Why Butler's National Success Wasn't a One-Time Thing

Everyone remembers George Mason's Final Four run, but does anyone besides their fans know where they are now?

With Brad Stevens at the helm, it's almost a sure fire-bet that this will not happen to the Butler Bulldogs.

I remember watching the Final Four game against Michigan State, when during a timeout the announcers were talking about Stevens and the success he has had since taking over at Butler.

All I could think was that he'd be leaving when the season was over to go somewhere bigger.

Thank goodness for Butler he didn't.

"First and foremost, I'm loyal to Butler," Stevens said. 

His 89-15 record is the best for a coach's first 100 games in Butler history.

Also, Butler is sure to be ranked in the preseason Top 25 with stars Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack returning along with a trio of solid recruits.

Khyle Marshall, the highest rated incoming recruit for the Bulldogs, stands at 6'6" and is known for his play above the rim.

With that said, they obviously have enough talent to compete with the best in the country, not to mention their own conference. 

Butler will always be atop the Horizon League. It seems as if they are a full step ahead of everyone else in the conference.

In Stevens' first three seasons, he is 49-5 in conference play.

It almost seems as if Butler is starting to compete with Memphis and Gonzaga as teams that dominate their conference every season. Well, they have to if they don't want to be the next George Mason.

It's obvious that Butler has the talent to keep having this national success that they enjoyed last season. They just have to keep living up to their potential.

It's going to be great to see if last season's Cinderella can fill the role again next season. It's not that far-fetched of a prediction either.

(Originally written by Collin O'Connor on the College Hoops Blog—your No. 1 stop for college basketball and NBA draft news.)