INDIANAPOLIS -- After nearly pulling the unthinkable and upsetting Duke in last year's title game, the Butler basketball program is getting a lump of coal from the rest of the nation this Christmas.
What happened to the Cinderella team everyone fell in love with last March? Weren't they supposed to blur the lines between major and mid-major?
At 6-4 this season with a home loss to Evansville serving as the glaring wart on Cinderella's nose, is Butler being exposed as simply a one-hit wonder?
On the surface it may appear as much, but a closer look reveals that it is business as usual for another gritty Butler team and its unflappable coach, Brad Stevens.
Last season, Butler owned a 7-3 record through its first 10 games. The swing game between this year and last year? Last season, Butler edged Evansville on the road, 64-60. This season, the Bulldogs lost 71-68 in overtime at home. (It also bears mentioning that Butler's top lock-down defender, Ronald Nored, missed that game with a concussion).
A year ago, Butler also registered a signature win by knocking off Ohio State at home. This season, no ranked opponent has yet to visit historic Hinkle Fieldhouse. However, the most recent team that did, the Pac-10's Stanford, was eviscerated by Butler, 83-50.
Source: http://ncaabasketball.fanhouse.com/2010/12/22/did-butler-fool-us-all-last-year/
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