Brad Stevens, an Indy native, and his Butler squad will have hometown support in this year's Final Four.

By: Brian Mosgaller

So, the eve of the Final Four is finally upon us. And beyond the standard hyperbole of, ‘This is the best tournament ever!’ recited perfunctorily by the experts, the week’s media coverage has gravitated heavily – and understandably – toward the Butler Bulldogs. It makes sense; it is inarguably a special story. However, some of the pro-Butler, overly schmoozy portrayals of the team’s run may have turned some off. Which is why, I think it’s necessary to revisit the reasons why this underdog for the ages deserves your support…

1.) Butler is the flag-bearer for all mid-majors seeking real respect

Now, don’t get me wrong, George Mason was a fantastic story. Jim Larranaga was a lovable front man, and the Patriots knocked off tournament mainstays Michigan State, North Carolina and Connecticut to earn their way to the national semifinals. Unfortunately, it was a lighting-in-a-bottle moment. George Mason is a solid program, in a solid, mid-major league, that caught fire and a number of breaks on their way to the most magical run in tournament history.

Butler is different. The program has reached the tournament nine times in the past 14 years, with an infamous 25-5 snub in 2002. It is a program that has given us a memorable, Darnell Archey-led run to the Sweet Sixteen in 2003, and another second-weekend run behind A.J. Graves in 2007. They have won seven Horizon League titles since 2001. Butler is a damn good basketball school.

Which is what makes this special. They aren’t a blind squirrel finding a nut. Rather, they are a quality mid-major that has built to this point and finally gotten to the promised land. It was commonly assumed that Gonzaga – the former posterchild for mid-major success – would be the first non-BCS university to crash the party. Instead, it’s Butler. But either way, their trip validates the long-term success of a handful of mid-majors that have been able to sustain success.

2.) The hometown factor

Although the Michigan State in Detroit theme from last year’s Dance was neat, MSU is 90 miles away from Detroit. Butler is mere miles from Indy. They are the first school to legitimately have a hometown Final Four game since UCLA in 1972 – and I’m willing to wager the Bruins didn’t need the hometown boost. With Butler, though, the fans will be a very influential factor. Which leads me to…

3.) Hoosiers

Is there any place more deserving and fitting of this run than Butler and the state of Indiana? Butler, a small-school from basketball-crazy Indianapolis, knocks off more heralded foes en route to an unlikely destination in a prestigious championship event. Seriously? You can’t write this stuff. Someone check the roster, Jimmy Chitwood must be the leading scorer.

There isn’t a state in the union more frequently or passionately associated with the sport of basketball than Indiana. And Indiana is also a blue-collar Midwest state with a bit of an inferiority complex to it (see: ESPN’s Reggie Miller v. Knicks documentary). Now, we have the team that actually plays in the building that saw Milan High miraculously triumph over Muncie High (the basis of the famous movie, which also happened to be filmed at Hinkle Fieldhouse, Butler’s home arena), reaching the Final Four in its home city. It is nothing short of a fairytale.

4.) Team identity

Making the powerful story all the more fitting, is that Butler didn’t stray from the state’s basketball genetics in order to reach this peak. Two-thirds of the current roster hails from the Hoosier State, including first- and third-leading scorers, Gordon Hayward and Matt Howard, respectively. Head coach Brad Stevens grew up in an Indianapolis suburb and his team reflects the state’s basketball M.O.

The Bulldogs aren’t tall – Howard holds down the fort in the post at a relatively diminutive 6-8 – but they are efficient with the ball, shoot it well and play hard-nosed defense. As a team, the Horizon League champs shot a healthy 45 percent on the year, with four of the squad’s five starters gunning at clips in excess of 46 percent. They managed a respectable 1.7 turnover margin, and finished ninth in the country in defense, allowing just 59.6 points per game. In other words, not only does Butler represent Indiana this weekend, but they’ve reflected the state’s basketball values all decade.

5.) Who else are you going to root for?

Honestly, come on. Outside of Durham, the state of West Virginia and the state to the north of this year’s finals, there is no acceptable reason not to pull for Butler. Yeah, West Virginia is in its first Final Four since the late-1950s. But they also play in the Big East and have an enrollment more than five times that of Butler. And yes, Michigan State coping with and surviving the loss of its leader, Kalin Lucas, is pretty special. But the Spartans and Tom Izzo have been there six out of the last 12 years – not quite as special anymore, huh? And Duke, well, let’s just say, I don’t think I could come up with three reasons to root for the Blue Devils.

No, instead, indulge yourself and root for the hometown underdog. Let the story suck you in. And as soon as you feel like a chump for doing so, simply revisit this list.

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.

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.