially to me, TJ Leaf are studs. Leaf had the dunk of the year last night.

[sagegrouse]

Bill Walton is a nut, albeit an entertaining one. UCLA is also very entertaining...both Lonzo Ball and, especially to me, TJ Leaf are studs. Leaf had the dunk of the year last night.

Look at it this way: If Bill Walton didn't exist, the NBA would want to create a cartoon of a tall goofy ex-basketball player who clowned around on live TV.

[Indoor66]

Look at it this way: If Bill Walton didn't exist, the NBA would want to create a cartoon of a tall goofy ex-basketball player who clowned around on live TV.

Maybe we can call him "ClaraBill"?

[WillJ]

Look at it this way: If Bill Walton didn't exist, the NBA would want to create a cartoon of a tall goofy ex-basketball player who clowned around on live TV.

Adam Silver is my classmate and a very successful dude, but nothing in his resume suggests the imagination that would be required to create Bill Walton from scratch. Of course, I'm not sure that such an imagination exists outside of Bill Walton's own head.

[uh_no]

You mean the Big East? There could be a scenario where it gets to the ACC (if it gets back to Villanova before the UVA game and then Virginia wins) but I haven't looked at what needs to happen for that to work.

ETA: now I have looked. Simplest way is for Butler to win its games until losing to Marquette on 1/16, then Marquette win until losing to Villanova on 1/24, then Villanova losing to UVA.

sorry....for some reason i was looking at gonzaga's schedule. you're right....oops!

[Jeffrey]

Adam Silver is my classmate and a very successful dude, but nothing in his resume suggests the imagination that would be required to create Bill Walton from scratch. Of course, I'm not sure that such an imagination exists outside of Bill Walton's own head.

It does. Bill is a dreamer, but he is not the only one.

[Pghdukie]

Someone should pair Walton with Charles Barkley as "color" commentators.

[weezie]

Someone should pair Walton with Charles Barkley as "color" commentators.

Heck, that sounds like a perfect, though confusing, yet mesmerizing sitcom. I'd watch.

[Indoor66]

Someone should pair Walton with Charles Barkley as "color" commentators.

Barkley would beatchsmack Walton. :cool:

[OldPhiKap]

Someone should pair Walton with Charles Barkley as "color" commentators.

That's a lot of ego for one television show.

[NSDukeFan]

It does. Bill is a dreamer, but he is not the only one.

Imagine.

[kmspeaks]

That's a lot of ego for one television show.

Fox manages to fit Joe Buck + Troy Aikman + their giant egos in the same booth every Sunday so it could happen.

[OldPhiKap]

Fox manages to fit Joe Buck + Troy Aikman + their giant egos in the same booth every Sunday so it could happen.

You raise a valid point.

Chuck and Grateful Red would be interesting. Although I'm thinking that the overlap of cultural references would somehow measure below zero.

[pfrduke]

The belt is now in Omaha, Nebraska with the Creighton Blue Jays after they woodshedded (that's a technical term) Butler. So where could it go from here?

There's still a chance it gets back to Villanova and then into the ACC. For that to happen, Creighton needs to win until playing Marquette on 1/21; Marquette then plays Villanova on 1/24 before Villanova plays UVA on 1/29 (three moves in three games for the belt would be pretty impressive).

There's a chance the belt could make its way to (ugh) the AAC. For that to happen, Creighton needs to win until playing Xavier on 1/16; Xavier then needs to beat Georgetown but lose to Cincinnati on 1/26, in which case the belt would stay in a one-bid league (probably) until March. That seems disrespectful to the belt.

There's an infinitesimal chance that the belt leaves Division 1 altogether. Creighton's next game is against Truman State, a Division II school in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The Bulldogs are decent for a D-II school, but should lose by about 40 on Saturday (to complicate matters, some scheduling genius made the Creighton game the third game in a back-to-back-to-back, tipping off at noon following a 6:30 game the night before and a 7:30 game the night before that).

If neither Virginia nor Cincinnati take possession of the belt, then it will live in the Big East until tournament time.

[uh_no]

The belt is now in Omaha, Nebraska with the Creighton Blue Jays after they woodsheded (that's a technical term) Butler. So where could it go from here?

There's still a chance it gets back to Villanova and then into the ACC. For that to happen, Creighton needs to win until playing Marquette on 1/21; Marquette then plays Villanova on 1/24 before Villanova plays UVA on 1/29 (three moves in three games for the belt would be pretty impressive).

There's a chance the belt could make its way to (ugh) the AAC. For that to happen, Creighton needs to win until playing Xavier on 1/16; Xavier then needs to beat Georgetown but lose to Cincinnati on 1/26, in which case the belt would stay in a one-bid league (probably) until March. That seems disrespectful to the belt.

There's an infinitesimal chance that the belt leaves Division 1 altogether. Creighton's next game is against Truman State, a Division II school in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The Bulldogs are decent for a D-II school, but should lose by about 40 on Saturday (to complicate matters, some scheduling genius made the Creighton game the third game in a back-to-back-to-back, tipping off at noon following a 6:30 game the night before and a 7:30 game the night before that).

If neither Virginia nor Cincinnati take possession of the belt, then it will live in the Big East until tournament time.

That would be quite the deal, as the belt would almost assuredly remain with the DII champion until next season, or longer if the champion did not play (or lose) to a DI team next year.....but given duke almost always plays the DII champion in an exhibition, we could reclaim it.

That said, I think I'm going to advocate for kenpom rules for the walton title....the game out counts if it's between two DI schools.

[OldPhiKap]

That would be quite the deal, as the belt would almost assuredly remain with the DII champion until next season, or longer if the champion did not play (or lose) to a DI team next year....but given duke almost always plays the DII champion in an exhibition, we could reclaim it.

That said, I think I'm going to advocate for kenpom rules for the walton title...the game out counts if it's between two DI schools.

I think it resets each season. Although trying to get into Bill Walton's head is a journey for which I am not presently equipped.

[devildeac]

I think it resets each season. Although trying to get into Bill Walton's head is a journey for which I am not presently equipped.

IOW, you'll pass...

[sagegrouse]

I think it resets each season. Although trying to get into Bill Walton's head is a journey for which I am not presently equipped.

Well, to start channeling Bill, you now need to don your Uncle Sam suit.

[OldPhiKap]

IOW, you'll pass...

Don't bogart the thread.


Well, to start channeling Bill, you now need to don your Uncle Sam suit.

Stole the face right off my head.

[uh_no]

I think it resets each season. Although trying to get into Bill Walton's head is a journey for which I am not presently equipped.

why should it? If yale beats harvard on the last game of the season and then misses the tournament, why should we annoint the winner of the tournament the bill walton title holder if yale hasn't lost since acquiring it? Yale has to keep the belt until they lose again, even if that's next year.

That way the belt has an unbroken line, like the numenorean kings from isildor to elessar, from year to year.

Even better is that some time during the next season, there will inevitably be a unification bout.

[Wahoo2000]

why should it? If yale beats harvard on the last game of the season and then misses the tournament, why should we annoint the winner of the tournament the bill walton title holder if yale hasn't lost since acquiring it? Yale has to keep the belt until they lose again, even if that's next year.

That way the belt has an unbroken line, like the numenorean kings from isildor to elessar, from year to year.

Even better is that some time during the next season, there will inevitably be a unification bout.

****NERD ALERT*****

Isildur wasn't a king of Númenor, though his father Elendil was a lord of Andúnië (province in the western region of Númenor), a house descended from the Kings of Numenor.

****NERD ALERT****

I've really got to get a life.... <sigh>

[pfrduke]

why should it? If yale beats harvard on the last game of the season and then misses the tournament, why should we annoint the winner of the tournament the bill walton title holder if yale hasn't lost since acquiring it? Yale has to keep the belt until they lose again, even if that's next year.

Not that there are real "rules" around this fake thing, but I believe in the NBA that it resets each year if the pre-playoff holder of the belt does not make the playoffs. I am far too lazy to try to figure out whether that has actually happened.

[Pghdukie]

I think that title holder who can't defend the Title - is Retired to the Walton Farm to harvest unknown crop. Final Four champ then becomes the next hunted team !

[OldPhiKap]

why should it? If yale beats harvard on the last game of the season and then misses the tournament, why should we annoint the winner of the tournament the bill walton title holder if yale hasn't lost since acquiring it? Yale has to keep the belt until they lose again, even if that's next year.

That way the belt has an unbroken line, like the numenorean kings from isildor to elessar, from year to year.

Even better is that some time during the next season, there will inevitably be a unification bout.

But then it would be like the good old days where you had both a Pope and an Antipope. Or, alternatively, we would have to go back to the first NCAA champion (sorry, Helms boys) and trace it from there. Sounds like a good summer intern project.


I think that title holder who can't defend the Title - is Retired to the Walton Farm to harvest unknown crop. Final Four champ then becomes the next hunted team !

I think this is how it works, like a boxing association vacating a belt. In boxing, the guy who beats the champ is the champ. But if you don't fight within a certain time frame, your belt is stripped and awarded to someone else.

Of course, for Bill Walton, it probably is more like a drum circle with the beat being passed around and around in an unbroken chain. Or until you pass out. Good either way.

[Indoor66]

I think that title holder who can't defend the Title - is Retired to the Walton Farm to harvest unknown crop. Final Four champ then becomes the next hunted team !

I'll bet that I can name the crop to harvest! 😂😈😎

[OldPhiKap]

I dare say, we've all given it a lot more thought than ol' Bill has by this point.

[Blue KevIL]

But then it would be like the good old days where you had both a Pope and an Antipope. Or, alternatively, we would have to go back to the first NCAA champion (sorry, Helms boys) and trace it from there. Sounds like a good summer intern project.



I think this is how it works, like a boxing association vacating a belt. In boxing, the guy who beats the champ is the champ. But if you don't fight within a certain time frame, your belt is stripped and awarded to someone else.

Of course, for Bill Walton, it probably is more like a drum circle with the beat being passed around and around in an unbroken chain. Or until you pass out. Good either way.

I have begun to research this starting with the first NCAA Champions, the 1938-39 Oregon Tall Firs.
Interestingly, the Long Island Blackbirds (1939 NIT Champions) defeated Oregon at MSG on 12/16/1939 in what could be considered the first Unification Bout.

The Walton Belt then changed hands 31 more times until March of the 1943 season.

Before I can continue, I need a ruling: the Duquesne Dukes took possession of the Walton Belt with a 35-34 win over the Washington & Jefferson Presidents on 3/14/1943. After the 1943 season ended, Duquesne suspended basketball until the 1946-47 season due to World War II -- a legitimate reason not to play. Should the Dukes have been allowed to retain the belt during this period of time (note: they were good enough to win their first 19 games of the 46-47 season) or should the belt have been awarded to the winner of the 1944 NCAA Tournament, the University of Utah?

What say you, DBR Board?

[Trinity_93]

I have begun to research this starting with the first NCAA Champions, the 1938-39 Oregon Tall Firs.
Interestingly, the Long Island Blackbirds (1939 NIT Champions) defeated Oregon at MSG on 12/16/1939 in what could be considered the first Unification Bout.

The Walton Belt then changed hands 31 more times until March of the 1943 season.

Before I can continue, I need a ruling: the Duquesne Dukes took possession of the Walton Belt with a 35-34 win over the Washington & Jefferson Presidents on 3/14/1943. After the 1943 season ended, Duquesne suspended basketball until the 1946-47 season due to World War II -- a legitimate reason not to play. Should the Dukes have been allowed to retain the belt during this period of time (note: they were good enough to win their first 19 games of the 46-47 season) or should the belt have been awarded to the winner of the 1944 NCAA Tournament, the University of Utah?

What say you, DBR Board?

I say we need a baker's ruling on this one. ;)

[OldPhiKap]

I have begun to research this starting with the first NCAA Champions, the 1938-39 Oregon Tall Firs.
Interestingly, the Long Island Blackbirds (1939 NIT Champions) defeated Oregon at MSG on 12/16/1939 in what could be considered the first Unification Bout.

The Walton Belt then changed hands 31 more times until March of the 1943 season.

Before I can continue, I need a ruling: the Duquesne Dukes took possession of the Walton Belt with a 35-34 win over the Washington & Jefferson Presidents on 3/14/1943. After the 1943 season ended, Duquesne suspended basketball until the 1946-47 season due to World War II -- a legitimate reason not to play. Should the Dukes have been allowed to retain the belt during this period of time (note: they were good enough to win their first 19 games of the 46-47 season) or should the belt have been awarded to the winner of the 1944 NCAA Tournament, the University of Utah?

What say you, DBR Board?

Impressive.

If we are carrying the BWC belt through on winners, I would think that they retained during the war. You can't lose the belt due to national emergency or answering your nation's call.

[Reilly]

... Before I can continue, I need a ruling: the Duquesne Dukes took possession of the Walton Belt with a 35-34 win over the Washington & Jefferson Presidents on 3/14/1943. After the 1943 season ended, Duquesne suspended basketball until the 1946-47 season due to World War II -- a legitimate reason not to play. Should the Dukes have been allowed to retain the belt during this period of time (note: they were good enough to win their first 19 games of the 46-47 season) or should the belt have been awarded to the winner of the 1944 NCAA Tournament, the University of Utah?

What say you, DBR Board?


Impressive.

If we are carrying the BWC belt through on winners, I would think that they retained during the war. You can't lose the belt due to national emergency or answering your nation's call.

Carry on the Duquesne line of dynasty, while creating a rival camp/sanctioned champ starting with 1943-44 season (maybe whoever was #1 in the first poll, if there was a poll?) ... and maybe the two lines end up intersecting (seems like it will all end up with UCLA somewhere in the 1960s).

[Indoor66]

Impressive.

If we are carrying the BWC belt through on winners, I would think that they retained during the war. You can't lose the belt due to national emergency or answering your nation's call.

A larger question might be whether you can lose the belt answering nature's call?

[OldPhiKap]

A larger question might be whether you can lose the belt answering nature's call?

What happens when you reach UNC, but they pi$$ed away the championships because they are vacated by the NCAA?


Oh, and to keep it real:

7075

[Indoor66]

What happens when you reach UNC, but they pi$$ed away the championships because they are vacated by the NCAA?

Ding, Ding, Ding! Inquiring minds want to know the answer to this one.

[fidel]

This board has created a UNC equivalent to Godwin's Law.

Hatemore's Law: "As a DBR discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving UNC Cheating approaches 1"

Not that i mind.

[uh_no]

Carry on the Duquesne line of dynasty, while creating a rival camp/sanctioned champ starting with 1943-44 season (maybe whoever was #1 in the first poll, if there was a poll?) ... and maybe the two lines end up intersecting (seems like it will all end up with UCLA somewhere in the 1960s).

agree. we need an interemin holder until the belts can be reunified

[Blue KevIL]

Carry on the Duquesne line of dynasty, while creating a rival camp/sanctioned champ starting with 1943-44 season (maybe whoever was #1 in the first poll, if there was a poll?) ... and maybe the two lines end up intersecting (seems like it will all end up with UCLA somewhere in the 1960s).

Unfortunately, the AP Poll did not begin until 01/20/1949.


agree. we need an interemin holder until the belts can be reunified

As 1944 NCAA Champions, Utah can fill in as the interim belt holder.
However, keep in mind that the NIT was just as prestigious or more-so in that era.
Duquesne actually chose the NIT over the NCAA when they returned to play in 46-47.

So, St. John's as 1944 NIT Champ could also lay claim to the Walton Belt.

That would make this exercise a bit more interesting.

Here's the sequence so far:

Oregon
Long Island
Southern Cal
California
Southern Cal
Stanford
Southern Cal
Kansas
Indiana
Southern Cal
Stanford
UCLA
Southern Cal
Stanford
Cal
Stanford
Washington St.
Wisconsin
Dartmouth
Toledo
Marshall
Morehead State
Eastern Kentucky
Union College
Western Kentucky
West Virginia
Pittsburgh
Westminster
Bethany
Washington & Jefferson
Duquesne

[NSDukeFan]

What happens when you reach UNC, but they pi$$ed away the championships because they are vacated by the NCAA?


Oh, and to keep it real:

7075

Good thing you didn't show the next clip, with the duck passed out.

[rsvman]

Good thing you didn't show the next clip, with the duck passed out.....

...or hallucinating.

[Reilly]

Unfortunately, the AP Poll did not begin until 01/20/1949 ...

Well, if there's no established authority to consult, go to your favorite bakery and ask who should be considered the champ.

[pfrduke]

Great win for Marquette, storming back to knock off #1 Villanova, although it sadly means the Walton belt will not leave the Big East until NCAA tournament time. The Golden Eagles have finished the hard part of their schedule (already done with Villanova x2, at Butler, and at Creighton) and will be favored probably until their matchup at Xavier in the last week of the season. Wojo, since you robbed the belt from the chance to come to the ACC, hold on to it for a while.

[uh_no]

In a massive hangover, marquette lost to providence in their next game. Providence then lost to villanova who once again reclaimed the belt.

Major props to villanova for stepping up to win games like that which really separate the great bill walton programs from the wanna-bees.

[Indoor66]

In a massive hangover, marquette lost to providence in their next game. Providence then lost to villanova who once again reclaimed the belt.

Major props to villanova for stepping up to win games like that which really separate the great bill walton programs from the wanna-bees.

In reality, there are NO bill walton wanna-bees. :mad:

Alternate reality, not so much.

[uh_no]

butler accomplished a rare feat in the world of walton title tracking by taking the belt back from the same team TWICE in a single season. In each of their wins over villanove this year, they've taken the belt.

[uh_no]

butler accomplished a rare feat in the world of walton title tracking by taking the belt back from the same team TWICE in a single season. In each of their wins over villanove this year, they've taken the belt.

as this ended depressingly, i'm only doing this for completeness:

seton hall took the title on 3/4
villanova took it back AGAIN on 3/10
wisconsin took it in the second round
florida took it in the regional semis
southern carolina took it in the regional finals
gonzaga took it in the final four

the title was then vacated, and at least in my book, is currently disputed.