Has Butler arrived?

With its second consecutive Final Four appearance, are the Bulldogs a force to be reckoned with in the world of Major College Basketball, or are they just a flash in the pan?



Where will Butler be five years from now?  The only team to ever appear in two consecutive final fours without being a #1 or #2 seed either time, the Bulldogs never disappoint when it comes to our traditional NCAA Tournament upsets.  In the first round, many people were picking the much bigger Old Dominion team to handle them in the first round.  Okay, Butler got past that.  Pittsburgh is too talented and relentless for the Bulldogs to handle.  Honestly, people really didn't know what to think of Butler even after that win.  The only vulnerability they've showed in this entire tournament may have been their inability to break Wisconsin's press late in the game when they seemingly had it locked up.  Now, with their school's basketball team putting the University on the map, Butler will attempt to clinch a berth in a second straight Nation Championship Game as they take on the VCU Rams Saturday, April 2nd. 

The question is, once again, where will Butler be in five years?  Do they have any future in big time College Basketball?  Sure, Butler will appear in NCAA Tournaments in the years to come, that much is inevitable.  However, will they ever be a legitimate National Championship contender in the Preseason?  Yes, people know Butler, but will they ever be a favorite, not just a team that sneaks into the tournament as an eight seed, and gives power teams whiplash in the first few rounds?  Yes, we would all like to see Butler, a tiny school from Indianapolis challenge the likes of Kentucky, Duke, and North Carolina, but it will be a while until we see it.  In the next five years, if Butler makes another Final Four, I may be a believer, but not yet.  Butler isn't exactly the most exciting team if you've watched them during their run.  Running a lot of a DDM offense, which includes a lot of off-ball screens, on-ball screens, double picks, and spreading the defense out, no one individual is primed to be a superstar.  Which is just fine, it's all about winning, isn't it?  That's what Butler does, they win, even if they do come out of no where the majority of the time.  However, most players now-a-days want to go to schools such as Kentucky or Kansas, so they can play on ESPN, get the exposure, and be a lottery draft pick. 

So, all in all, yes, I think Butler has arrived as a threat in College Basketball.  While they may not be a powerhouse, they will be a team that will be consistently winning tournament games, as long as Brad Stevens is there.