The ultimate Cinderella is back, ladies and gentlemen. After missing the NCAA Tournament in 2012, Brad Stevens and the Butler Bulldogs have made it into the 2013 dance as a No. 6 seed.
Could we be in store for another magical run?
1. The Butler Bulldogs have competed in two of the past three National Championship games. In that time, they’ve defeated the likes of Florida, Wisconsin, Michigan State, Kansas State, Syracuse and VCU. They eventually lost, but set the standard for mid-Major teams in the tournament.
2. Despite their immense tournament success, Butler has never been seeded higher than fifth. They were a No. 5 in the 2010 Tournament and a No. 8 in 2011.
3. Head coach Brad Stevens remains in town, despite being one of the hottest commodities in the nation. This marks his sixth season with Butler and his fifth NCAA Tournament appearance. In that time, he’s secured a record of 165-48.
4. Gordon Hayward, Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard are all gone. A new star is in town, however, as Rotnei Clark has emerged as one of the nation’s premier scoring guards. He’s averaging 16.7 points per game and has made his mark on countless occasions this season.
5. Thus far in 2012-13, Butler owns victories over Gonzaga, Indiana, Marquette, Illinois, North Carolina and La Salle. To say that they’re battle-tested and ready for another deep NCAA Tournament run would be an understatement.
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