The Butler Bulldogs have advanced to the third round, it’s still the second round, you’re telling me in a “round” 64/68 teams get a bye? of the 2013 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship and will meet Marquette at Rupp Arena on Saturday, March 23rd in Lexington, Kentucky. The arena is named after legendary villain and Kentucky coach Adolph Rupp who is probably turning over in his grave today. For two reasons: one his Kentucky Wildcats went from National Champs to eliminated by lowly Robert Morris in the first round of the NIT, Not Invited Tournament.
And the bigger reason Rupp is turning over in his grave is because black players dominate both his program and all of college basketball (well maybe not the Wisconsin Badgers or at Notre Dame). Rupp didn’t like black players much, so what a coincidence he was aptly named Adolph. The sixth-seeded Bulldogs, who won their second round game against #11 seed Bucknell, will meet #3 seed Marquette at approximately 7:45 p.m. (ET). Butler (27-8) and Marquette (24-8) will be squaring off for the second time this season.
The two teams met back on Nov. 19 in the first round of the Maui Invitational, and Butler squeaked by, 72-71, on a three-point buzzer beater by senior star guard Rotnei Clarke. The Bulldogs went on to finish runner-up to the ILLINOIS FIGHTING ILLINI in that Hawaii tournament. Thursday’s victory over Bucknell was Butler’s 16th in its past seven NCAA Tournament appearances. Butler finished as national runner-up in both 2010 and 2011, and the Bulldogs advanced to the
Sweet 16 in both 2003 and 2007.
Marquette, will be a future conference rival in the new Big East, as Butler joined the famous Catholic 7. Marquette, making its eighth consecutive appearance
in the NCAA Tournament, just barely slid by #14 Davidson in the first round. Davidson was just an awful match-up for them. Maybe Butler will be different.
Butler and Marquette were conference foes for two years, 1989-91, in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference, splitting four conference meetings over the two seasons. Marquette left the MCC in the summer of 1991.
Butler and Marquette are meeting for the 27th time ever. The Bulldogs have won the last three meetings between the two teams, but Marquette leads the
overall series, 14-12.
Paul M. Banks is the owner of The Sports Bank.net, an author and regular contributor to MSN, Fox Sports , Chicago Now, Walter Football.com and Yardbarker. Banks has appeared on Comcast SportsNet and the History Channel, as well as Clear Channel, ESPN and CBS radio all over the world. President Barack Obama follows him on Twitter (@PaulMBanks)