SB Nation Cleveland - NCAA Basketball Tournament 2011: 'Dog-Day Evening' Monday As Butler Bulldogs Face UConn Huskies For Titlehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48841/cleveland-fave.png2011-04-02T22:18:00-05:00http://cleveland.sbnation.com/rss/stream/18126132011-04-02T22:18:00-05:002011-04-02T22:18:00-05:00NCAA Basketball Tournament 2011: Butler and UConn to Play for Championship
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<p>Butler—the Cinderella story.</p>
<p>UConn—the <span class="caps">NCAA</span> basketball powerhouse.</p>
<p>Oh what a storyline we have for the 2011 <span class="caps">NCAA</span> title game. Butler head coach Brad Stevens has his Bulldogs team back in the final for the second consecutive year, and Jim Calhoun has the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/connecticut-huskies">Connecticut Huskies</a> back to the big game.</p>
<p>Butler and <span class="caps">VCU</span> played a close game tonight, but it was the Bulldogs who pulled away as time began to run out, and they are back in the championship picture once more.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52415/kemba-walker">Kemba Walker</a> again was magnificent for the Huskies, who outlasted the pesky <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/kentucky-wildcats">Kentucky Wildcats</a> to advance to the championship game.</p>
<p>There are some who believe this championship will receive low ratings, but I think this is a very intriguing storyline. You have a team that isn’t supposed to be there in any capacity and you have arguably the best player in the country leading UConn to an undefeated record in games not played in Big East conference play.</p>
<p>UConn is undefeated in tournament play, dating back to their early season tournaments as well as the Big East tournament and now the National tournament.</p>
<p>What an intriguing matchup as Butler and UConn will battle it out to see who will be the next <span class="caps">NCAA</span> basketball champion.</p>
https://cleveland.sbnation.com/ohio-st-buckeyes/2011/4/2/2087858/ncaa-basketball-tournament-2011-butler-and-uconn-to-play-forSayre Bedinger2011-04-02T15:15:46-05:002011-04-02T15:15:46-05:00NCAA Basketball Tournament 2011: Final Four Preview and Predictions
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<p>With only three games remaining in the 2011 <span class="caps">NCAA</span> basketball tournament, it’s pretty safe to say that this year has been more “mad” than most when it comes to the craziness that is March Madness.</p>
<p>For the first time in the history of the tournament, there is not a one or two seed in the final four. Butler and <span class="caps">VCU</span> are competing for the chance to go to a national title, and oddly enough, Butler is playing for a chance to go back to the big game.</p>
<p>On the other side, you have two big programs with big-name coaches and a constant flow of <span class="caps">NBA</span> talent in UConn and Kentucky.</p>
<p>Connecticut is led by point guard <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52415/kemba-walker">Kemba Walker</a>, who has been one of the best player in all of college basketball this year, as well as Hall of Fame head coach Jim Calhoun. The Huskies have been arguably the hottest team in college basketball over the last four weeks, winning five straight games in the Big East tournament and now competing in the Final Four.</p>
<p>Kentucky lost seven players to the <span class="caps">NBA</span> last year, but head coach John Calipari managed to put together a squad that started slow but won the <span class="caps">SEC</span> conference tournament and now has a chance to go to the title game. Led by guard Brandon Knight, the Wildcats have won some close games against some very, very good teams on their way to the final four.</p>
<p>Prediction</p>
<p>I think the leadership of Calhoun and Walker is going to lead the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/connecticut-huskies">Connecticut Huskies</a> to the winner’s circle, and I like Butler’s experience to end VCU’s magical run. I think you’ll see UConn against Butler in the national title game after tonight’s game, but take my predictions with a grain of salt, as my bracket has been busted and I did not get a single final four pick correct.</p>
https://cleveland.sbnation.com/ohio-st-buckeyes/2011/4/2/2087209/ncaa-basketball-tournament-2011-final-four-preview-and-predictionsSayre Bedinger2011-03-27T15:41:09-05:002011-03-27T15:41:09-05:00NCAA Basketball Tournament 2011: VCU Upsets Kansas, Will Face Butler in the Final Four
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<p>After starting the game down 6-0, it appeared as though <span class="caps">VCU</span> was completely overmatched against the bigger, faster, and stronger <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/kansas-jayhawks">Kansas Jayhawks</a>. A 17-4 run and a 14 point halftime lead really quieted that notion, as the Rams of <span class="caps">VCU</span> showed the country that they are for real.</p>
<p>This game really had a lot of similarities to Thursday’s Duke-Arizona matchup, where Arizona seemingly could not miss from three point range. Even though <span class="caps">VCU</span> was not big enough to compete with the Morris twins inside, they had the touch from beyond the arc, hitting nearly 50 percent of their attempts from three point range.</p>
<p>Kansas would not go down quietly, and made <span class="caps">VCU</span> work for every second of their hard earned victory by cutting the lead to as low as two points in the early stages of the second half, but the Rams were able to weather the storm and finish the game strong.</p>
<p>In what will be one of the more intriguing Final Four matchups you will probably ever see, the 11th seeded <span class="caps">VCU</span> rams will take on the 8th seeded <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/butler-bulldogs">Butler Bulldogs</a>. These two teams were absolutely not supposed to make it to this point, but great coaching and excellent perimeter shooting have been the difference for these Cinderella stories.</p>
<p>Kansas had a terrible first half shooting, and that continued into the second half. They were almost 10 percent from beyond the arc, and it seemed like they simply could not buy a bucket on this day.</p>
<p>This will go down in <span class="caps">NCAA</span> tournament history as one of the most shocking upset victories. <span class="caps">VCU</span>, a school with 11 regular season losses and barely a fighting chance to even get into the tournament initially has done it. They have pulled off the great upset, and have stamped their name in the history books.</p>
https://cleveland.sbnation.com/ohio-st-buckeyes/2011/3/27/2075451/ncaa-basketball-tournament-2011-vcu-upsets-kansas-will-face-butler-inSayre Bedinger2011-03-26T20:21:19-05:002011-03-26T20:21:19-05:00NCAA Basketball Tournament 2011: UConn Beats Arizona For Spot in Final Four
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<p>What an exciting month it has been to be a Connecticut basketball fan. Forget for a second that the women’s team is the most dominant in <span class="caps">NCAA</span> history—the men’s team is the hottest team in the game right now.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52415/kemba-walker">Kemba Walker</a>’s game seems to get better and better with every game the Huskies play, and he continued on his amazing run tonight against Arizona with 20 points, seven assists, four rebounds, and a steal. Walker really struggled with his outside shooting, hitting only one of seven attempts on the game, but he stepped up his game when it mattered and UConn beat Arizona 65-63.</p>
<p>For the Wildcats, three point shooting proved to be their downfall tonight, ironic because it was the main reason they were able to beat Duke so handily just two days ago. Derrick Williams had another solid scoring performance with 20 points, but Arizona was only 4-of-21 from three point range, including two misses in the waning seconds with a chance to win.</p>
<p>Connecticut will face the winner of North Carolina and Kentucky in the Final Four.</p>
https://cleveland.sbnation.com/ohio-st-buckeyes/2011/3/26/2074359/ncaa-basketball-tournament-2011-uconn-beats-arizona-for-spot-in-finalSayre Bedinger2011-03-26T19:07:28-05:002011-03-26T19:07:28-05:00NCAA Basketball Tournament 2011: Butler Beats Florida in Overtime
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<p>Has the term March Madness ever been more appropriate?</p>
<p>Everyone’s favorite underdog, the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/butler-bulldogs">Butler Bulldogs</a>, unseat the favored <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/florida-gators">Florida Gators</a> on Saturday night in a stunning overtime upset. Senior Shelvin Mack, the unquestioned leader of Butler’s team now, led the team with 27 points including five in overtime to send Butler to its second straight Final Four appearance.</p>
<p>Florida did all it could to move on to the next round, but they simply could not last another overtime game against a scrappy opponent. Center Vernon Macklin was virtually unstoppable for the Gators in the post, but Butler had just enough to overcome him and the Gators.</p>
<p>Neither team had a very stellar shooting performance, especially on Butler’s side where they were ice cold from three point range.</p>
<p>Butler will move on to the Final Four and face the winner of Kansas and <span class="caps">VCU</span>.</p>
https://cleveland.sbnation.com/ohio-st-buckeyes/2011/3/26/2074269/ncaa-basketball-tournament-2011-butler-beats-florida-in-overtimeSayre Bedinger2011-03-26T13:06:16-05:002011-03-26T13:06:16-05:00NCAA Tournament 2011 Schedule - Butler Bulldogs Vs. Florida Gators
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<p>Two teams with plenty of <span class="caps">NCAA</span> Tournament experience will battle for the first spot in the 2011 Final Four when the Butler takes on Florida from New Orleans, LA this afternoon.</p>
<p>4:30PM et: (8)<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/butler-bulldogs">Butler Bulldogs</a>(26-9) Vs (2)<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/florida-gators">Florida Gators</a>(29-7) – <span class="caps">CBS</span></p>
<p>Think about for a moment what Butler – from the Horizon League – is trying to do. A win today over the Gators, and the Bulldogs are back to the Final Four for the second consecutive year. That’s a tall task for the most prestigious of programs.</p>
<p>“The cool part is — our guys — it’s not above their imagination,” Butler coach Brad Stevens said of upsetting one higher seed after another. “It’s just what they think that we have to do next.”</p>
<p>As for Florida, coach Bill Donavan has the Gators back as the cusp of the Final Four for the first time since the Gators won back-to-back titles in 2006 and 2007.</p>
<p>Florida has size, athleticism and balance. Four starters — guards <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/53420/erving-walker">Erving Walker</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/101071/kenny-boynton">Kenny Boynton</a>, along with center 6-foot-10 center <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/26036/vernon-macklin">Vernon Macklin</a> and 6-9 forward Chanlder Parsons — have averaged double figures in scoring. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/29062/alex-tyus">Alex Tyus</a>, the one who hasn’t, was the best player in Florida’s regional semifinal victory over <span class="caps">BYU</span> on Thursday night, with 19 points and 17 rebounds.</p>
<p><strong>MY <span class="caps">PICK</span> – Florida </strong>– Sorry, Butler, but the magic has to stop somewhere. I will say, however, that should the Bulldogs win and shock the world one more time it could change the way we look at college basketball – especially the mid-majors – forever.</p>
<p><strong><span class="caps">FLORIDA</span> 67 – <span class="caps">BUTLER</span> 58</strong></p>
https://cleveland.sbnation.com/ohio-st-buckeyes/2011/3/26/2073711/ncaa-tournament-2011-schedule-butler-bulldogs-vs-florida-gators-final-fourJohn Bena2011-03-25T23:35:45-05:002011-03-25T23:35:45-05:00NCAA Basketball Tournament 2011: VCU's Magical Run Continues Over Florida State
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<p>When was the last time a play-in team went to the Elite Eight? That would be never. For the first time in school history, the <span class="caps">VCU</span> Rams have moved on to the Elite Eight and will face the <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/kansas-jayhawks">Kansas Jayhawks</a> following their dramatic victory over the Florida State Seminoles.</p>
<p><span class="caps">VCU</span> guard <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/52918/bradford-burgess">Bradford Burgess</a> had 26 points and the game-winner for the Rams. Burgess has been averaging about 14 points all season long, and <span class="caps">VCU</span> needed every single minute from him tonight.</p>
<p>Thus far, <span class="caps">VCU</span> has played and beaten <span class="caps">USC</span> (Pac-10), Georgetown (Big East), Purdue (Big Ten), and now Florida State (<span class="caps">ACC</span>). There were so many qualms about them reaching the tournament, and they are proving the committee made the right choice by extending the field to 68, because imagine if this team had not gotten in?</p>
<p>Truly a fantastic story, and coming out of the right side of your brackets, you could have two Cinderella stories battling for a chance at the National Title, but that’s getting ahead of ourselves. Both <span class="caps">VCU</span> and fellow Cinderella team Butler have to get past Kansas and Florida respectively, no easy task.</p>
<p>Will the slipper fit, or will the clock strike midnight?</p>
https://cleveland.sbnation.com/ohio-st-buckeyes/2011/3/25/2073040/ncaa-basketball-tournament-2011-vcus-magical-run-continues-overSayre Bedinger2011-03-25T23:11:51-05:002011-03-25T23:11:51-05:00NCAA Basketball Tournament 2011: Ohio State Falls to Kentucky
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<p>And then there was one.</p>
<p>In one of the most back and forth games you will see all tournament, the fourth seeded <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/teams/kentucky-wildcats">Kentucky Wildcats</a> got the better of top ranked and top seeded Ohio State on Friday night. Guard Brandon Knight hit a shot with a little more than five seconds remaining to put Kentucky up 62-60 after <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/26681/jon-diebler">Jon Diebler</a> hit an <span class="caps">NBA</span>-range three pointer to tie the game. Both teams had timeouts remaining, but neither team chose to use any.</p>
<p>Ohio State missed a three pointer at the horn to win the game, and their journey will end at the Elite Eight.</p>
<p><a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/124094/jared-sullinger">Jared Sullinger</a> had another excellent performance with 21 points and 16 rebounds on the night, and Diebler added 16 including four three pointers. Still, it was a very poor shooting night for the Buckeyes, who are one of the more efficient offensive units in the country. They shot a mere 32.8 percent from the field, and it proved to be their downfall.</p>
<p>For Kentucky, <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/53436/josh-harrellson">Josh Harrellson</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-basketball/players/53435/deandre-liggins">DeAndre Liggins</a> picked up the slack for poor shooting performances from Terrence Jones and Brandon Knight. The two big men combined for 32 points and 16 rebounds, but it was Knight who hit the game winner.</p>
<p>Kentucky will face North Carolina in the elite eight, a game where the winner will be the sole owner of the most victories in <span class="caps">NCAA</span> tournament history.</p>
https://cleveland.sbnation.com/ohio-st-buckeyes/2011/3/25/2072999/ncaa-basketball-tournament-2011-ohio-state-falls-to-kentuckySayre Bedinger