BBall Blog

Obnoxious John

4/6/10

Any game that relies on the last shot to determine the outcome is a good one. If that game has something on the line so much the better. That’s why the NCAA Men’s Championship Basketball Game was so entertaining.

Butler, out of the Horizon League and located within minutes of where the games was played nearly made a live version of the movie “Hoosiers”. Time and again Duke looked like they had the horses to run away from Butler. Time and again, Butler pulled up to go neck and neck with the school some might argue has been the most consistent in NCAA basketball for a generation.

It seems like everyone has it in their DNA to root for the underdog most times. Butler filled that role to perfection, knocking off bigger, more ‘experienced’ (in the tourney) schools on its way to a match with Duke. How could I not pull for Butler? They showed time and again that effort, heart and determination really does count for something. So Butler losing in the final game of the year by two points isn’t the real story here. It’s how they got to be in that position to begin with.

But for a bounce or two, it could have been Butler leading the game into the final minutes. Butler didn’t shoot all that well, around 35% and that is as much a result of the Duke defense as anything.  All in all an exciting contest that delayed my turning to the other B sport last night on TV, baseball.

The M’s opened with a victory over the A’s and got their money’s worth from Casey Kotchman in the first game that counts. He drove in 4 of the 5 runs the M’s tallied and provided his usual high standard of defense at first.  Felix pitched well, Chone Figgins provided that immediate spark we were told he would and the DA shut down the A’s in the ninth.

So congratulations to Duke and to Butler and now let’s get on with the Show…………..

Now get out there and take one for the team!