by Lexi Tanton

Chrishawn Hopkins, sophomore guard for Butler basketball team has been able to come through for the team in crucial moments.  In this way, he’s not unlike former player Avery Jukes, who was also able to help the team in some important moments.

Both of these players have come off the bench willing to play against some of the team’s most challenging competitors like Duke and Florida. Jukes was one of the players that played with a full heart in the 2010 National Championship game against Duke.  Jukes played 18 minutes in that game and scored two three-pointers.  He scored a total of 10 points and four rebounds.  Even though the Bulldogs did not walk away as champions, they still made Butler proud.

Like Jukes, Hopkins came off the bench in a post-season game.  It was the 5^th round of the NCAA tournament against the Florida Gators.  He wasn’t in for long, but Hopkins scored three essential points for the Bulldogs—three points that separated the final score and gave the bulldogs the victory.  Hopkins and Jukes both have experienced pressure during game time.  However, that doesn’t seem to have much of an impact of their game.

Despite the fact that Jukes graduated along with other players that have contributed to the Bulldogs’ success, with young players like Hopkins now playing for the bulldogs, Butler’s future looks promising, no matter what some people may think.  The bulldogs have proven their talent time and time again; Hopkins, along with the rest of the team, will surely keep the newborn legacy alive.  With the leadership of head coach Brad Stevens, we should expect great things in the future.

It was there for the taking. And the crowd of 7,500 inside Hinkle Fieldhouse, the fans who did not migrate south to Houston, knew it.

Junior guard Shelvin Mack drained a 3-pointer to beat the halftime buzzer and sent the Bulldogs into the locker room up, 22-19.

The Butler faithful cheered wildly, recognizing that their beloved Bulldogs were a mere 20 minutes from capturing college basketball’s most heralded and elusive title: national champion.

It was certain that Butler, a team known for having strong second halves, would improve upon its 22 percent first half shooting and pull away from the UConn Huskies, righting the wrongs left by last year’s heartbreaking loss to Duke.

And then it happened—31 of Butler’s 37 second half shot attempts fell off the mark. Consequently, the Bulldogs fell out of contention, leaving Butler fans across the country stunned.

Not many people foresaw Butler advancing to its second consecutive Final Four, especially after losing sensational sophomore Gordon Hayward to the NBA Draft. Out of the 15 million households that watched the game’s telecast, no one foresaw the Bulldogs shooting 19 percent on the biggest stage in college basketball.

Seniors Matt Howard, Zach Hahn and Shawn Vanzant, playing in their final collegiate game, shot a collective 3-of-25 en route to a 53-41 loss on Monday in the national title game.

The last time the Bulldogs scored fewer points in a game was during a 51-39 loss at Wright State Jan. 3, 2004. Prior to Monday night, Butler had been held under 50 points just four times in the past seven seasons.

It was Butler’s worst performance in recent memory and it happened to come in arguably Butler’s most important game in school history.

The faces of this year’s team, Howard, Mack and head coach Brad Stevens, all remarked that the team simply could not make shots. It was clearly a disappointing and uninspiring end to what was otherwise a remarkable run.

As Howard, who ranks third on Butler’s all-time scoring list, leaves the program, the contributions of him and his fellow seniors should not be forgotten.

The 117 wins by the outgoing senior class, consisting of Howard, Hahn, Vanzant, Grant Leiendecker and Alex Anglin, is the second most of any class in Butler men’s basketball history.

Over the past four seasons, these five have helped lead the Bulldogs to four Horizon league regular season championships, three Horizon League tournament championships and four NCAA tournament appearances.

More than that, they have helped put Butler University on the map as more than just a school that perennially fields a solid basketball team, but also as an upper-echelon academic institution.

Howard, a finance major with a 3.77 GPA was named this year’s NCAA Division I Academic All-American of the Year.

Butler athletics have embodied “The Butler Way” for decades. However, these past two basketball squads, both finishing as national runners-up, have raised awareness of Butler’s mission and have elevated Butler onto the national stage as a première academic and athletic institution.

A 12-point loss in the national title game is heartbreaking, yes—almost as heartbreaking as a 2-point loss that was decided by fractions of an inch.

It might be years before another Butler team advances to a national semifinal. On the other hand, it might only be another calendar year.

Yet, some things, such as Butler’s national perception, are now here to stay.

By Greg Logan, Newsday

NEW ORLEANS–Has there ever been a more magical run to the NCAA national championship game than the one Butler made last season when it went home to Indiana for the Final Four?

Gordon Hayward’s half-court shot at the buzzer seemed destined to beat Duke until it caromed off glass and the front of the rim, taking the fairy-tale finish with it. With Hayward in the NBA this season and defensive specialist Willie Veazley having graduated, it seemed there was no possibility of “Hoosiers II.”

Oh, the Bulldogs gave a good account of themselves in an early-season rematch against Duke at the Meadowlands, but that was a pale imitation of the title game.

What followed was a season-long struggle for Butler just to survive Horizon League play and qualify for the tournament.

But after last-second wins against Old Dominion and Big East champion Pittsburgh, the lightning is back in the bottle for Butler.

Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack have stepped into the lead roles to rekindle the fire of belief that these Bulldogs (25-9) are good enough to overcome Wisconsin (25-8) of the Big Ten in the Southeast Regional semifinals tonight to get within one victory of the Final Four.

“Getting to the tournament is really hard and, I mean, we got to the Sweet 16 this year because we had the ball last in two games,” Butler coach Brad Stevens said yesterday. “Otherwise, we’re done in the first round. So getting to the Final Four–we recognize how fortunate we were to have been in that situation. It’s almost fairy tale-type stuff.”

Without a doubt, Butler’s presence in the Sweet 16 is a far greater surprise this season than it was a year ago. Back then, the Bulldogs were viewed as the most likely of the mid-majors to succeed. But they lost four of their first eight games this season and had a midseason stretch where they lost four of five, getting knocked off by the likes of Wright State, Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Valparaiso and Youngstown State. Not exactly Murderer’s Row.

It wasn’t easy being the “name” team with a target on your jersey. Butler was accustomed to that treatment within the confines of the Horizon League, but Stevens admitted, “As much as everybody can tell you about what it’s going to be like coming off a national championship game, it doesn’t do it justice until you live it. And I think we certainly lived through some of those things. This is as proud of a team as I’ve ever been for handling basketball adversity.”

Coach Bo Ryan’s Badgers, one of two teams to defeat No. 1 Ohio State this season, present another challenge if only because they are equally well-schooled in the fundamentals as the Bulldogs. No team in the country maximizes each possession like Wisconsin, which is fourth-ranked in defense, first in free-throw percentage and first in fewest turnovers.

Forward Jon Leuer and point guard Jordan Taylor are first-team All-Big Ten and both are Wooden Award candidates for player of the year. Stevens said Taylor, in particular, “makes them a national title contender.”

But the truth is that last year wasn’t Butler’s first time at the ball. This is the Bulldogs’ fourth trip to the Sweet 16 since 2003.

While others are talking of fitting them for a glass slipper again, Stevens said, “We never talk about how it’ll be a big surprise if it happens. We talk about: ‘Here’s what we need to do.’

“The Cinderella tag has been placed on us. Just like the ‘Hoosiers’ talk last year, we’ll gladly take it. It’s not a bad thing to be the underdog.”

Curious how the rest of the Sweet 16-bound schools compare? Click and drag the chart below to see how your favorite team compares!

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