Final 4 Recap

In the first game of the Final 4 the underdog Butler Bulldogs, in their quest for their first national title visit, took on the embattled Michigan State Spartans who a year ago lost in the national title game to North Carolina. It was a hard-fought game that was all about defense, and Butler did not disappoint the hometown fans in Indianapolis at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Gordon Hayward had 19 points and nine rebounds, including one with 2 seconds left that sealed the game. The small school of 4,200 students looked nothing like a mid major team, taking down another of college basketball's biggest names with a 52-50 victory over Michigan State in the Final Four on Saturday night.

Michigan State (28-9) has been living on the edge all tournament, ravaged by injuries and squeaking through game after game, and this night was no different. After trailing by as much as seven in the second half, Draymond Green made a pair of free throws to pull the Spartans within 1 with 56 seconds left.

On the following Butler possession, Ronald Nored missed a jumper, and the Spartans got the rebound. However, Hayward wouldn't give the driving Green an inch on the defensive end, forcing him to put up an awkward layup that didn't come close. Nored scooped up the rebound, and Green had no choice but to foul him, ending the big fella's game. Nored, who had been just 3 for 12 from the line in the tournament, made both, and the Bulldogs had a 52-49 lead with 6 seconds to play.

After a timeout, the Spartans inbounded the ball and Butler was all over them, choosing to foul rather than take a chance on the Spartans getting off a 3. Korie Lucious made the first and intentionally missed the second for an offensive rebound opportunity but Hayward came up with the ball to seal the victory and set off a party that Indiana hasn't seen since tiny Milan beat Muncie Central for the state title in 1954, the real-life inspiration for "Hoosiers."

They might just have to make a sequel if Butler wins the National Title. No team has won the national title in their home state since UCLA in 1975, when the Final Four was down the road from Westwood in San Diego but Butler has a chance to do it. And the entire Hoosier state is along for the ride as Butler continues it's improbable run. Indiana and Purdue may be the state's traditional basketball powerhouses, but it's little Butler that's providing the shining moments now.

So who would Butler play in the final? That would be decided between another feel-good team in the West Virginia Mountaineers, looking for their first National Title bid since 1959 when Jerry West led them to the final where they eventually lost 71-70 to Cal (just a short history lesson), and the Duke Blue Devils, who were looking for their first bid since 2001.

Jon Scheyer scored 23 points Saturday night to lift Duke, the team so many folks love to hate (I LOVE them though), to a 78-57 victory over a tough West Virginia squad and set up a meeting against tiny Butler. A classic matchup of big vs. little, with the national title on the line.

Still, Butler is a No. 5 seed which isn't truly Cinderella-esque plus they're riding a . But in a tournament where nothing has been predictable, the Blue Devils (34-5) were the only No. 1 seed to make it to the Final Four. Their trip, however, wasn't totally expected. Duke had gone six long years since its last appearance and hasn't been to the final since winning it all nine years ago (against another 5 seed in Arizona which was led by NBA stars Gilbert Arenas and Richard Jefferson) a veritable century by Tobacco Road standards. Now, this group of Blue Devils has a chance to give coach, Mike Krzyzewski, his fourth national championship which would tie him with Kentucky coaching legend Adolph Rupp for 2nd on the all time list of most NCAA championships and 6 behind John Wooden's incredible 10 at UCLA (I don't think that record will ever be broken).

It was an inspiring journey for West Virginia as Bob Huggins returned to West Virginia to bring an elusive title back home to a state that loves its flagship school like few others. But any chance of that ended with 8:59 left, when the Mountaineers' star, Da'Sean Butler, twisted his left knee and, to add insult to injury, got called for a charge as he crumpled to the ground. The sequence left him writhing in pain under the basket and his coach, the Huggy Bear, came out to the floor, first to yell at the refs, then to kneel down and tenderly cup the head of his star (the player who, more than anyone, made this run possible) in one of the most touching moments in NCAA tournament history. The injury deflated the whole West Virginia team (it deflated me and I was going for Duke I can only imagine what his teammates were going through) as they finished the game sort of disjointedly yet still giving it their all.

Duke stayed on a road that could lead to the school's fourth championship despite the lack of a true superstar, there are no Christian Laettners or Shane Battiers or Grant Hills on this squad. Instead, this is a group of humble players who do what they do well and fill their roles perfectly for a program that routinely has been dissed across America as being too arrogant.

The Duke-bashing came up again, this week, on several fronts; including the retraction of an illustration of Coach K on the front of the Indianapolis Star sports section with horns and a target scribbled onto his head.

Coach K's response to all the hate? "If you want to hate us because we have kids who go to school, graduate, play solid, team ball and win a lot, go ahead."

They're without a single superstar, but with an emotional center in Nolan Smith, who finds himself back in the city where his father, Derek, led Louisville to a championship back in 1980. Derek Smith died of a heart attack at age 34, when Nolan was 8, and the Duke guard is just coming around to talking about it. Given Smith's history, a title in Indianapolis would only be fitting. There's another team, the hometown Butler Bulldogs, who could make an argument for the same thing though. May the best team win.

Peace and Much Love to Ya :)