Damn! Too bad I didn’t find this thread till the end of the game... some post game thoughts on what turned out to be a fantastic basketball game.
I like most others was most worried Duke would blow Butler right off the floor. I thought Butler would be worse off than WVU was in covering Duke’s outside threats. When I saw the spread at only 7, I started to wonder maybe this could be one of those games to remember, which it did turn out to be.
Even with Howard in all that foul trouble,their defensive philosophy never changed. 3’s were contested for the most part. When they wern’t, Butler didn’t give Duke 2nd and 3rd opportunities at the basket.
Brad Stevens was in Coach K’s book for sure. When Duke went on that 8-0 run to go up 26-20, he calls the TO, gets his team settled down when you’re thinking Duke might run away and hide and run off 7-0 to retake the lead 27-26. From that point, 5 was the largest lead the rest of the night.
I liked Butler’s poise in taking the ball to the basket in the 2nd half which got Zoubeck into foul trouble and sent them to the line 14 times(made 12).Again the young one had coach K’s number...
As far as the hard foul at about the 6 minute mark, after seeing it 5 different angles I don’t think a flagrant was warrented. It was close but I think the right call.
End of game, Zoubeck missed the 2nd FT on purpose no matter what he’ll say about it. If that shot goes in, it’s the storybook ending of all time. It didn’t and Butler had to walk off the floor as losers, even though it’s hard to call them that.
Coach K and Duke certainly earned it and are champions. Oh one last thought. going into this game all the “experts” said Butler has no chance holding Duke under the 60 point mark they’ve averaged giving up all season. Well 61 was just barely enough to get it done....
I figure Brad Stevens will make significantly more than $92,000 next year. And the fact his wife is from this area scores more points in my book.....
I don’t think many will diss the Horizon League anymore either. Now if only Cleveland State can have some of Butler’s magic wear off on them.....
I mean, look at this year's Duke and Butler teams and last year's North Carolina team--players that stayed with the team at minimum two years. As such, they play very good as a team and enjoyed enormous success during the NCAA tournament.