Don’t call it the clash of Cinderellas: Butler vs. VCU might be one of the most unlikely Final Four matchups from the 2011 NCAA Tournament bracket, but both low-seeded teams have made their Big Dance runs based on toughness rather than finesse. Butler’s won three games by three points or less, while VCU’s relentless defense has throttled such blue-bloods as Kansas, Georgetown, and Purdue. We’ll find out which mid-major advances to the NCAA Tournament final this Saturday at 6:09 p.m. Eastern, according to the Final Four schedule, and Jim Nantz and Clark Kellogg will have the call in Houston.
VCU Vs. Butler, Final Four 2011: Preview, Predictions For 6:09 ET Tipoff
Butler's 2011 NCAA Tournament run, which began with a buzzer-beating tip-in to beat Old Dominion in the second round, has produced the Bulldogs' second consecutive Final Four appearance and vaulted wunderkind coach Brad Stevens to the forefront of his profession. But the Bulldogs have gotten here on the back of solid play from their roster, not just Stevens' excellent schemes: Matt Howard put in the tip against Old Dominion, Shelvin Mack starred against Pittsburgh, and little-used reserve Chrishawn Hopkins provided a spark against Florida. If Ronald Nored can play the sort of defense he's renowned for against VCU point guard Joey Rodriguez, expect Butler to be playing for an NCAA championship for the second time in as many years.
VCU's run to the Final Four has taken them through one team from every BCS conference but the SEC — and if they beat Butler and face Kentucky in the NCAA Tournament final, the Rams will have completed a postseason tour of the richer, football-heavy conferences. For the Rams to do that, they will likely need to force Butler to play at their pulse-pounding tempo; VCU is at its best when Rodriguez is distributing the ball to three-point shooters in transition and penetrating for easy buckets, and when the Rams' pressure on defense forces turnovers in bunches. If the threes don't fall, though, a lack of size inside makes the Rams susceptible to bigs like Butler's Howard and Andrew Smith. Butler doesn't have a player quite as versatile as VCU's Jamie Skeen, though, and the lanky Ram could be a huge matchup problem for the Bulldogs.
Star Watch: Nored contributes next to nothing on offense, which makes his defensive contributions even more important. If he can disrupt what Rodriguez and the Rams want to do around the perimeter, it will be a big boost to Butler’s chances.
Prediction: Butler’s playing a team with less talent than it has for the first time in this NCAA Tournament, and that’s a good thing for the Bulldogs: they’ll win, 68-59, as the threes that have buoyed VCU throughout this marvelous run to the Final Four desert them.
More Reading: SB Nation Indiana has more on the Butler Bulldogs’ Final Four, and SB Nation DC has plenty of VCU Rams coverage. Want to learn more about the 2011 NCAA Tournament in general? Check out SB Nation’s NCAA Tournament hub.
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