I think it’s safe to say that March Madness 2010 has changed the way that fans will evaluate their brackets moving forward. Teams like St. Mary’s and Northern Iowa came from no where to shock the world and a few number one ranked teams in the process.

What doesn’t come as a surprise are the four teams that reached the Final Four. No, I did not select these four teams to be here come April, but I wasn’t surprised to see that it was these teams left. Below is a breakdown of each team; how they got here and what it’ll take to win it all.

Duke Blue Devils

How they got here:

Duke is Duke. Coach K is Coach K. Year after year, the Blue Devils are favorites to make it this far, but this year they actually succeeded. Duke’s big three has put the team on their backs and haven’t looked back. Reaching the Final Four on an eight game win streak, this team is no stranger to the Final Four making it for the 11th time under Coach K. Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith are all averaging over 17 points and Brian Zoubek has an impressive 7.6 rebounds per game. Duke beat impressive California, Purdue and Baylor squads on their road to Indy.

Why they’ll win it:

Determination. This team is driven. Other than being Las Vegas’ betting favorite, this team can play. Zoubek and Scheyer are Seniors; Singular and Smith both know that this is their chance to win it all. Squaring up against West Virginia in their Final Four match-up, the Blue Devils outscore the Mountaineers by five ppg and hold opponents to two less points. Aside from the numbers, they have Coach K drawing up their plays. His legendary experience will be enough to fire up his team and get them ready to play the biggest games of their lives.

West Virginia Mountaineers

How they got here:

While Cornell was making Kentucky’s job easier on the upper half of their tier, West Virginia was busy taking down such powers as Missouri, Washington and Kentucky. Kentucky itself was a huge victory for Bob Huggins, who is now 8-1 versus John Calipari all time, but Washington was overlooked being an 11 seed reaching the Sweet Sixteen. Da’Sean Butler has been averaging 17.3 ppg this tournament and this includes his nine points in his 28 minutes played against Morgan State in the opening round. Oh, I guess winning their last 10 including a Big East Championship puts them on a roll too.

Why they’ll win it:

Even though they were a number two seed in their region, no one thought they had a chance. This is especially true because Kentucky was most of America’s favorite to win it all. Winning 73-66, West Virginia led the entire game against what was thought to be the nation’s best team. Their experience also may have something to do with it because in their victory over Kentucky four Mountaineers were in double-digits. Their 43.5% shooting from beyond the arc will be a key to beating Duke who mixes between a zone and tough man.

Michigan State Spartans

How they got here:

After the fall of Kalin Lucas, no one expected this squad to make it past Northern Iowa let alone Tennessee. However, Korie Lucious has stepped in to fill Lucas’ roll and he has done so accordingly. Raymar Morgan has emerged as this teams on-court captain. Even though their game with Tennessee came down to an iffy call in the final two seconds, Michigan State’s coach Tom Izzo is no stranger to the Final Four with six life-time trips putting him 5th all time. Also, this is the teams second trip in the last two years. I’d say this team is hot.

Why they’ll win it:

If it was up to me, I’d say Michigan State is least likely to win it all because of the downing of Kalin Lucas. Then again, millions have been saying this for the past two games. Butler better prepare for the high-flying, shoot-anywhere-on-the-court antics of Lucious because he will kill you with the three ball if you let him. Plus, if Kansas was selected most to win it all in most all brackets filled, that should say something about the team from the region that emerged instead. Don’t count out the Spartans come April 5th at 9:21 p.m.

Butler Bulldogs

How they got here:

I wrote an article about this team almost a month ago saying that they are the country’s hottest team heading down the stretch. Winning their last 18 games of the season and the Horizon League easily, Butler has been putting their game where everyone else’s mouth is. Now winners of their last 25, Butler doesn’t plan on stopping because they are viewed as college basketball’s Boise State. Only difference, they actually get a shot at the National Championship come Sunday.

Why they’ll win it:

Like I recently said, they are winners in their last 25 games and that counts as something. A young team with experience, Butler has blown everyone out on their road to Indianapolis including a seven-point victory over Kansas State to reach the Final Four. Butler has the lowest points-against-average this season with an impressive 59.4 ppg. Also, Butler has the nation’s least amount of losses title with four. This team knows how to win big games and with four members of their team averaging over double-digits, there is no ‘I’ in Butler (or Bulldogs for that matter).

Now that you have seen the reasons that these are the four teams left, are you still happy with your bracket down the stretch?

The college basketball season began in November with 347 potential national champions, but following the conclusion of March Madness only one team will be left standing.

That team might just be the Butler Bulldogs.

The No. 12 Bulldogs are winners of 19 straight, the longest active winning streak in the nation.

The Bulldogs have a recent history of success in the NCAA Tournament. In 2003 and 2007 Butler advanced to the Sweet 16, knocking off the likes of Mississippi State, Maryland and Louisville.

Butler is no stranger to college basketball’s biggest stage, having appeared in the tournament five times in the last nine years. It will be making its fourth consecutive appearance this year.

Butler has become an elite program. In the last 10 years Butler has had eight seasons with at least 20 wins, has been ranked every year since the 2006-07 season and has been nearly unbeatable at Hinkle Fieldhouse posting a 71-6 record in its last 77 games.

No other team in the nation has been as consistent and successful as Butler in the last four years. The Bulldogs have gone 112-21 during that period.

Winning is the only thing current Butler players know how to do.

Butler does not play in a power conference, but it can no longer be considered a ‘Cinderella’ nor a mid-major.

This season the Bulldogs have quality wins over Ohio State and Xavier. Butler was also the only team in the nation to go unbeaten in conference play.

Sophomore forward Gordon Hayward leads Butler in three statistical categories; points per game with 15, average rebounds per game at eight and in blocks at 0.8 a game.

He is 6’9” and 207 pounds but he handles the ball like a point guard, has the range of a shooting guard and understands the fundamentals of basketball.

Hayward defies the laws of physics on the basketball court; rarely do you come across a player like him.

Experts are recognizing the talent that the Horizon League Player of the Year possesses.

Former Coach Bob Knight, the record holder for career wins, mentions in his TV broadcasts, that Hayward utilizes the pump fake to shoot over defenders, a move that few players use.

Purdue and Indiana both passed on the young prospect, a move both Big Ten powers undoubtedly regret.

Another Bulldog, sophomore guard Shelvin Mack, joined Hayward last summer on the USA Men’s U19 World Championship team.

Mack is second on the team in points, steals and assists.

These two players have the chemistry, leadership and experience to lead Butler to its first-ever Final Four appearance.

Many ESPN analysts in the preseason said Butler was a legit Final Four candidate, which goes to show how talented this team is and how high the bar has been set for the program.

It will be considered a disappointment for Butler if it doesn’t at least advance to the Sweet 16.

The small school with an enrollment of 4,200 located in Indianapolis, the site of the national championship, has the potential to hoist the trophy at the end of another long college basketball season.

—Starkville, Miss. (THE HUMP)—
As things begin to wind down on this year’s college basketball season, MissState needs every win it can get.

The Bulldogs took care of that this week defeating Alabama and South Carolina in nearly identical games.

Wednesday night at home, the Dawgs took care of Bama. But this was more than a key home victory in prepping for the NCAA Dance. It was a memorable night with seniors Barry Stewart and Jarvis Varnado breaking records.

Varnado needed 8 blocks to break the NCAA record for career blocks. And he got them all against a team he averages about 2 against. Very impressive. He now owns 537 career blocks!

Stewart broke the record for most made three-pointers in a career at MSU. While not necessarily as impressive, it’s nice to see Stewart get some recognition for the hard work he’s put in and for being a leader on the team.

This isn’t to say the game was a breeze. The more blocks Jarvis got, the closer the game got somehow. Almost as if all the focus was on him getting his swats. But played well on both ends and it paid off with a 74-66 victory to venge for a loss at Bama earlier in the season.

Arkansas helped out by losing a pair of games this week, giving us a two-game lead in the West.

After a victory in Columbia, we clinched the SEC West crown thanks to a season sweep of Ole Miss.

More in depth, the Dawgs played some of their most consistent minutes Saturday against S. Carolina. For a full 40 minutes, we were focused on winnng and took care of every aspect of the contest.

And while I’ve harped on a lot of weaknesses this season, this team always has the potential to play top 15 ball. Let’s hope they stay focused and in the groove with the season coming to an end.

Analysts are saying the Dawgs still need two more wins: at Auburn and the season finale vs. no.17 UT in the Hump.

If they play anywhere near the way they ended last season, expect the Dawgs to have a strong finish into the SEC championship.

Positives: 40 minutes of focused effort by everyone, reallyJarvis Varnado now owns the NCAA career blocks record with 537 and counting…Dee Bost is averaging 19 ppg in his last 5 games, at 52 FG%

Negatives: the END is near!…Ravern Johnson’s new role on team (bench? starter?)…our RPI and strength of schedule Read the full story

—Starkville, Miss. (THE HUMP)—
Oh so close. Oh, how the season almost changed with that one game against Kentucky.

And then the inevitable happens: they blow a 7-point lead in the last three minutes and lose in OT.

It feels like we’re turning into the Cubs. Like cheering is a pointless way of having fun until you realize by the end of the game that you’re going to have your heart taken from you.

As Jim Ellis said, yeah maybe the refs blew a lot of calls BUT the Dawgs still have to find a way to score on those last possessions. Instead they played conservative, milking the clock all the way down and taking the worst of shots.

Next, the Dawgs traveled to Baton Rouge to play (screw around, not really compete) against the SEC’s worst: LSU. As I’ve stated previously, LSU is beyond horrible (0-12 in SEC). Yet somehow, we need a miraculous 3-point basket from Phil Turner to steal the game in the end.

But the game does give me perspective. As soon as I consider giving up the Dawgs, I have to examine what it must be like to be an LSU fan. Your team sucks terribly, sometimes playing with three walkons at a time. And then you play Miss. State and—WAIT WHAT?!–maybe you can pull this one out? You watch your team play hard all game long. Finally in the closing minute, you take a two-point lead on an exhilarating possession and 3-point basket.

And then that feisty guard who loves to take ill-advised NBA-deep threes finally hits one with 7 seconds to go. The little spazz only makes 29% of those.

Still time for a good shot, though. Or get fouled. But-what? WHAT?! NOOOOOOOO!!!!!!—Why the hell did he just take a half-court shot with four seconds left!?

Again, it could be worse.

But the moral of the story is: The Dawgs play to the level of their competition.

This frustrates me so much, learning that the team has literally not improved one bit from last year.

On a separate note, give credit to LSU fans, Cubs fans and Vandy fans for not tossing debris on to the court. Yes, I am indirectly referring to the fact that MSU fans threw a few bottles right before the Kentucky game ended, venting their frustrations at the officials.

Fact: The officials sucked, likely costing the Bulldogs the game.
Fact: State should have scored just once in the last three minutes.
Opinion: Someone deserves to be hit with a bottle for failing to do one of the two above.

All kidding aside, it is embarrassing to see your own fans throwing trash in the Hump. I know how it feels, I was there, too, screaming my voice off and losing it for the next four days.

What’s worse is how the world seemed to take notice. ESPN made it look like all the fans were trashing the whole gym. PTI even had an opinion on it. There’s a group on facebook that gained thousand of fans in 1 day called: “Mississippi State fans = worst fans in the country”.

This is bogus. Just because a few fans decide to hurl a few bottles on to the court does not mean we’re all violent people ready to trash our beloved home coliseum. You have to piss us off really bad and the refs did just that. And don’t even get me started on Kentucky’s lack of class with Calipari and Cousins.

I’m out like MSU’s hopes of the NCAA tournament…

Positives: We didn’t lose to LSU!…Jarvis Varnado now just 9 blocks away from record…We didn’t accidentally murder any refs with bottles.

Negatives: We played like shite versus the worst team in the SEC…the whole world seems to hate our fans now…NIT hopes Read the full story

INDIANAPOLIS, IN – The Butler Bulldogs have been creating quite the riff in the Horizon League this season winning their last 17 games improving to 25-4 overall.

This isn’t even the most impressive stat of their 2010 basketball season either.

Undefeated in their conference, the Bulldogs have won 17-straight giving them the nations longest win streak of the 2009-2010 NCAA season. Led by Gordon Hayward, who averages 15.9 ppg, The Butler Bulldogs have been outscoring their opponents by just under 10 points. Hayward also pulls down an impressive 8.4 rebounds per game making him the marquee player of the nation’s 13th ranked squad. Shelvin Mack, Matt Howard and Willie Veasley have been averaging double-digits in the scoring column as well making it four total Bulldogs.

An impressive 13-0 at home has to make Coach Brad Stevens a happy man in Indianapolis, Indiana. It’s their 11-1 road record that he is more proud of being that they have gone into such places as Cleveland State, Northwestern and Detroit and have returned home winners. However, they have a less than stellar 2-3 record when playing teams in neutral locations. Yes, those loses were to such power houses as Clemson and Georgetown, but come March every game will be a neutral site and this has to worry the Bulldogs of Butler a tad.

Something that Butler does not have to be worried about come March will be their poise. They have been on the big stage before qualifying for the NCAA Tournament in each of the last four seasons. Plus, they average a mere 12.3 turnovers per game which is 2.9 less than the #2 ranked Kentucky Wildcats. In addition their free-throw average is a superb 75.3% which means that close games will be going in the Bulldogs favor down the stretch. Lastly, Butler has been a fantastic 33.3% shooting team from beyond the arc meaning that their opponents won’t be able to play an effective zone defense.

I’m jumping on the Butler Bulldogs bandwagon and if you decide not to, then let me be the first person to tell you not to be surprised come March when they make some noise.

—Starkville, Miss. (THE HUMP)—
As expected, Mississippi State finds some redemption in returning home to the Hump, winning back to back games over Ole Miss (71-63) and Auburn (85-75 OT).

At unexpected, the Bulldogs have only lost one game at home all year, and that was months ago. The Dawgs are now 11-1 and face one GARGANTUAN test come Tuesday: no. 2 Kentucky.

Yes, that Kentucky; the dreaded Kentucky. Those Wildcats we all love to hate for various reasons and now they’re 24-1 after a 73-62 beating of no. 12 Tennessee.

But first things, first. The Dawgs took care of business last Thursday night on rival Rebels. Fans filled the house as Ravern Johnson (18 points, 4-7 3P) finally showed that sweet long ball shot he’s been hiding on the road. The Dawgs again brought together a solid performance but, unlike on the road, they finished the game. And, of course, I must mention: MSU has beaten Ole Miss in football and swept them in basketball. Who’s ready for baseball? (Check back later.)

Saturday night, the Dawgs started slow, preferring to play to Auburn’s talent level. The Tigers consented and shot the ball very well in the first half (40%). But the Dawgs turned it on the second half, slowly taking the lead. And then, to scare all the home crowd, sophomore Dee Bost allows Tay Waller right past him for an easy layup to go into OT. Don’t get me wrong, Bost was a flat-out stud the entire game. His three ball was strokin’ to the tune of a career-high 32 points (11-19 FG, 7-12 3P). But he needs to step on and make that defensive stop with full effort. This is cognizant of the entire team, minus seniors Barry Stewart and Jarvis Varnado.

But on to Tuesday night. ESPN will be in town for the matchup, but please no Dickie V, I beg you. But, seriously, MissState will have its biggest game all season going against freshman phenoms John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins of Kentucky. Wall will quite a handful. Right now, I see Coach Rick Stansbury putting Bost on him and monitoring him and saving Stewart if need be. The biggest question will be the matchup on Cousins. Kodi Augustus will have a tough time. It doesn’t help that the Dawgs have played two games in four days with one OT.

Positives: Ravern Johnson regaining some 3-point touch…Jarvis Varnado now just 18 blocks away from record…Romero Osbystarting to step up and deliver good minutes and finishing his baskets strong…Dee Bost notched 32 points vs. Auburn.

Negatives: Kodi Augustus and Phil Turner opting to shoot the long, long ball only when a defender is right in their face… NCAA for being douche bags and still not allowing Renardo Sidney to play…Riley Benock still afraid to shoot the ball Read the full story