It was great – Horizon League champ Butler just slugged their way to the Final Four again. No coach has ever taken a mid-major team to the Final Four two years in a row – until Brad Stevens did it!* No they should not beat Kansas/VCU winner but they ought not have defeated Pitt or Wisconsin or Florida, either. Maybe the Bulldogs are a team of destiny…
Why Butler? I am a proud grad of Wright State and I like the Horizon in every tournament. But I also admire Brad Stevens. I know what my next vacation project is (we travel in the Midwest often to see my wife’s family) is to stop at Hinkle Fieldhouse and meet Coach Stevens. The guy who gave up his nice six-figure sales job to pursue his dream of coaching basketball; the guy who was hired head coach and promptly won 89 games in his first three years. Butler and Stevens is a great story. The American Dream is alive and well even if the Republic needs restoring. If VCU beats Kansas, I will be in so much trouble around here…
*UPDATE! Apparently UNLV went to the Final Four in 1990 and 1991 and I assume Tarkanian was the coach both years.
About Elwood Sanders
Elwood "Sandy" Sanders is a Hanover attorney who is an Appellate Procedure Consultant for Lantagne Legal Printing and has written ten scholarly legal articles. Sandy was also Virginia's first Appellate Defender and also helped bring curling in VA! (None of these titles imply any endorsement of Sanders’ views)
Butler Bulldogs got spanked silly in last nights game. Worst team ever to play in the Final Four. Sorry, the truth hurts.