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The 2011 National Championship Winning UConn Huskies Give Jim Calhoun His Third Title

It wasn't pretty but do you really think that matters to UConn coach Jim Calhoun?

The Huskies scratched and clawed their way to a 53-41 victory over the Butler Bulldogs for Calhoun's third career championship.

Not bad considering the Huskies were unranked coming off a NIT appearance a season ago.

It wasn't an easy ride for the Hall of Fame coach. Calhon dealt with cancer for the third separate time in 2010 and faced a recruiting violation that loomed over the team for a good-part of this season until the NCAA made a decision.

All of that doesn't matter.

Now Calhoun and the Huskies can say they held the national-runnerups to 18 percent from the field—the lowest of all-time in a championship game. It was a historic defensive effort that will not be forgotten anytime soon.

All the credit goes to Calhoun as he rallied his young team at the absolute perfect time.

Jeremy Lamb was struggling to adjust to the college game and it was really beginning to show in his body language.

Calhoun decided to shower the freshman with praise, touting him as "the next one". Lamb went on to score in double figures in his last 11 games—all of which were in the postseason.

He tuned into a legit second option and credit Calhoun for infusing the confidence into him.

The Huskies went through a nasty streak in the middle of Big East play that saw them lose 4-of-5 games in late February. But Calhoun never wavered in his confidence of Kemba Walker and it paid off in a huge way.

UConn finished the season 17-0 vs non-conference opponents and 14-0 in tournaments. Coach won the National Championship despite starting three freshman and a sophomore.

The 68 year-old Calhoun now has three titles, four Final Fours and a lifetime of memories. He already was inducted into the Hall of Fame...so there really is nothing left for Calhoun to prove.

Some think he may retire but I think Calhoun enjoys what he does too much to give it up now. Expect him to defend his championship on the UConn bench next season as he continues his passion of teaching kids.

Take a moment and recognize a splendid coach that has entered a club few others are in. Calhoun now has a place in history right behind the likes of John Wooden, Dean Smith, Adolph Rupp, Bobby Knight and Coach K.

Not bad.

Congrats to Jim Calhoun and the 2011 champion UConn Huskies.

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Kemba Walker and the UConn Huskies Win 2011 National Championship In Ugly Fashion

My eyes hurt.

In quite possibly one of the most offensively challenged championship games of all-time in any sport, Kemba Walker and the UConn Huskies hold off Butler 53-41 as Jim Calhoun wins his third championship.

The story of the tournament is the insane amount of missed shots by both teams. Butler had a 13 minutes stretch where they scored one bucket.For the game the Bulldogs shot a comical 18.8 percent from the floor.

They finished 3-of-31 from two-point range for a 9.6 percentage.

Walker didn't even play well for the Huskies. He only made 5-of-19 shots for 16 points. He did add nine rebounds to make his stats look a bit better.

It was brick-after-brick as the Huskies were able to win by dominating the glass, out rebounding Butler 51-38. 

Jeremy Lamb scored all 12 of his points in the second half as he set the tone while Butler continued to miss shot-after-shot.

The previous record for the worst shooting percentage in a championship game was Washington St. in 1941 at 21.5 percent. Tonight Butler made history.

We will remember this tournament for the incredible performances of Kemba Walker and Co...but the last memory is going to be this stinker of a championship

UConn's 53 points were the lowest for a championship clinching game since the 1940's.

There is no-way to sugar coat this one...both teams were horrific shooting the basketball and this game may have set back college basketball 20 years.

But credit the Huskies defense as they were able to hold Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard to a combined 5-of-28 from the floor. The superior length of UConn really bothered the duo and oh boy did it show.

Congrats to Kemba Walker and the UConn Huskies...enjoy your shining moment.

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Are the Brick Laying UConn Huskies and Butler Bulldogs playing in the Worst National Championship Game of All-Time?

22-19

No that's not a low scoring NBA first quarter, that's the halftime score of the men's college basketball championship game.

The last team to score only 19 points in a half in a National Championship game?

Cal in 1960.

Butler was 1-for-20 from two point range with 12:30 remaining in the game. Let me repeat that...BUTLER MISSED 19 OF IT'S FIRST 20 SHOTS FROM 2-POINT RANGE!!!

We are approaching historically awful shooting percentages here as UConn is "winning" the shooting percentage battle 35 percent to 16.

Free throws were a strength of Butler all season long—tonight they are shooting 6-of-12 from the line. They have missed numerous layups and look nothing like the team that has gotten to two straight championship games.

Brad Stevens has to find a way to get Butler some easy buckets to loosen his bunch up. With 11 minutes to go; Butlers two stars—Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack—are a combined 3-of-20 from the floor.

Chase Stigall has had the best shooting night for the Bulldogs connecting on 3-of-10 from the field.

They need to take a timeout just to repaint the rims.

Let's hope the last 10 minutes of this game will resemble something close to a championship game.

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The Butler Bulldogs Shelvin Mack Gives Team the Lead With Terrific End to First Half

Junior guard Shelvin Mack has been most reliable scorer for Butler in the 2011 NCAA Tournament.

He has the ability to lull a defense to sleep before drilling a contested three for the dagger.

That's a exactly what Mack did to end the first half against UConn.

As time was running out in the half, Mack dribbled around the perimeter looking for a cutter. With nobody open, Mack calmly swished a three as time expired. It broke a tie and put the Bulldogs up 22-19 at the intermission.

Mack finished 2-of-5 from three-point land for seven points and four rebounds in the first half.

ESPN's Chad Ford highlights these special qualities about Mack:

"Shooter with deep range, NBA body, deceptive quickness, strong leadership qualities, solid ball handler and passer, strong guard."

He has zero fouls and will have to play with some extreme aggressiveness to keep the UConn guards off balance.

The 215-pound Mack is built like a tank for a guard and has been able to push around the smaller Huskie guards. He is clearly the strongest guard on the floor for either team.

Keep an eye on that match-up as the game winds down.

Mack has struggled with the length of UConn and needs to start penetrating more to get open mid-range looks.

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NBA Scouts From Around the Country Will be Watching Matt Howard in 2011 NCAA Championship Game

It's championship Monday and everything is on the line for Butler and UConn.

But for Butler forward Matt Howard, his placement in the 2011 NBA Draft could hinge on his efforts against UConn.

So far he has showcased his range with a three-pointer, but he 0-for-5 from inside the arc. He is holding his own against the enormous Huskies front line, but his two rebounds haven't been enough. UConn already has eight more rebounds than Butler at the half.

Where does he stand among NBA scouts? Nbadraftexpress.com goes over some of the pro's and con's of Howard:

"Physically there are definitely some issues of concern for Howard when projecting him as an NBA power forward. At 6-8, 230-pounds he has a sizeable enough frame to play a physical brand of basketball in the paint, but he is severely lacking in athleticism.

Despite his size, the junior plays below the rim at both ends of the floor and doesn’t have the quickness necessary to be a true threat off the dribble in most situations. What he lacks in physical gifts though, Howard more than makes up for with hustle and fundamentals, particularly on the offensive end."

Howard's size is a real concern.

But it's his lack of pure athleticism that really troubles scouts. You can barely fit a notebook over his vertical jump and he struggles to guard any player with a quick first step.

Heart, intelligence and fundamentals can only take you so far in the NBA and it sounds as if Howard is going to be a mid-second round pick in the draft.

Expect him to mold into a eighth man that brings energy and rebounding off the bench for 10-15 minutes a game.

Enjoy the moment now...this is the end of the road of your dominance Mr. Howard.

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Will Freshman Jeremy Lamb Be the Difference In the 2011 NCAA Championship Game?

Jeremy Lamb has had a freshman season that he wont soon forget.

The 6-5 guard went through a stretch early in the season where he averaged under three points a game.

Fast forward to a Sweet 16 win over San Diego St where he scored 24 and it's pretty clear that Lamb has gotten juuuuust a tad better since November.

He is now Robin to Kemba Walker's Batman.

His coach Jim Calhoun has already fed the hype-machine with this quote to USA Today:

"There was an article and people said he was the anointed one ...I truly believe with a seven-foot-four reach, with a shooting touch, and with the humility and hard work that Jeremy Lamb has, we think he's going to be the next one."

The "next one" eh?

As in the next Kemba?

Be more specific Jim!

Against Butler, Lamb will be relied upon to help ease the scoring load on Walker with his smooth jumper and play-making ability. Lamb's body language is some-what confusing as he looks like he'd rather be playing video games on the court with his nonchalant demeanor.

But make no mistake about it—Lamb is a force and Butler has to minimize his impact if they want to win the game.

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Which Team Completes the Journey and Wins the 2011 NCAA Championship Game?

After going back-and-forth for the last 48 hours...I have come to a conclusion.

The Butler Bulldogs are going to win their first championship in school history and here's why....

Matt Howard- One of the most intelligent seniors of all-time, Howard has an uncanny ability to make the right play in the closing seconds of do-or-die ballgames. Look at the first weekend of the tournament if you need examples.

He never tries to do too much with the ball and has has three-point range—which will make the UConn front line have to uncomfortably guard him on the perimeter.

The biggest issue of the entire game might be Howard's foul trouble. He has a nasty knack of picking up two fouls in the first half, which causes him to lose a bit of the ultra aggressiveness that he plays with.

SI's Seth Davis points out that the Huskies are built to exploit this:

"Not only do the Huskies have several frontcourt players, most notably 6-9 sophomore center Alex Oriakhi who can challenge Howard on the glass, but UConn's guards are also programmed to drive to the rim in an effort to draw fouls. No one is more expert at this than Kemba Walker, who has attempted an astounding 42 free throws in the NCAA tournament, making 38 of them."

My guess is that Howard will be extremely careful as he doesn't want to sit on the bench with foul trouble the way he did a year ago against Duke.

Kemba Walker will struggle- Walker has never faced the defensive intensity of the Bulldogs and he is going to be very uncomfortable getting his shot off.

Don't be surprised to see a 5-0f-16 shooting performance out of Walker has the frustration mounts throughout the game.

Butler's experience- The core members of this team were here a year ago and will not be phased by the stakes at hand.

UConn starts two freshman and a sophomore and are going to get off to a slow start as the butterflies infest the Huskies stomachs. Butler will play their style of slow-down basketball and will limit the possessions of the game.

Howard seals the deal with a key offensive rebound and put back down the stretch.

Butler 66 UConn 59

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Will Kemba Walker Keep Up Incredible Tournament Runs Against Stingy Butler Defense?

Kember Walker is a 25 point a game scorer that can beat you from every spot on the floor.

He has a quick first-step, which leads to Walker getting to the paint at will. He is just as fast with the ball then without. He can find teammates in traffic and has a deadly jump shot with unlimited range.

In other words, Walker is the complete package.

Here is this incredible stat from the ESPN research team:

"Kemba Walker is 1 of 5 players in tournament history to average 20 PPG, 6 APG and 5 RPG in a single tournament (minimum 4 games played)."

The Bulldogs on the other hand has a very disciplined defense that get in your face all the way out to the three-point line.

Butler gave up more than 70 points exactly once since the beginning of February and that was the Elite Eight OT affair against Florida.

The unit is extremely physical...almost too physical says CBS Sports Mike Freeman:

"They are nasty defensively. Maybe not cheap, but nasty. It's what's interesting about Butler, these contradictory images. One wholesome, the other a team which has quietly earned a reputation as defensive bad-asses.

The Horizon is where Butler has excelled at getting away with sometimes overly physical defense. Then again, if a player gets away with a hold or a hip check or a screen that collapses a lung is that Butler's fault?"

Shelvin Mack is a 215-pound guard that is not afraid to push and shove his way to get the ball. He has proven to be one of the toughest players in the tournament with his constant top notch effort on the  defensive end of the floor. Guard Ronald Nored averages over a steal a game and rarely lets his man get by him.

It's going to be a epic battle that will come down how well Walker shoots the ball against a punishing Butler defense.

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The 2011 National Championship Game Has Arrived...Here's What You Need to Know

Two teams that were nothing more than an after thought entering the 2010-2011 season have done the unthinkable to reach tonight. Butler was 14-9 at one point in the season and were struggling to get wins in the Horizon League. UConn wasn't ranked to start the season and were coming off a less than impressive 2010 NIT apperance.

That's all ancient history now as we are closing in on a national championship game of two underdogs.

Here is the vital info for tonight's game in Houston:

No. 3 UConn vs. No. 8 Butler

TV: CBS

Announcers: Jim Nance, Clark Kellogg, Steve Kerr

Tip: 9:23 EST

Kemba Walker may not have won the AP Player of the Year award, but he has shown the world that he is in fact the best player in college basketball with a spectacular tournament run. He has proven that 6-0 guards can dominate a big man's game with a combination of talent, intelligence and fearlessness.

Matt Howard comes from the Larry Bird school of hard knocks. Nothing is pretty about the the way he plays, but by the end of the game he has 17 points, 10 rebounds and a "W". He has been as clutch as any player in the tournament and seems unafraid of the enormous pressure that comes with the title game.

Sit back and enjoy two teams with a combined 18 losses duke it out for the chance to call themselves the 2011 National Champions.

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