This was really tough to decide but I was able to narrow it down to two moments. First one, Butler vs. Syracuse 2010 Sweet 16. Butler dominates the first half, Syracuse comes back to take a 4 point lead late in the second half. For a while I thought Butler could pull off the unimaginable upset, but when future NBA players Wes Johnson and Andy Rautins got going offensively, things looked grim for the Bulldogs. Butler was down 4, had lost all momentum, and desperately needed a big bucket. Then then they get a huge three pointer from one of the worst three point shooters on the entire roster. That's right, Ron Nored hit one with the shot clock running down. That shot completely changed the game. A Matt Howard layup, a Willie Veasley three pointer and tip-in later (both which got fortunate bounces on the rim), Butler had a six point lead with under a minute left. You know what I enjoyed most about that 10-0 run? It was probably the only stretch of the 2010 NCAA tournament where neither Hayward nor Mack was scoring. This run further illustrated Butler's depth, and that it was not just a two man team as many fans nationally may have thought. Butler was supposed to beat UTEP and Murray State in the first two rounds. The Bulldogs were never supposed to win this game but they did, which made it really special for me to watch as they proved everyone wrong.
Second one. Butler vs. Florida, 2011 Elite Eight. I was concerned about this match up from the start. Vernon Macklin, Alex Tyus, and Chandler Parsons were a formidable front court that the Bulldogs just could not match up with. For most of the game that proved to be true, as Macklin and Tyus had ginormous games while Shelvin Mack was trying to carry Butler offensively. So late in the second half, Brad Stevens had a decision to make. Zach Hahn was a defensive liability, Chase Stigall and Ron Nored were offensive liabilities, so Butler needed a third guard to go alongside Shelvin Mack and Shawn Vanzant, who had emerged as a consistent offensive weapon in addition to his tremendous defense. Chrishawn Hopkins, who had been entirely out of the rotation since mid-December, was the player Stevens chose. It was just four minutes, but Hopkins 3 point shot proved to be as momentous as Nored's was the previous year. Incidentally, the two games felt eerily similar down the stretch. That's why I had trouble picking between the two games. The Hopkins 3 was followed by a fortunate bounce on a Shawn Vanzant three (similar to Veasley's), and Shelvin Mack and freshman Khyle Marshall took it from that point, carrying the Bulldogs to an overtime victory. As poor of circumstances as Chrishawn Hopkins left Butler University on, I will always fondly remember him just for that one shot. Because without it, there is no way Butler makes it back to the Final Four in 2011. Once again Brad Stevens pushed a risky button, but pushed the right one, further illustrating his intuition on the basketball court. Just like the Syracuse game, Butler was playing against a more talented team, and I was very pessimistic heading into the Florida game, but was elated when the Bulldogs once again surprised me pulling out the dramatic win.
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