Let's go Butler!!
- Thread starter Michael
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I grew up going to "Hinkle Fieldhouse" because my Grandpa bought season tickets. Guess who I want to win? I am a Clarkian in this Battle. Gordon Clark was a Prof here.
That was the ugliest half of basketball I think I have ever seen.
Notthemama1984
Puritan Board Post-Graduate
I was rooting for Uconn when I thought they had a chance to have both the men and women win, but seeing that the ladies lost I am back to Butler
It was a great season.
It just seems to get worse and worse every year. The NIT finalists were better this year.
Any remote talent is gone after one year and the talent pool is drained. It's as if there's an annual plane crash with all the best freshmen onboard and the game suffers for it.
I'm getting too old to keep watching this game. I will never see another Magic/Bird or Ewing/Olajuwon Final matchup again. Not even for all the $$$ in the world. But if you are under 25 or have a passionate rooting interest more power to you.
Any remote talent is gone after one year and the talent pool is drained. It's as if there's an annual plane crash with all the best freshmen onboard and the game suffers for it.
I'm getting too old to keep watching this game. I will never see another Magic/Bird or Ewing/Olajuwon Final matchup again. Not even for all the $$$ in the world. But if you are under 25 or have a passionate rooting interest more power to you.
Curt
Puritan Board Graduate
They do. It's called the NIT.
(But, I'm old enough to remember when the NIT was THE tournament).
Wow, you guys are harsh. The season was great. There were a lot of good games. There was a lot of good talent displayed this year. One game doesn't define a team. Everyone has an off day. It would be a shame for me to define any one of you by your one worst day in life or season. That is just pure poor discernment and judgment. I would say UConn had great defense. Butler had a good defense. Commentators drive me nuts. Dick Vitale use to really drive me nuts. I am so glad he isn't a major commentator any more. I use to turn the TV audio off on him. Just because the stats look strange doesn't mean the game was a bad game. The kids went out and played. They did their best for that day. They have a lot to be proud of and thankful for.
MLCOPE2
Puritan Board Junior
Refusal to go under the hoop will kill almost any game.
Defense always makes for "ugly" games, especially when most fans think only tons of offense is the height of a pure sport aesthetic. "Defense is what wins championships", as they say, but it doesn't make for great theater. I actually enjoyed the game more than most games, as I prefer the more defensive battle over against the fast-break, high-scoring style of someone like N. Carolina. Watching a style more in the middle of the spectrum, like Duke's (half court efficiency on defense and offense), is enjoyable too.
Uconn simply succeeded in what they do best, they make teams play "ugly". Calhoun's Uconn teams are annually known for scrappy, hard-nosed, efficient defense, especially in the front court. Uconn teams typically are known for their mix of length and athleticism, while most teams favor one over the other. Butler was simply outsized and out muscled in the paint. Yet they still held their own due to Uconn's poor shooting (perhaps that was due to Butler's unappreciated intense man to man defense, they play tenacious like bulldogs). As a former athlete with offers for high level play, I can say nothing is more deflating than to seem to be doing everything right (which I think Butler was doing) but the shots just do not fall. I think this was the only psychological possibility that would deflate a team like Butler. What also seems missed is that Uconn shut down Butler's best player and thus forced Butler to rely on the team, rather than having the ability to go to another star player, like Uconn was able to do (Uconn took off once Lamb heated up instead of Walker). In the end, better talent usually wins, even against solid teams.
in my opinion, the Big East once again proves its strength as a conference. And Brad Stevens is a great coach. He proves great coaches are about coaching, not about acting like a drill seargeant. I hope more coaches like him and Shaka Smart are given their chances, and that some of the old guard, who are high profile but can't win, step aside (looking at you UK).
Uconn simply succeeded in what they do best, they make teams play "ugly". Calhoun's Uconn teams are annually known for scrappy, hard-nosed, efficient defense, especially in the front court. Uconn teams typically are known for their mix of length and athleticism, while most teams favor one over the other. Butler was simply outsized and out muscled in the paint. Yet they still held their own due to Uconn's poor shooting (perhaps that was due to Butler's unappreciated intense man to man defense, they play tenacious like bulldogs). As a former athlete with offers for high level play, I can say nothing is more deflating than to seem to be doing everything right (which I think Butler was doing) but the shots just do not fall. I think this was the only psychological possibility that would deflate a team like Butler. What also seems missed is that Uconn shut down Butler's best player and thus forced Butler to rely on the team, rather than having the ability to go to another star player, like Uconn was able to do (Uconn took off once Lamb heated up instead of Walker). In the end, better talent usually wins, even against solid teams.
in my opinion, the Big East once again proves its strength as a conference. And Brad Stevens is a great coach. He proves great coaches are about coaching, not about acting like a drill seargeant. I hope more coaches like him and Shaka Smart are given their chances, and that some of the old guard, who are high profile but can't win, step aside (looking at you UK).
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