Can Duke-Butler step into immortality? (NCAA Championship Open Thread)

We remembered 1983 on the blog and also on the message boards earlier today…so, let’s don’t disrespect 1974 before tonight’s tip.

I ran across this newspaper article earlier today

6. David Thompson, N.C. State, 1974
In the national semifinals, “Skywalker” led N.C. State to a victory over UCLA, ending the Bruins’ record streak of seven consecutive titles. Thompson scored 28 points — including hitting the game-winning shot — and grabbed 10 boards in the double overtime victory. He also had 21 points and seven rebounds in N.C. State’s 76-64 win over Marquette in the title game. But the most impressive win that year may have been over Maryland in the ACC title game.

Feel free to use this thread to discuss tonight’s game and, as always, feel free to surf our message boards for other timely topics of interest.

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27 Responses to Can Duke-Butler step into immortality? (NCAA Championship Open Thread)

  1. LRM 04/05/2010 at 9:13 PM #

    Go Butler.

  2. Tiew 04/05/2010 at 9:49 PM #

    Surprisingly good game so far.

  3. turnoffthetv 04/05/2010 at 10:03 PM #

    Any chance we could snag butler coach??????

  4. Wolfy__79 04/05/2010 at 10:20 PM #

    i seriously doubt he goes anywhere. he might be the next coach k? very good game so far. if any of yawl want the butler coach at nc state, i’d suggest hoping for a duke win. a win for this young coach at a school like butler and he stays there.

  5. GAWolf 04/05/2010 at 10:35 PM #

    Great game. The refs are letting them play which I agree with, but anyone else think sheyer’s tip in with 1 second on the shotclock was goaltending? Maybe these refs got the Coach K memo? What conference are they from?

  6. GAWolf 04/05/2010 at 10:39 PM #

    Definitely got the memo. The Duke flop in full effect.

  7. StateFans 04/05/2010 at 11:25 PM #

    When I originally posted this entry I had NO IDEA this game could ultimately be this friggin good. WOW!

    K now has 4 National Championships.

  8. Wolfy__79 04/05/2010 at 11:32 PM #

    i originally thought it was goal tending but on the replay, another player’s hand was in the net (butler). the view from behind the basket shows sheyers hand tipping it in outside the hoop…

    that was a pretty awesome game. i bet there are some whining little girls over in chapel hill. k’s four nc’s cement him as the ACC top coach if there was any question. i didn’t think this duke team had what it took to even get to the final four but they played some of their best ball in the tourney. pretty good for a down year for the ACC.

  9. Sweet jumper 04/05/2010 at 11:33 PM #

    Duke dodged a freakin’ atomic bomb. The final shot dropping would have been the ultimate finish. I love the way Butler plays. They missed a ton of makeable shots around the basket and were still in the game to the end on defense, hustle and determination. Oh well, we are one of 5 to beat the champs and we spanked them.

  10. packalum44 04/05/2010 at 11:33 PM #

    Chancellor Woodson need to immediately assume AD duties and offer Brad the chance to get payback. We can offer you the best arena in the country and the chance to play K every year. Offer him 2M a year and prepare to go to 3M.

  11. Wolfy__79 04/05/2010 at 11:36 PM #

    i’m all for that. i have my doubts he ever leaves butler. i would love to see it though.

  12. LRM 04/05/2010 at 11:41 PM #

    If this was going to be the end of the NCAAT as we know it, then I sure wish that one of those last two shots had fallen…

    But, at least Duke winning hurts Carolina fans worse than it does us, so there’s the silver lining. I hate when Duke wins but I like when Carolina fans suffer. It’s a trade-off.

  13. packalum44 04/05/2010 at 11:51 PM #

    Don’t think for one second Woodson doesn’t have close connections to Brad Stevens. Indiana is a small Good ol’ Boy state too! Pipe dream to be sure but what’s wrong with being a dreamer, Butler’s run was a dream come true.

    He’s had the taste of a Championship only to fall short at the buzzer and its a bitter pill to swallow to be sure. He’s not naïve enough to think Butler has a realistic chance to win the lottery twice nor the appeal to attract top 10 recruiting classes year in and year out. Why stay and make a fraction of your market value at a place where you just maxed out?

  14. BJD95 04/05/2010 at 11:56 PM #

    Hell of a game by two well-coached teams who fought their asses off. I tip my cap to all involved (except CBS’ lousy announcing duo, who were worse than usual – could you imagine what Gus Johnson would have done with that classic game?).

  15. GAWolf 04/06/2010 at 12:37 AM #

    Wolfy: I think the rule is it’s goaltending if any part of the ball is still within the cylinder when touched.

  16. PackerInRussia 04/06/2010 at 7:12 AM #

    Great game. I’d much rather watch a game like that than a bunch of one-and-done primadonnas running around. Would have been awesome if that last shot fell, but congratulations to Duke.

    Did anyone have Duke v. Butler in your bracket?

  17. Rochester 04/06/2010 at 7:37 AM #

    If Hayward’s shot had gone in that goes down as one of the greatest games in tournament history. Instead it’s just the latest in a long line of screw jobs by the NCAA. Butler was abused and stripped in the paint so much in the first half it looked like the bathroom at a Duke lacrosse party.

    Note: I don’t root for Duke just because they’re our ACC “brethren.” They have enough front-running fans (including everyone on the CBS payroll) without me.

  18. Texpack 04/06/2010 at 8:37 AM #

    Kyle Singler is one lucky son of a gun. That wide open 10 footer that he launched 8.5 feet in the final 20 seconds was the biggest gag job I’ve ever seen. If Butler wins, he gets abused all next season by opposing fans for that one. Absolutely great college basketball game. I have my lottery entry submitted for Final Four tickets for next year and I can only hope to get to see that good a game at Reliant.

  19. Prowling Woofie 04/06/2010 at 8:39 AM #

    BJD95,

    My sons and I were amazed that CBS actually allowed Clark Kellogg to call last night’s game, after he made so many gaffs during Saturday’s broadcasts. What an idiot !!!

    Congrats to Duke – great season… And we handed ’em their worst beat-down of the season !

  20. Six Pack 04/06/2010 at 10:57 AM #

    I know a lot of you don’t like Rafferty, but he certainly is better than Kellogg. If not Rafferty, then bring in Elmore, I think he’s pretty doggone good at breaking stuff down and he doesn’t make stupid comments.

  21. rtpack24 04/06/2010 at 11:07 AM #

    Butler is the best coached b-ball team that I have seen in along time. Wonder how Stevens has done so well this is just his third year. They start 3 sophs. What a great job done by this great young coach. Butler lost but Duke had to play Butler’s game.

  22. PoppaJohn 04/06/2010 at 11:09 AM #

    I love the fact that Duke won. It was a great game, and would have been even more awesome if won on a half court shot – but let’s be happy for the conference.
    After listening to a whole year of how great the Big East – and other conferences were – the last man standing is from the ACC. Two years in a row!
    And if there were anyway we could grab Stevens, I’d chip in.

  23. Wolfy__79 04/06/2010 at 11:14 AM #

    ^i’ve got the checkbook out! i’ll chip in as well.

  24. BJD95 04/06/2010 at 12:33 PM #

    I never really noticed how bad Nantz was until Packer was gone. As Packer’s “straight man” he wasn’t so bad. But with the equally bland Kellogg in tandem, it’s clear that he’s a miscast golf announcer.

    Elmore and Johnson is easily the best broadcast team going, followed (IMHO) by Gmisnki and Brando. And I always hated Raftery, but he’s grown on me the past few years.

  25. redwolf823 04/06/2010 at 3:53 PM #

    This is off topic, but I don’t know how to start a post. What does everyone think about Oliver Purnell’s decision to leave Clemson for DePaul?

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