Getting to know the 2011 Final Four teams: Butler

This week, The Dagger takes a deeper look at each of the four schools participating in the 2011 Final Four. Next up, Butler. Previously: VCU.

Location: Indianapolis, IN

Enrollment: 3,897

Team Mascot: Bulldogs

How they got to Houston: d. Old Dominion (60-58), d. Pittsburgh (61-60), d. Wisconsin (61-54), d. Florida (74-71)

Greatest basketball moment: Coming within centimeters of winning the 2010 national championship.

Reason to root for them: See above.

Reason to root against them: See above. (They failed to beat Duke, thus inflicting this sight upon the nation.)�

How the school dealt with Final Four appearance on its main website page: Minimal (but second most of the four schools). I guess when you've made it two years in a row, you can afford to be a little blas� about the whole affair.

Why is the school called Butler? The university is named Ovid Butler, an abolitionist newspaper editor who died in 1881.

Famous alumni: Bobby Plump (the basis for Jimmy Chitwood in the movie "Hoosiers," the final scene of which was filmed at the school's Hinkle Fieldhouse), Kurt Vonnegut.

Notorious alumni: Jim Jones (founder of the Peoples Temple)

Smart quote to make others think you've been following Butler all along: "After that Youngstown State loss, I figured they were done. Never count out a team with Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack though. Nor one that plays Illinois Chicago twice in the final month of the season."

What not to say at your Final Four party: "[While Brad Stevens is on TV] I didn't realize it was 'take your kid to work' day."

What Clark Kellogg will probably say about Butler: "The adaptitude of Brad Stevens to get his team to execute and score points can help the Bulldogs go to the finals."

Chances of winning it all: Better than last year. If we accept that Butler is the favorite over VCU (although, in this tournament, that bodes well for VCU), all it'll take is another solid performance against Kentucky or Connecticut to reverse last year's heartbreak.

Jim Nantz's most likely scripted line if they do: "It was the Butler in the stadium with the dagger!"

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