For the second year in a row, the Butler Bulldogs have advanced to the national championship game, this time after defeating upstart VCU in the semifinal. Later in the night, UConn continued to utilize their newly acquired offensive balance to knock off Kentucky. The Wildcats may have eliminated themselves by shooting 4 of 12 from the stripe during the game. It wasn't the first time that foul shooting has derailed a Calipari-coached team from winning at the Final Four.
Now the final game is upon us, and either way, a surprising champion will be crowned.
Butler was blitzed by Louisville in their first game of the season and was not even considered as a possible bubble team going into the month of February. However, the Bulldogs rallied to win a share of the regular season title in the Horizon League and cruised to a conference tournament title. Ironically, their last lost was their worst loss, a mid-February embarrassment against cellar dwelling Youngstown State. Since then, Butler has turned into the team that was ranked in the preseason top 20. Still, no one imagined that a mid-major program like Butler could lose a first-round draft pick (Gordon Hayward) and duplicate their improbable trip to the Final Four without him.
UConn may be an even more unlikely participant in the national championship game. Despite being a traditional power in the Big East, this year the Huskies were picked to finish in the bottom six of the 16-team conference. Then Kemba Walker took over the first month of the season, leading the Huskies into the top 10 out of nowhere after turning the Maui Invitational into his own personal weekend showcase. But reality set in for Walker and his young teammates during the Big East schedule. The young squad took quite a few lumps during conference play, limping into the Big East tournament with a .500 conference record...but the Huskies haven't loss since. Five wins at MSG, coupled with five more in the NCAAs have landed them a game away from a shocking title run.
How Butler and UConn made it to Monday night's grand finale has been well documented, but the beauty of the NCAA tournament is being able to reflect on the moments that make the road more special than the destination. These are the moments that stood out during this year's tournament. This is AmStat's version of "One Shining Moment"
"Do It For DJ"
The resurgence of the St. John's Red Storm under new coach Steve Lavin was one of the most compelling stories of the season. Lavin took over a team that returned nine scholarship seniors desperate to make a run towards the NCAA Tournament before graduating. No one player embodied the perseverance of that senior class more than DJ Kennedy. Originally an afterthought in an impressive recruiting class, Kennedy worked his way from his limited reserve role as a freshman all the way to becoming an All-Big East player by his junior season. Kennedy's senior season did not top his junior year statistically, but his team jolted into the Top 25 and became a lock to play in the Big Dance for the first time in a decade. In the Storm's final game before Selection Sunday, Kennedy tragically tore his ACL on a fast break against Syracuse. After waiting four long years to play in the NCAA Tournament, Kennedy's college career ended a game short of his ultimate goal. The downpour of support for the fallen player was unprecedented. On Selection Sunday, fellow senior Sean Evans, Kennedy's close friend and replacement in the starting lineup, sported a t-shirt that simply stated "Do It For DJ" across the chest. In a matter of hours "Do It For DJ" became a rallying cry for all of New York City. Days later, hundreds of fans showed up at the Johnnies' on campus arena to send off their tournament bound team, but not before providing Kennedy with one last raucous show of appreciation. Many of the screaming fans wore shirts donning the phrase. Unfortunately, St. John's couldn't "Do It For DJ" as the Red Storm fell to Gonzaga in their first game. Still, the image of Kennedy cracking a smile as his classmates overwhelmed him with their support was an image that will not be soon forgotten.
A Mother's Promise
Kenneth Faried is statistically the best rebounder in the history of college basketball, he is a sure-fire NBA draft pick, and he draws comparisons to Ben Wallace for his ability to dominate games with his defense and rebounding. The force that drives Faried towards maniacal rebounding efforts is his mother. Waudda Faried is battling an incurable autoimmune disease known as lupus. Waudda Faried keeps track of her son's rebounding exploits all the way from her home in Newark, NJ. She would like to visit the campus more often but her disease limits her. However, Waudda Faried promised her son that if he ever played for a championship, she would be there. So when Morehead State won the Ohio Valley Conference Championship last month, mother and son embraced after the game in person. It was a promise fulfilled by a mother who draws strength from the success of her son. When the Eagles met Louisville for their opening NCAA Tournament game, Faried was able to wave at mom in the stands once again, and they embraced once more following an epic upset of Louisville. The full Kenneth Faried Story should be accompanied by a movie script, but the excerpts that we've seen so far have shown us the power of a mother's love and the determination of a devoted son.
The E-Pitt-ome of Class
Nasir Robinson will never forget how his team exited this year's tournament. In their second game against Butler, the Pittsburgh Panthers snatched sudden demise from the clutches of certain victory in a game that will forever live on as a tournament classic. The Panthers entered the final thirty seconds of the game clinging to a one-point lead against the defending national finalists. Butler ran the clock down to the final seconds before scoring on a beautiful set play. Pitt's Gilbert Brown hustled the ball to mid-court with hopes of making a desperation heave. Just before shooting the ball, Brown was inexplicably fouled with two seconds left. Brown would go to the line and tie the game with his first free throw, but he missed the second. The rebound fell to Butler's Matt Howard. What happened next will forever live in infamy throughout Western Pennsylvania. Nasir Robinson committed a clear and obvious foul on Howard, sending him to the line with a second remaining. Howard would ice the game, and send home the top seeded Panthers. Afterwards, Robinson was understandably inconsolable, but he handled the moment with a level of class that no one could have expected. Robinson didn't blame the referees for their decision to blow their whistle. He admitted his mistake and took ownership of his actions. The maturity and class that Robinson displayed while dealing with the extremely humbling situation is an indication of the leader that he will become in the future for the Pittsburgh Panthers. Most people will remember Nasir Robinson for his untimely actions, but what we should remember is his poise in the midst of an unfortunate circumstance.
Coach Smart Shows Us How It's Done
The NCAA Tournament has often introduced us to the future stars of college basketball coaching. VCU head man Shaka Smart has emerged as the coaching star of this year's tournament. What sets him apart? Some may say it's his infectious personality, others will point to his vast wealth of intelligence, but it is his passion that makes him an elite coach before the age of 35. While running practice, Smart decided to jump into one of his teams loose ball drills. VCU's head coach took a charge, dove on the floor for a loose ball, and then jumped to save a ball from going out of bounds. Smart ran the drill out full speed as if he was preparing to guard Shelvin Mack the next day. Shaka coaches with a youthful exuberance and intensity that has not been seen in the college game for a long time. The image of a Final Four head coach diving on the floor for loose balls has to be a defining image for this tournament. Coaches like Shaka Smart, don't come along very often. It's important that we enjoy them as well as appreciate them.
The NCAA Tournament has often introduced us to the future stars of college basketball coaching. VCU head man Shaka Smart has emerged as the coaching star of this year's tournament. What sets him apart? Some may say it's his infectious personality, others will point to his vast wealth of intelligence, but it is his passion that makes him an elite coach before the age of 35. While running practice, Smart decided to jump into one of his teams loose ball drills. VCU's head coach took a charge, dove on the floor for a loose ball, and then jumped to save a ball from going out of bounds. Smart ran the drill out full speed as if he was preparing to guard Shelvin Mack the next day. Shaka coaches with a youthful exuberance and intensity that has not been seen in the college game for a long time. The image of a Final Four head coach diving on the floor for loose balls has to be a defining image for this tournament. Coaches like Shaka Smart, don't come along very often. It's important that we enjoy them as well as appreciate them. 
