In Praise of a Bulldog Effort

So, Butler brings down Michigan State 52-50 in the national semi-final game over the weekend. And what does the post-game analysis focus on? What a magnificent story Butler is. How they are the smallest school ever to make the national championship game. Indeed, the Bulldogs making it to the final is a great story (and I will be rooting for them over Duke tonight).

But hardly a word is said about the low scoring nature of that game against the Spartans. However, as Mike Lucas and Matt Lepay noted this morning on WTSO in Madison, had it been the University of Wisconsin basketball team grinding it out in a similar manner, the focus would be on the “plodding Badgers” and on “limiting possessions.” In other words, there would be disdain and disgust instead of praise for the plucky underdogs.

I wonder how far Roy Williams thought Butler’s win set basketball back? If he figured the UW-MSU semi in 2000 set the game back 20 years, I would have to guess the Carolina head man would have thought this one set the game back three decades. But I suppose Coach Williams was indisposed, still licking his wounds from getting bounced by Dayton in the NIT final last week.

Tags: Butler, Michigan State, NCAA Basketball, Roy Williams, Wisconsin Badgers