The Butler Did It!

An incredible 11-0 run in the last 4 minutes of the game, which bookended a 12-1 to start the game, just put Butler 1 win away from a dream Final Four in their hometown of Indianapolis. Oh, and it sent another #1 seed packing.

I haven't been high on Syracuse and, in fact, thought that without Arinze Onuaku, they wouldn't get past the first weekend of the Tournament. But I didn't expect them to lose tonight. Neither of the 'Cuse's two critical weaknesses -- turnovers and defensive rebounding -- plays into Butler's strengths. But apparently the Orange didn't need a lot of help coughing the ball up. The 18-7 turnover disparity was the first key to Butler's win. It meant that the Bulldogs took 4 more shots from the field and 7 more from the free throw line. Gotta shoot to score.

The second key stat, equally odd, was Butler's 16-for-28 shooting inside the arc. The Bulldogs typically rely on threes, and per usual, they shot a boatload tonight. But they only hit 25% from downtown. They more than made up for it by poking their way into the seams of Syracuse's zone. Missing Onuaku didn't help.

Take heart, Syracuse fans. You have plenty of company in the Big East comfort room, where your rivals from DC, Philly, and Pittsburgh have been licking their wounds. And don't say we didn't warn you:

The March has said all season long that this is a down year across the board in college hoops, and that the tournament would be chaotic, um, madness as a result. With Kansas down, there are some happy folks in Lexington, Syracuse, and Durham, but they best beware. The Madness has barely begun.