They did it AGAIN!
Butler and Florida put on a show last night. Butler was threatening to return to the Final Four (from a mid-major) and Florida was ready to make good and come back to the good old days they enjoyed a few years ago.
With Florida basically in control the whole game, I realized (as Butler caught up and put themselves in front with just a couple minutes left in overtime) that Brad Stevens is the man. He’s the man and then some. He’s Coach K 2.0.
Look at what he’s working with:
1. Small school
2. Small budget
3. No press
4. He can coach for anything
5. He went to the Final Four last year
6. Now he’s going back
I think we’ll look back 10-15 years from now and we’ll talk about these teams with Nored, Howard, and Mack and say, “You know what, those were the FIRST great Butler teams” in much the same way we say Jay Bilas was on the first great Duke teams back in the mid-80′s.
Brad Stevens can coach for anything. Butler barely got the game to overtime, and, in overtime, he figured out how to neutralize Florida. It took him the whole doggone game, but he found a way to work around Florida’s strengths and play the game at Butler’s tempo. He did it. It’s as if nobody has a system or scheme that he can’t figure out. He’s a basketball savant.
Now we have to see who’s going to play Butler in the Final Four. Kansas or VCU is going to be Butler’s opponent in the Final Four and even though I said that Kansas has the juice to go all the way, I don’t think they planned on playing Butler.
Personally, if I were Bill Self I’d be so hot that I have to play them. Maybe Butler is the team of destiny for real this time.
