Congrats to UConn -- I guess -- after surviving, 53-41, to win the NCAA men's title. But what an ugly, awful game. To watch Butler shoot the ball last night was to watch Roseanne Barr butcher the national anthem. Or like watching a 0-0 soccer game or a 3-0 NFL game with 14 turnovers.
Basketball is predicated on making shots. Neither team could make them in the first half, and only UConn could in the second. The fact that Butler didn't score a single point inside the paint for the game's first 33 minutes still blows my mind.
UConn's defense was great, and it got the Bulldogs panicking after about blocked shot No.6. But geez... 53-41? I've seen a lot of first halves where that was the score.
This game was a giant letdown in a lot of ways, and I didn't really have a dog in the fight. I would have liked to have seen Butler win just because I'd like to see a mid-major win one at some point, but more than that, I would have liked to have seen a game on the order of the Duke-Butler thriller from 2010.
No such luck. At one point, Butler was 8-for-50 from the field. The Bulldogs' story no longer felt like "Hoosiers." It felt like a bad horror film.
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I am quite certain that the championship looks exactly the same hanging from the rafters whether you enjoyed it or not.
Butler was so bad it felt like they were throwing the game.
I agree it was horrible, but at least the championship in NCAA basketball is decided the right way without any debate on who the championship title belongs to... unlike football.
Let me say this, the first half was ugly. I have been a UCONN fan for about 25 years. No matter how ugly it was, these were the last two teams standing and they beat some pretty good teams (or teams who beat good teams) to get there. This championship, no matter how ugly the game was, means more to that team or the fans then any other ones. The tenacity of the UConn Huskies in tournament play this year is unrivaled by any other in history. Jim Calhoun is now recognized as one of the best. Just look at the last 12 years, 3 Championships, 4 Final Four appearances (almost 5, damn you George Mason) and I dont think there are many teams that put out the NBA players like UConn. Great job to Kemba and the boys. Thank you for a great season!
Looked like a bad WNBA game to me.
The game will prove insignificant anyway. After the NCAA finishes their investigation, the trophy will be taken back and given to Butler.
I don't know Anon @ 8:58...calling last nights game the "greatest in UCONN history" and that it "meant more to all previous UCONN teams" (including the other squads that won a national championship) and "all other UCONN fans" - IN ALL OF HISTORY - sounds like it might be just a bit of a stretch. The "most tenacious" in all of NCAA history? Really? Good grief man...just admit it, you guys won an ugly championship game in an otherwise pretty exciting tournament. It really was the worst title game ever - in all of NCAA history - so, there's your history for you.
UConn made it look like a typical Big East game...ugly and no fun to watch. I'm a basketball fan, but it's so bad, I can't watch it on a regular basis.
You Are Spoiled. After a great tournament. Quit whining. UCONN was horrible too. What do you expect after such a grueling tournament. These two teams deserved to be there and they deserved to have an off night. The entertainment mentality of the NCAA has brainwashed you!! I'm proud of both teams!!
Yeah, yeah, yeah. If it had been UNC that defeated Butler all you whiners would be saying it was one of the greatest games in history.
This is the result of the type of play that is now being allowed in college basketball, and particularly in the Big East. When fouls are no longer fouls, then it opens up the sort of defensive effort that brings the game to a halt. Butler is riding the wave of this change and it is only going to get worse unless it is cleaned up.
Now let's just hope that Kemba Walker fall to #10 in this years draft and the Bobcats can draft him. This kid will be a star, he'll be a better version of Tony Parker.
I thought I was watching China play The Congo
You would have seen better shooting in a China-Congo game
ti the 9:15 post about UNC fans would have claimed it the greatest victory... sorry bud, those of us who watched the 82' haven't claimed any of the titles since to be as prolific and exciting (and by the way all of UNCs were more historic than the yawner last night)
I don't like UCONN, but Ithought it was a great defensive game. Butler beat VCU by their 3-defense - and UCONN prevented Butler from getting rebounds and points in the paint. Butler had 5 miserable minutes in the 2nd half and that was the ball game. I appreciate that this is a pro-town, and I'm from the sticks and think the NBA is a waste - but no serious coach or player can NOT have watched that game and think it was bad. As well as that first half was played, we are all frustrated with the 2nd half, but that's the beauty of the NCAA - you need to be "on" 6 games in a row. That's what makes the multi-year UCLA run so special. That's what was so impressive in recent years with Florida and Duke. Let's give some credit to Butler for going 5-1 when it counted. Congrats UCONN.
AMEN Brother. Dreadful....
Dang Scott, would you just shut-up?!? The latest posts you've ran is nothing but whining. You don't like the outcome shut-up, move-on, get another job... geez!
Great rough and tough game Northern style game... as bad as some of the shot selections were, there was terrific defense, including the new NCAA Championship record for blocked shots. It was extremely entertaining!
I think you mean to say GOOD, entertaining basketball is predicated on making shots.
I wish I had many minutes of my life back after reading Fowler all these years - most clueless sports writer ever.
Scott is right, this is a bad ending to a great season and tourney. I wonder if teams are starting to suffer from so many games in the later part of the season. Anyways, I was caught thinking about the 1999 championship game between Duke and UConn. One of the best games ever played, and either of those teams would have beaten either of the teams last night by 25 points. The level of game play just seems to be trending downward, even from five years ago.
I am a basketball purist and student of the game and it's unfortunate that the championship game was "less than". But you have to remember that Butler was a #8 seed for a reason. Yes, they went on a good run to get there but eventually the true nature of the team came out at the wrong time. They are good, well coached. And frankly, they played pretty good defense holding Uconn to low scoring. But it was very anticlimactic.
Rumor has it that the UCONN
administration is going to
require the players to attend
class now that the season is
over. What a bummer for those
poor boys.
I'll take it a step further. Not only was this the worst title game ever, IMO this was the worst game I've seen in my lifetime. I've watched teen aged leagues play at the local Y that were more entertaining. It was like no one wanted to win.
For you ACC people that say this was a typical Big East game you need to watch a little more and open your mind. Yes the Big East plays defense and their games are a little lower scoring than many other conferences but that wasn't why Butler couldn't hit a shot. They choked! Also, U Conn didn't play well either but all they had to do was be a little better than Butler. Don't say it was due to defense as that would have been true in a 69-65 game. When one team scores 53 and the other 41 (worst since 1949), it is about the teams not performing offensively, not the defense. Congrats to U Conn and Jim Calhoun - you deserved it with the run through the Big East and NCAA tournaments but the game was HORRIBLE!!
Defense my @$$... That was just bad.
anonymous 11:11 - check the academic record of the players, Calhoun's history and U Conn academics in general. It is a VERY good school and basketball players that went there, on average, have gotten their education. Frankly, that rank higher than many SEC and ACC schools including one or two NC based ones! Know what you are talking about before spouting off next time!
For those of you who have - for years - said Maryland's win over Indiana in 2002 was the worst-ever national championship game...this one makes that look like one of the greatest games in history!
I thought the first half was a great defensive battle and was fun to watch. The second half just became Butler unable to make layups and was not nearly as much fun to watch. I think to categorize the whole game as horrible isn't fair because the first half was great.
ALL of this whining but NOBODY has mentioned the power button. if it was SO BAD, SO HORRIBLE, SO AWFUL, THE WORST EVER as you all say it was, then why not turn your televisions off and stop watching the game? If it was all of that to all of you, then WHY did you FOOLS continue to WATCH it????
What is that illiterate trash at 09:53 AM? Please tell me you’re just a fan and that you didn’t earn a degree there! Please?
Agree. Not worth the time.
It surely was an ugly 1st half. I will confess that I am a Uconn grad living in Charlotte, and I used to live in Storrs. I thought that the defense by Uconn in the second half was about the best college level defense I have seen, and it surely contributed heavily to Butler's shooting woes. They had few open shots, most were hotly contested. I agree with another's comment that the game was ugly, but both teams did a great job of getting to the game. Congrats to both.
This game was SO BAD, SO HORRIBLE, SO AWFUL, THE WORST EVER that I turned off my televisions and stopped watching the game at halftime.
OMG...It was the worst basketball I had seen all season.
Worst championship game, and probably the worst champion I've seen. Credit UConn's defense for some of it, but this is the third straight game they hit a team that gave it away. Arizona had a massive letdown game after they exploded on Duke. Kentucky made idiot decisions down the stretch and missed more free throws than any Final Four team since Calipari's Memphis team. (hmmm, coincidence?) Butler just choked.
And for what it's worth, yes, I'm a UNC fan, and I'll freely admit that the 2009 title was about the least exciting tournament run I've seen a team make. Duke's title game last year was far better than any of UNC's six wins the year before. This isn't about jealousy or what not -- this is about bad, bad basketball.
Why bash soccer. It is a beautiful game and a 0 - 0 draw can be a fantastic result.
Carolina fans(Duke included)let jealousy overwhelm you.They couldn't cut the mustard so they need something to cry about.
History says that UNC holds the record for lowest points in the first half of a championship game with 17.
Uconn had 10 blocks, that more than UNC gets in three games.Maybe defense had something to do with it.
Duke played a big easy team as I remember(St. John's) and they sucked against the BE defense as I remember also.
I really enjoy college basketball but not so-called professional basketball.This was a bad game and I went to bed after the half.
Last night's game was a good indicator of just how far the college game has fallen over the past 30 years. It's sad, but there just isn't as much talent in the college game anymore. Can anyone imagine either of those teams (or last year's Duke team for that matter) trying to compete against a team like 1974 NC State or 1982 UNC? Hardly.
One should be cautious in lauding UCLA's run of championships. Those were the days when UCLA played in the West Regional, and who out there could beat 'em? UCLA wasn't seriously challanged until it got into the Final Four. Win two games? OK. Kittybone
I have to admit that it was very nice to see that basketball players don't have to have dreads, attitudes and tattoos.
Worst game ever.
It was like watching two Wisconsin-team clones play, both teams with the avowed purpose of preventing the other team from scoring while making just barely enough points to win a low-number event. No fun, just frustrating. I have to confess: the classic Duke-Kentucky game of years ago spoiled me forever.
Geez Scott. I would like to see Carolina beat Michigan State instead!
Great rough and tough game Northern style game... as bad as some of the shot selections were, there was terrific defense, including the new NCAA Championship record for blocked shots.usagamezone.blogspot.com my site
yeah it's totally true, this was one of the worst title in the sport history, I can't believe that many people has seen this, and still supporting this kind of behavior.
If it ended up UNC in which defeated Servant all that you whiners could be declaring it turned out one of the biggest games in history.
That-s the worst stuff I've ever seen in many years. what a shame
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