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Butler and Final Four.
Perhaps it seemed crazy to put the two words together at the beginning of the season, but after what the Bulldogs did to Gonzaga Saturday night in front of a national television audience at Hinkle Fieldhouse, maybe it’s not such a crazy thought after all.
As Roosevelt Jones let go of a ball that had destiny written all over it, lifting Butler to a made-for-March 64-63 win over Gonzaga and sending the crowd into delirium, you have to believe Butler has as good of a shot at any team of making it to Atlanta in April.
Butler and Gonzaga played a game between two nationally ranked opponents that lived up to the hype from start to finish, one of those games where you hate to see a team lose.
And in the end, it was Butler finding a way to get the job done, winning one more big game and extending its remarkable win streak to 13 games.
Remember, it’s a win streak that includes a win over then No. 1 Indiana. So if the Bulldogs can beat the Hoosiers and then add to their resume with a win over Gonzaga, why can’t they go all the way?
Of course, there is a lot of basketball left to be played in a college basketball world where there is no truly great team, although there are a bunch of good teams capable of winning a national title.
Butler is good enough to be the team that wins it all. Saturday night proves as much.
Brian Lester is a college basketball writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @BLester1993.
