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The success secret for VCU and Butler
What attracts us to them? It's more than just their roles as underdogs this weekend
Originally Published: March 29, 2011
By
Tim Keown | ESPN.com
North Carolina's Harrison Barnes unknowingly provided the perfect metaphor for today's college basketball landscape. In Sunday's Elite Eight game against Kentucky, Barnes did something usually seen only on asphalt playgrounds or in Harlem Globetrotter games or dunk contests. Or, every so often, in an NBA game, but only by a player at the very top of the food chain.
What did Barnes do? He passed to himself.
Barnes angled into the lane and found his path blocked. He pump-faked, ...
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2011 NCAA TOURNAMENT

The road has led us to Houston. Who takes home the prized hardware?
Tournament home » Bracket » Challenge »
NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
- Forde: Sight for sore eyes »
- O'Neil: Walker cooks up national title »
- Brennan: Calhoun cements legacy »
- Katz: Don't remember this by its ending »
- Leung: Butler shoots itself in foot »
- Video: UConn's Alex Oriakhi

- Video: UConn's Kemba Walker

- Video: Looking back at UConn's season

- Video: Breaking down UConn's victory

- Video: Katz/O'Neil/Forde on title game

- Video: Butler's Brad Stevens

- Video: Butler's Shawn Vanzant

COLUMNS AND FEATURES
- Writer Q&A: Title-game edition »
- Forde: College sports needs Butler title »
- O'Neil: Jim Calhoun enjoying the ride »
- Brennan's gameplan: If I was Jim Calhoun »
- Gameplan: If I was Brad Stevens »
- Forde: Rick Pitino's take on the title game »
- Forde: Dream continues for Butler, UConn »
- Brennan: A first look at Huskies-Bulldogs »
- O'Neil: Once again, Butler will play for title »
- Katz: UConn continues to find ways to win »
- Leung: Bittersweet end for VCU »
- O'Neil: As Knight improved, so did UK »
- Forde: Proving ground for Shaka Smart »
- Brennan: The Kentucky game plan »
- Brennan: The Butler game plan »
- Brennan: The VCU game plan »
- A coaching view of the Final Four »
- O'Neil: Villa 7 opened door for Smart »
- Leung: Skeen finds right fit at VCU »
- Katz: Calhoun vs. Calipari in '90s »
- O'Neil: Ex-UConn asst. cheers from China »
- Forde: The Establishment is under attack »
- Katz: Marshall plays big for Butler »
- Vitale: Final Four thoughts and winner »
- Reilly: Howard, Butler just keep winning »
- Keown: VCU, Butler and the team concept »
- Hill: VCU no reason to expand tourney »
- Katz: Final Four primer »
BEST OF THE BLOGS
- The phone call that changed Butler history »
- Leung: Napier had help along the way »
- Stat Shot: Historical facts »
- Adams: Butler will win and here's why »
- Walker, Mack to decide title »
- O'Neil: Nored ready for Kemba challenge »
- O'Neil: Keeping Stevens priority No. 1 »
- Forde: Butler finds unlikey hero in Hopkins »
- O'Neil: VCU's Rodriguez stands tall »
- Katz: Walker-Knight matchup is key »
- Leung: Liggins keeps late brother close »
- Brennan: UConn becoming a blueblood? »
- Brennan: 10 things to know »
INSIDER
- Gasaway: Re-examining March Madness

- Gasaway: How UConn turned it around

- Fraschilla: Five objectives for each team

- Gasaway: Butler's offense fuels run

- Millman: Who do the insiders like?

- Gasaway: Brandon Knight is UK's Kemba

- Thorpe: Final Four's surprise prospects

- Eight key questions for the Final Four

- Gasaway: Is Brad Stevens lucky or good?
- Gottlieb: How to beat the UK Wildcats
- Lunardi: How to beat the Butler Bulldogs
- Bilas: How to beat the UConn Huskies
- Fraschilla: How to beat the VCU Rams
RECRUITING
- Biancardi: How Kentucky was built »
- Telep: How VCU was built »
- Telep: How UConn was built »
- Biancardi: How Butler was built »
VIDEO
- Roundtable: O'Neil-Katz-Forde

- Katz's championship game preview

- Doug Gottlieb's prediction

- Katz's convo with Stevens and Calhoun

- Katz's news of the day

- Vitale's championship game preview

- "GameDay" predictions

HOW WE GOT HERE
- Forde: VCU laughs all the way to Houston »
- O'Neil: Richmond well-represented »
- Wojciechowski: Rams proving 'em wrong »
- O'Neil: UK's perfect mix ends drought »
- Schlabach: Harrellson turnaround keys UK »
- Leung: UConn's improbable ride continues »
- Wilbon: Fatigue not fazing Huskies »
- Katz: Butler proves it's no one-hit wonder »
- Brennan: Butler still alive, Duke not »
- Katz: Stevens knows when to ask for help »
- O'Neil: Butler's Howard leads by example
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