Pointspread: Butler-2 ½ Over/Under: 133 This Saturday the highest combination of seeds ever to meet in a Final Four game will take place when the No.11 VCU Rams, winners of the Southwest Region take on the No.8 seed Butler Bulldogs, who won the Southeast at Reliant Stadium in Houston. Game time is set for 6:05 p.m. (ET) and it will be broadcast on CBS.
VCU was a ?last four in? team in the expanded field of 68 teams for the NCAA Men?s Tournament. The Rams quickly proved they belonged with wins over USC in the play-in game and Georgetown in the second round. They caught everyone?s attention with a 94-76 rout of No.3 seed Purdue as a 9 ½-point underdog in round three and a 72-71 OT win over No.10 Florida State in the Sweet 16 as a 4 ½-point underdog.
VCU became the basketball story of year with a stunning 71-61 upset of No.1 seed Kansas in the Elite Eight as an 11-point underdog. The heart and soul of the team, Joey Rodriguez has done an excellent job of directing the offense and Jamie Skeen and Bradford Burgess have provided the points, especially from beyond the arc where the Rams are shooting 43.8 percent.
No one expected Butler to repeat it dramatic run to the 2010 title game, but after the Bulldogs knocked-off No.1 seed Pittsburgh 71-70 in the third round as an eight-point underdog, the path to Houston was clearly staked-out. They beat No.4 seed Wisconsin 61-54 in the Sweet 16 as a 4 ½-point underdog and outlasted No.2 seed Florida 74-71 in overtime in the Elite Eight.
Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack, who both played a significant role in last year?s run, have elevated their game to an even higher level this year. Howard is averaging 16.3 points and seven rebounds and Mack is averaging 21.3 points, including putting up 30 points against Pitt and 27 in the win over the Gators.
There will be no shortage of guts and determination in this game and it is actually unfortunate that one of these teams has to lose. Butler uses its edge in experience to grind-out a win, but stick with VCU and the 2 ½-points in a game that will fittinglycome down to the final possession.
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