NCAA Final Four: And Then There Were Two: Take Your Pick, Connecticut or Butler?

Doesn't it seem like it is Butler's destiny to win the national championship this season? Every bounce and call seem to go their way. Whether it is a flop from Howard that a referee doesn't catch or a ball that falls directly to them for a perfect scoring situation, they always seem to be at the right place at the right time. Call it luck or basketball IQ, they just win games.

Shelvin Mack seems to play his best games in the biggest atmospheres. He shot 8-of-11 from the floor, including 5-of-6 from three-point range for 24 points against VCU. He is the go-to guy in the clutch, and every great team needs a guy who has ice in his veins.

Whether he is scoring 24 against VCU or 30 against Pittsburgh, Mack is a player that head coach Brad Stevens can rely upon down the stretch. Even when he didn't make one three-pointer against Wisconsin, he was the guy that put the game away with his step-back jumper.

The Bulldogs defense is superb in all aspects. They rebound the ball with great efficiency, box-out and contest shots. They pride themselves on being the more physical team.

They have a great feel for each other on the offensive side of the ball as well. They use screens well, play well off the ball and have multiple shooters from the perimeter.

Most importantly, Stevens is a fantastic tactician. He understands the opponents' flaws and knows how to exploit them.

For most of the season, Kemba Walker has been the one-man show for Connecticut. He makes everybody around him better simply by his presence. So much attention is needed to contain Walker that it leaves open shooters and cutters.

Ever since the Big East tournament, Jeremy Lamb has provided that second scoring threat for the Huskies.

He has been an on or off type of player throughout the course of the season but has had double-digit scoring games ever since the Big East tournament began. He is averaging 18 points a game leading up to the Final Four, including clutch shots against San Diego State and Arizona.

Not many people believed they would win five games in five days at Madison Square Garden. They were supposed to be "tired" and bow out early. That never happened—Walker and head coach Jim Calhoun wouldn't let it happen.

Now, Calhoun has a chance to win his third NCAA Championship. For a team that was picked to finish 10th in the Big East and was unranked before the season ever started, nobody could have predicted that they would be one game away from winning it all.

I like Butler in this game but expect it to be close. The experience of being in the national championship game last season will do wonders for them. They will be the underdog but thrive at that role. Brad Stevens will work his magic to exploit their weaknesses. If Howard can stay out of foul trouble and Mack can light it up from outside, Butler will be cutting the nets down come Monday night.