The National Championship - A Dog Fight

At the Oaken Barrel again tonight for the championship tilt between my beloved Butler Bulldogs and the UCONN Huskies. Still somewhat hard to believe the Bulldogs are making back-to-back national championship appearances. No matter what happens tonight - my Dawgs have made me proud during this run. But it would be especially nice to see them cutting the nets down at Reliant Stadium tonight. This looked so improbable back in January when this team struggled, but they pulled together and got the lucky bounces and heads up plays to get here tonight the most important night of college basketball - Monday night!

We are very festive crowd here tonight - most of us still wearing what we had on Saturday and of course I had the breaded tenderloin with french fries as I have had before every game. Not that I believe in being superstitious, but I am into keeping a routine.

 Jim Calhoun says outwork, outwill and outplay to beat Butler

Sounds like a Survivor promo to me

LeeAnn Rimes with the national anthem and yes she remembered the words

Blue II has taken the floor and Jim Nantz gets ready to announce tonight's starting lineups

you know Andrew Smith wears the greatest number in the world - why? Because that's the number I wore and so did JP Brens (who thanks to my cousin Kendra is related to me through marriage)

Clark says Butler's frontcourt and bench; Steve says backcourt; Steve also says Butler with better X factors

Whew! This one is going to be nerve wracking

the world's greatest SID - Jim McGrath

UCONN wins the tip and here we go; tipped pass and Orlander gets the ball and bucket

stigall with the up and under no good; Mack misses the bunnie; Stigall the sniper for 3

Ariakhi goes over and scores he doesn't have a double figure game yet in the tournament

Stigall misses that one hat now on backward

Mack another bunnie miss; Orlander with the rebound foul on Mack and it looked like they didn't want the ball;

Stigall misses again; rebound and now another rebounding foul on UCONN! Dawgs have missed last four and is 1-of-8Howard misses the 3 he hasn't hit one this weekend

Smith says "Get that shot out of here"

under 16:00 media timeout and it's 4-3 we call that segment - tie

Walker and Mack a combined 0-for-7; Dawgs need to get going from 3 only 1 of 5

Smith got the rebound but dribbled on the line - man just get a stop here; no one can hit bunnies tonight

the Warrior for 3! Finally!

Oriacki scores again; what are we doing shooting all 3s thus far?

gave up a layup there; Marshall Plan is in the game; too many bad shots; Hahn getting ready to come into the game for the Dawgs; Marshall plan with the rebound and the break and the Warrior gets fouled and going to the line; got the first; and the second and tied again;

2 for 13 isn't going to win it no matter the defense! and Kemba just scored; warrior misses another 3 Kemba out on the run and the bucket and the foul! UGH! He has four points an four rebounds; and now the lead is 5

Nored takes it baseline and get fouled going to the line; missed the first; made the second and the lead cut to four and now a huge stop

the under 12:00 media timeout comes on the first turnover of the game for either team and the Huskies win that segment and lead by 4; need to get a stop coming out of the break here;

Hahn called for the hold the second on the Dawgs in the half; Howard chasing Walker, huh? Walker misses Vanzant with the board and the missed three and the foul on Smith; 2-for-15 from the field; Ok good call on the rebound; Oriahki picks up his second foul - that's good news; Andrew Smith with the turnaround hook

Nored called the foul as the Huskies looked to go backdoor on that one; wow the helter skelter play there and the ball gets loosed and the Dawgs tie it up for the tied ball possession Dawgs - now let's get a bucket here

Butler going to the line the rest of the half, and it's Mack; maybe this is what we need to get him started - he has yet to score; got the first; Mack is 0-for-4 from the field; missed the second; stigall with the steal now let's get the lead; nice take by Marshall and Smith gets fouled on the rebound; Smith at the line - makes the first; tied again Nored coming into the game; Foul trouble becoming a story for the game and Smith misses the second; typical for the big guy though; the big fella for UCONN;

Stigall again the Sniper from New Castle!

Stigall is jokingly being named Steve Alford's love child;

tied ball? Marshall had and clearly called timeout!

Under 8:00 media timeout we'll call it even!

Kemba on the out of bounds play - swish - UGH!

went to the well one too many times with Stigall

man they are getting the trash buckets as a high school coach I know would say

Howard with the strong move but didn't have a good angle on the backboard

man that size is killing us right now even with our boxing out; unlike Florida I see UCONN staying going inside;

Vanzant steal; Mack where you been? Nice to see you showed up!

Hustle foul on Vanzant and the under 4:00 media timeout and we are still even in the segment department - what a game!

Like a good neighbor State Farm is there with a Butler National Championship!

Special K again talking about fundamentals - love it because that's how Butler wins this one;

only three assist total for the game; Howard and his move over the big fella it just isn't there; UCONN has gotten every lucky bounce of that ball so far; both teams combined 14 of 50 from the field; Walker called for the charge and that's TWO! Time to take charage; reverse layup try by Smith just take it to the basket strong big fella!

like trying to go inside to Mack

When you lower that shoulder that's a charge everytime!

looked close to goaltending there; Mack for 3 at the horn - GOOD!

You know in 1981 Randy Wittman hit a shot at the horn to end the half; 1987 Steve Alford did too and now Shelvin Mack...the heck that it is the Hoosiers - it's Indiana Basketball baby!

A combined 26 percent from the field - yeah that will bring CBS ratings!

the vezuelas have made an appearance at the Oaken Barrel - oh the madness!

I am seeing yawns! Really? OK, it wasn't that thrilling of a half, so we'll let it slide

Charles says 10% of basketball fans are idiots...well it takes one to know one now doesn't it Charles;

Butler also gets the ball to begin the half; let's see what they come out with to begin the half in what could be the most important half in Butler Basketball history; Stigall misses follows his shotl they work it around and 3 again!

Dawgs up six but a foul on the shot; Lamb got them both and the lead is four; Stigall missed that three and Smith got called for a reach in after UCONN had secured the rebound - UGH

Walker over Vanzant and hits it; Mack misses the three; man Lamb is getting hot said they role players can't get theirs if Butler wants to win; UCONN now with the lead; Mack misses the 3 looked to get the ball into his wheelhouse on that one. 7-0 run by UCONN now; Smith has to get stronger over the summer

bad pass on the out of bounds play and a turnover; and now they are saying no one touched it; Walker at the line and made the first; Howard picks up his second; missed the second; Stigall drives; misses Nored with the board to the rack and the foul;

After a good start for the Dawgs, Huskies come back to take the lead but we still remain tied in segments won at the under 16:00 media timeout; Dawgs have got to find a way to keep attacking the basket and get UCONN enough foul trouble to open it up

It's Nor-ed not No-rad! Nantz come on now;

getta stop here fellas; 16-0 in the paint! UGH! Double UGH!

Nored another foul with the hold; ball out of bounds; still working on getting a stop here; Marshall plan; got the loose ball; bad pass; at this rate a 5-point lead is 100. First time the Dawgs have allowed them to get out on the break tonight and score;

1 for 20 from 2; Nored going into the lane dishes to Marshall and a foul; WOW! 1 for 20! from 2! and Warrior can't hit either; freshmen miss; Stigall back into the game; We need a basket in the worst way here; we can't go under 12:00 down by 10; Vanzant hits the two; stop here

Man UCONN's length is impressive; Marshall with the foul and that segment definitely to the Huskies. Lamb has outscored Butler by himself in this half; and the lead is seven; now just weather the storm; Roscoe picks up his third foul; nice ball movement - needed that 3;

alley-oop; Lamb is geting his and we said that was deadly

A layup! A LAYUP! FAKE AND DUNK THE BALL!

Walker throws up that junk to go in and we can't buy a layup! Another miss this time by the Warrior!

22-0 in the paint; Napier reaching it in; Vanzant misses now from 3 and the Dawgs are cold as the Diet Coke I am drinking and the ice cream I will be eating win or lose after the game

2 for 21 for the half!; UCONN outrebounding 43-32; will Smith ever gain control and just DUNK THE DAMN BALL!

never thought I would see a night where the Dawgs would be this anemic offensively. I am reminded once of what former athletic director John Parry said on a radio broadcast once about cellophane on the basket and Butler has to break it.

Mack and Howard have not scored this half; Hopkins is in so let's see if the Energizer Bunny can do this

Vanzant for 3! Maybe little too late; why drive - set up the offense! we can't go inside against their bigs

foul, the Warrior got hurt on that play; man the under 4:00 and the Huskies have this one unless the Dawgs can get it going in the final few minutes here; still time...still gotta believe

18 percent from the field! 18 percent from the field!

step back 3 for Mack now let's get this; now to extend the game; the warrior with blood; mack another 3 it ain't over yet; now fouling to get the bench players in

UCONN looking to be 3-0 in championship games;

And UCONN wins - 53-41; the Dawgs just could not get a shot to fall tonight. It got frustrating; it got mental and UCONN took away the things we needed to do well to win