EVANS: The Butler did it ... Again
The Butler Bulldogs are just that — bulldogs.
They are not overly big, but they intimidate. They are not very mean, but they give you that look.
Just one year removed from a Final Four appearance, Butler has me sitting at my desk again saying, “Why do you keep ruining my bracket?”
Why did I pick against Butler?
Oh yeah, it’s because they had a round of 32 matchup against the Pittsburgh Panthers — the best team in the best conference in the entire country.
No matter what happens in its next game, Butler will once again be remembered as the giant slayer. They came in as an eighth seed, but don’t tell them that.
The Bulldogs are in the Sweet 16 again and have a legitimate chance at making another run. The Final Four is not in their hometown this year, but let’s get real and say that had nothing to do with them making the finals last year.
This team is just good.
Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard are no joke. Both are potential NBA players who learned last year that in March anything can happen.
Why was this team so overlooked? Why did I hear nothing about the Bulldogs entering the tournament? They love it. They are Bulldogs. Flying under the radar is part of their mystique.
Kind of cute, but will bite you right back. Just ask former Auburn wide receiver Robert Baker who was almost bit by Uga, the Georgia Bulldog mascot, after he scored a touchdown in 1996.
Now, the calls that were made at the end of the Butler win over Pittsburgh were controversial. But either way I look at it, Butler ends up winning. They won that game.
They love to shoot 3-pointers and they love to harass you on defense.
Most of all, they love to ruin brackets. They love being the underdog.
Butler took out Old Dominion on the first day with a buzzer-beating layup from Matt Howard. Butler beat Pittsburgh in the round of 32 on a Howard free throw with barely any time left.
Butler has regained its name of drama kings in the tournament.
They don’t call it March Madness just because it sounds cool. You just have to give Butler some credit. Last year they were a No. 5 seed and they were the Cinderella team everyone loved. This year, the Bulldogs are a No. 8 seed and things seem eerily similar.
The Bulldogs are on their way to New Orleans for another Sweet 16. Just two wins away from back-to-back Final Fours.
With the dagger in Washington D.C. Get a clue.
Butler did it ... again.
