"Some Ride"

With a little over 13 seconds left in the Duke vs. Butler game the other night there were a few thoughts that kept coming into my mind. One was, are we getting ready to witness the 2nd coming of Hoosiers? Was Jimmy Chitwood II getting ready to shock the nation, just like “Hickory” shocked Indiana back in 1954. The atmosphere in Lucas Oil Stadium was nothing I have ever experienced in my life, and I have been to some good ball games. The way the crowd came out and supported Butler was amazing. Duke had brought a lot of fans and tried to match the intensity, but they were outnumbered by Butler fans. I am not even a Butler fan, but my heart was racing for most of that game, especially towards the end of the game. I think the fact that I hate Duke with a passion had something to do with that.
I wonder how that timeout went when Butler was down 1 with 13 seconds left. I can see it going something like this. Brad Stevens says, “Ok we are going to isolate Mack and let him go one on one with his man.” After hearing this all the Butler players put their heads down. Coach Stevens asks, “What’s the matter?” Gordon Hayward lifts his head with sweat dripping from his face and says, “I’ll make it.” All the Butler players have their spirits lifted and Coach Stevens agrees to go with it. Ok, so that is probably not how the timeout went, but I can dream right? Hayward almost made the winning shot on two different occasions. If Hayward makes that half court shot at the buzzer, this game goes from a great title game to the best shot in NCAA history and the best game in NCAA history. No questions asked, this game would’ve been talked about for decades to come. People would begin to ask who is Christian Laettner. This game may still be talked about for years to come.
With one season ending it brings up questions for what is next for Butler. Will coach Stevens stay or leave? I know other programs will offer a ton of money to him, including Oregon who has a ton of Nike money and great facilities. Some say Hayward could turn pro, and if Stevens leaves I think that will influence Hayward. If Stevens and Hayward both stay, then they return 4 starters and will compete once again for a national title. An avid college basketball fan outside the Midwest has heard of Butler, but now the casual fan knows where Butler is at. Will this change the type of recruits Butler pursues? Will McDonald’s All Americans now consider going to Butler? All of these questions will begin to unfold soon, and I hope Butler continues to have similar success.