2011 NCAA Final Four Preview: Virginia Commonwealth Rams vs. Butler Bulldogs

March Madness seems too mild of a description for the 2011 NCAA tournament.

Not only has there been the unexpected upsets and plenty of buzzer beaters, but this has been the year of one No. 1 seed after another being bumped off.

Pitt first, then Duke, Ohio State and finally Kansas.

Only two times before this year in tournament history has no No. 1 seed made it to the Final Four:

In 1980: Louisville (No. 2, champion), Iowa (No. 5), Purdue (No. 6), and UCLA (No. 8)

In 2006: UCLA (No. 2), Florida (No. 3, champion), LSU (No. 4), George Mason (No. 11)

This year's Final Four matchup between Virginia Commonwealth and Butler is the classic David versus David contest...wait, where are the Goliaths?

Oh, yeah, these teams got rid of most of them.

Let's take a look at this unique Final Four matchup between a No. 11 (VCU) and a No. 8 (Butler), and see if we can uncover some of the factors that could influence the outcome of next Saturday's game.

The Coaches

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 27: Head coach Shaka Smart of the Virginia Commonwealth Rams celebrates after defeating the Kansas Jayhawks during the southwest regional final of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at the Alamodome on March 27, 2011 in San

How would you have answered the following question on Selection Sunday: Which two of these coaches have the best chance to make it to the Final Four?

(A) Thad Matta

(B) Shaka Smart

(C) Mike Krzyzewski

(D) Brad Stevens

(E) Bill Self

Through how I filled out my bracket, I answered A and E Darn it!

Shaka Smart (33 years old) and Brad Stevens (34) are the two young head coaches of VCU and Butler. They come at their jobs with two different approaches.

Smart (pictured) is the energetic and effervescent cheerleader. Stevens is the calm and collected hoops engineer (actually, his degree from DePauw University in Greencastle, Indiana was in Economics).

Smart (55-20 in his second year at VCU) made it to the Final Four in his first year in the NCAA tournament. Stevens (116-24 in four years at Butler) is the youngest coach to take his team to two Final Fours. 

Both coaches have their respective teams playing with an astronomical amount of confidence, which leads them to be fearless and focused.

While Stevens has the advantage of coaching in last year's championship game, Smart will not come into the Final Four unprepared for this most important moment.  

The Numbers: Virginia Commonwealth

Ronald Martinez/Getty Images

SAN ANTONIO, TX - MARCH 27: Jamie Skeen #21 of the Virginia Commonwealth Rams reacts during the southwest regional final of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament against the Kansas Jayhawks at the Alamodome on March 27, 2011 in San Antonio, Texas. (

VCU (28-11)

Scoring offense: 71.9 points per game

Scoring defense: 66.9 points per game

Scoring margin: 5.0 points per game

Field-goal percentage: 43.6

Field-goal percentage defense: 44.6

Three-point field-goal percentage: 36.7

Three-point field-goal percentage defense: 34.4

Rebound margin: -3.6

Blocked shots per game: 3.6

Steals per game: 8.4

Turnovers per game: 11.3

The Numbers: Butler

Andy Lyons/Getty Images

INDIANAPOLIS - APRIL 03: Matt Howard #54 of the Butler Bulldogs goes up for a shot over Delvon Roe #10 of the Michigan State Spartans in the second half during the National Semifinal game of the 2010 NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship on April

Butler (27-9)

Scoring offense: 72.1 points per game

Scoring defense: 64.3 points per game

Scoring margin: 7.7 points per game

Field-goal percentage: 44.5

Field-goal percentage defense: 42.7

Three-point field-goal percentage: 35.9

Three-point field-goal percentage defense: 32.9

Rebound margin: 3.0

Blocked shots per game: 1.6

Steals per game: 6.0

Turnovers per game: 11.2

Backcourt Matchups

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 24: Shelvin Mack #1 of the Butler Bulldogs drives against the Wisconsin Badgers during the Southeast regional of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at New Orleans Arena on March 24, 2011 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo b

Virginia Commonwealth: The Rams' backcourt quartet of Joey Rodriguez, Bradford Burgess, Brandon Rozzell and Ed Nixon can do it all.

Rodriguez is the floor leader who directs traffic and distributes the ball (5.1 assists per game).

Burgess (6'6", 225 pounds) is VCU's second-leading scorer (14.4 points per game) and rebounder (6.2 boards per game).

Rozzell hit four three-pointers in the first half against Kansas in the Rams' Elite Eight victory.

Nixon gives great depth and does a little of everything.

Butler: The Bulldogs' backcourt is anchored by Shelvin Mack. While the 6'3", 215-pound senior averaged 15.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game during the season, he has elevated his game in the tournament.

In the four tournament games, Mack (pictured) has averaged 21.3 points.

Mack is joined on the perimeter by Shawn Vanzant (8.1 points per game, 3.1 rebounds per game), Ronald Nored (5.5 points per game, 3.1 rebounds per game, 2.6 assists per game) and Chase Stigall (4.0 points per game).

Frontcourt Matchups

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 26: Matt Howard #54 of the Butler Bulldogs shoots over Patric Young #4 of the Florida Gators in the second half during the Southeast regional final of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at New Orleans Arena on March 26, 201

Virginia Commonwealth: Jamie Skeens just flat out gets it done. 

The 6'9", 240-pound forward leads the Rams in both scoring (15.1) and rebounding (7.3).

He shoots 52.4 percent from the floor, 71.7 percent from the line and 38.7 percent from beyond the arc.

Skeens had 26 points and 10 rebounds against Kansas' tough, athletic front line, including connecting on four-of-seven three-pointers.

Butler: Matt Howard continues to be the Bulldogs' go-to guy.

Like Skeens, Howard (6'8", 230 pounds) leads the Bulldogs in scoring (16.7) and rebounding (7.7).

Howard shoots 48.9 percent from the floor, 78.1 percent from the line and 42.6 percent from beyond the arc.

The stats for these two outstanding players are incredibly similar, and this matchup could be key to the outcome of this Final Four game. 

Prediction

Nick Laham/Getty Images

WASHINGTON - MARCH 19: Ronald Nored #5 of Butler University celebrates with teammate Shelvin Mack #1 following their game against Pittsburgh in the third round of the 2011 NCAA men's basketball tournament at Verizon Center on March 19, 2011 in Washington

The fact that this game will even take place this coming Saturday is part of the absolute brilliance of the NCAA men's basketball tournament.

Anything can happen and any team can get hot, play well and knock off anyone else.

I love the passion with which VCU plays. The Rams have taken a nothing-to-lose attitude into each of the five games...and they haven't lost yet.

Butler is becoming less of a Cinderella story and more of an unassuming power in college basketball.

The Bulldogs' defense will challenge VCU's wide-open, free-shooting attack.

If Butler can do what no one else in the tournament has done (hold the Rams below 70 points), they will win and advance to their second-straight championship game.

Prediction: Butler by three.