NCAA 2010 Final Four Sunday: Butler & Duke Advance to Finals

Posted by doms | Sunday, April 04, 2010 | , , , , ,

Butler executed a superb defense and rode on the game-long brilliance of Gordon Hayward to defeat the more favored Michigan State 52 - 50 and advance to the 2010 Division 1 NCAA basketball championship for the first time in school history.

Dubbed the cinderella of the tournament, Butler continues its impressive run at their homestate no less. If they do win the championship, it will the first time the home team takes the trophy since UCLA in 1975.

Butler's defense flustered the Michigan State starters to 16 turn overs and foul trouble limiting its production. The first half ended tied at 28 and the Bulldogs allowed the Spartans less with only 22 on the second half.

Gordon Hayward displayed a game-long brilliance the stuff of great amateur players, none more crunch than in the end game. His short stab gave the Bulldogs a three point lead. He forced Spartan big man Green to an airball and secured the last defensive rebound to help his team hang on to a 52 - 50 lead.

Butler now awaits the winner of Duke vs West Virginia for the NCAA Basketball Championship in April 5.

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The other semifinal was a boring one as traditional NCAA powerhouse Duke University methodically shot down the challenge of West Virginia 78 - 57.

The NCAA Finals will be between David ( Butler ) and Goliath ( Duke ). Duke will be heavily-favored to win but the cinderella win of Butler will surely be heartwarming.

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After the first semifinal game, a video montage of the 1979 NCAA title game was shown by our local cable channel. It was between Larry Bird's Indiana and Magic Johnson's Michigan State with Magic's team prevailing.

Magic's eyes as he recalls that historic game is all you need to look at. I feel that he sincerely cherishes that championship more than any other he'd won.

For Larry Bird, I can only admire more for leading his school 33 - 0 prior to that finals game. He wishes that he could have given more in that game to give his school the championship that wasn't meant to be.