NCAA Championship Game 2011: 5 Keys to a Butler Victory
The Butler Bulldogs are making another historicĀ climb to the pinnacle of NCAA men's basketball.
For the second year in a row, Brad Stevens' squad will be playing for it all, this time in Houston's Reliant Stadium.
Last year, Butler faced off against DukeĀ in the 2010 title game that was played just minutes from its Indianapolis campus.
While the Blue Devils were an overwhelming favorite, the Bulldogs held their own throughout the contest.
Gordon Hayward's last-second, half-court heave was just inches away from making college basketball history.
Tonight, Butler faces the fiery UConn Huskies, a team that is on a roll. The Huskies have won 10 straight tournament games, starting with a 97-71 drubbing of DePaul in theĀ opening round of the Big East tournament.
Here are five quick keysĀ to a Butler upset win tonight.
Shelvin Mack's Shooting
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Shelvin Mack is having a fantastic 2011 NCAA tournament.
The 6'3", 215-pound senior guard has elevated his game in the five postseasonĀ contests, averaging 21.8 points per contest.
That's more than six points per game beyondĀ what he scored in the 2010 tournament.
Mack is shooting 47 percent (up from 42 percent last year) from the floor and 41 percent from beyond the arc.
IfĀ he has another lights-out night like he had against Pitt, Florida or VCU, the Bulldogs may be cutting down the nets in Houston.
Matt Howard's Inside Game
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Matt Howard may look more like a guy who would ring up your rental at the local video store than a college basketball star, but hisĀ all-around versatilityĀ is what has helped Butler get to the championship game for the second year in a row.
Howard has been effective in the paint, even against players who are bigger and more athletic.
The 6'8", 230-pound senior will have all he can handle with the UConn front line of Alex Oriakhi, Roscoe Smith and Charles Okwandu.Ā
If he can control things underneath without getting into foul trouble,Ā Butler will be right in the mix of things (again!) at the end of the game.
Ronald Nored's Lockdown Defense
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Ronald Nored has gone scoreless in three of Butler's five tournament games, and no one is pushing the panic button.
Bulldogs coach Brad Stevens would love the senior guard to have a breakout offensive game, but he will "settle" for Nored to be successful in his most important assignment: shutting down Kemba Walker.
Nored has the physical tools and the mental toughness to pull this off.
He will need to play Walker tight without getting into foul trouble, which is no easy task.
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Khyle Marshall's Spark
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Even though Butler is not a slow-it-down-and-run-the-offense-no-matter-what team, the Bulldogs are very comfortable with the game being in the 60s.
A more controlled tempo would suit Brad Stevens and his team just fine.
However, Butler has demonstrated that it can play up-tempo, too.
Against Pitt, Florida and VCU, the Bulldogs pushed the ball effectively for periods of time.
Khyle Marshall couldĀ provide an offensive or defensiveĀ spark off the bench.Ā
Andrew Smith's Breakout Performance
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If sophomore center Andrew Smith has a breakout performance in tonight's championship game, Butler will win. Period.
At 6'11" and 239 pounds, Smith has the size to dominate games, and yet he has only three double-figure rebound games this season.
Because of theĀ lengthĀ of UConn's front line, Smith may be asked toĀ play more minutes than usual (he has averaged 24 minutes per game on the season and in the tournament).
A double-double (even if it was 10 and 10) would be huge from Smith and could make the difference in tonight's contest.
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.jpg?w=600 "Overlooked Rookies to Watch at Camp")