BOISE, Idaho — THIS DAY IN SPORTS…April 4, 2011:
In the lowest-scoring NCAA championship game in 62 years, Connecticut beats Butler 53-41 to win its third national title. The Bulldogs once again captured the country’s imagination, rising from a No. 8 seed to make their second straight NCAA Tournament final under coach Brad Stevens. They were the first team ever to make back-to-back title games without being a No. 1 or No. 2 seed. Butler wasn’t even ranked in the final Top 25 polls of the season. But the Bulldogs couldn’t find the bucket against UConn. They shot just 18.8 percent, the worst in championship game history.
The previous year, Butler was a No. 5 seed and stormed all the way to the championship game to meet Duke, riding a 25-game winning streak. That one was more hotly contested, as the Blue Demons held off the Bulldogs 61-59.
Stevens was seen as basketball’s answer to Boise State coach Chris Petersen at the time, although he was considerably younger than Coach Pete. Stevens would coach Butler two more seasons after the 2011 title game, leaving in 2013 to take over the Boston Celtics at the age of 36. He is now the president of basketball operations for the Celtics.
Butler’s back-to-back title game appearances are part of NCAA Tournament lore and are a testament to the need for the College Football Playoffs to expand to 16 teams. More often than not, the traditional powers will hold serve in a CFP Final Four, but every once in a while you’ll get a story like Butler’s—and one like St. Peter’s march to the Elite Eight this year, the first No. 15 seed ever to get that far. And people will tell their kids and grandkids about it.
Before I finish today, I have to mention the passing of KTVB’s Larry Gebert. It hits hard. He was an indelible part of so many lives in Idaho, including mine. Larry came to Boise from Montana in 1983 to replace me as sports director when I left Channel 2. He was also responsible for me meeting my wife, Beth, almost 30 years ago. He never forgot a friend. And we will never forget him.
(Tom Scott hosts the Scott Slant segment during the football season on KTVB’s Sunday Sports Extra. He also anchors four sports segments each weekday on 95.3 FM KTIK and one on News/Talk KBOI. His Scott Slant column runs every Wednesday.)
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