The 2011 National Title Game was held on April 4, 2011 at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas, and featured the 2011 West Regional Champions, Connecticut, and the 2011 Southeast Regional Champions, Butler. It was the first West Region vs. South Region matchup for both teams.
Butler (49-17) was led by First Team All-American James Blackmon Jr. who averaged 18 points per game. Jamil Wilson and Kellen Dunham also earned All-America honors after averaging 14.0 and 12.6 points respectively.
In its third consecutive Final Four appearance, Connecticut (51-16) was led by Second Team All-American Shabazz Napier who averaged 19 points per game. Jeremy Lamb and Ryan Boatright also earned All-America honors after averaging 16.3 and 15.1 points respectively.
Butler and UConn met twice during the regular season with Butler winning both games. The Bulldogs defeated the Huskies 79-72 in Hartford on February 23rd and then did it again two days later in Indianapolis. Both of these games were part of the Horizon League Championship Series where the top overall seed would play the No. 2 seed while the No. 3 and No. 4 seeds played in a three-game series to determine which team would meet Butler in the National Title Game.
Men's basketball, Butler Bulldogs/Conference USA.
Butler University is a private Christian university located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Founded in 1892, it is the oldest operating university in Indiana and one of the 10 largest evangelical colleges in the United States.
Butler plays its home games at the Nutter Center, which has a capacity for 1,750 people. The school's mascot is Buster Bulldog, and the team is part of the Conference USA.
Butler's intercollegiate sports program includes men's basketball, women's basketball, co-ed baseball, softball, soccer, golf, tennis, indoor track and field, outdoor track and field, cross country, and flute club. The school also has 23 competitive clubs and organizations for students to get involved in.
Butler has been affiliated with the Indiana Baptist Convention since 1896. Today, the institution is classified as Evangelical Protestant by the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest U.S. Baptist body. In addition, it is rated as a "Top School" by Kiplinger's Personal Finance.
This was the seventh National Championship Game involving two private colleges, and the first since the 1985 National Championship Game between Georgetown and Villanova, which Villanova won 66-64. The Bulldogs had never before won a championship game.
Butler's run to the title game was one of the most improbable in NCAA Tournament history. A #9 seed, the Bulldogs were matched up against top-seeded North Carolina in the opening round. It took all five games of the series to be decided, with each team winning on its home court. In the final minute of regulation time of game 5, UNC's Michael Jordan hit a shot from just outside the paint to send the game into overtime. In the first extra period, Butler's Gerald Oliverio grabbed an offensive rebound and scored his own basket to give the Bulldogs a 70-69 lead with 1:50 remaining. The Tar Heels got one last chance at victory when they inbounded the ball, but James Posey missed a three-point attempt at the buzzer to end the game in a tie. That is when Duke University came into town for game 6. The reigning national champions were not afraid to use their size advantage against the smaller Bulldogs, as they outscored Butler by 20 points during that third quarter to take a 51-41 lead into the fourth quarter.
UConn (3rd seed), Kentucky (4th seed), Butler (8th seed), and VCU (11th seed). The 2011 NCAA Men's Basketball Championship will be held at the XL Center in Hartford, Connecticut.
The University of Connecticut women's basketball team has been selected to play in the 2011 NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Tournament, it was announced today by Assistant Commissioner Paul Tagliabue. UConn (29-5) will be making its 11th appearance in the tournament, which begins on March 19 at the XL Center in Hartford. The Huskies are looking for their third national title in four years after winning back-to-back championships in 2010-11. This year's squad is led by first-year head coach Geno Auriemma, who has brought success to Storrs by leading UConn to three undefeated regular seasons and two National Invitational Tournaments (NIT) titles during his tenure so far.
"We're very excited that UConn has been selected for this year's tournament," said UConn Director of Athletics Jeff Hathaway.
Hayward led Butler to the NCAA Tournament championship game in 2010. Hayward was named an NBA All-Star for the first time in 2017. He had previously been selected as a reserve.
Butler University played its first season in 1883. Gordon is the son of Bill and Colleen Hayward and has two sisters, Erin and Emily.
Gordon began playing basketball when he was 5 years old. He grew up in West Chester, Ohio and attended Bishop Hartman High School where he was a three-year letterwinner. As a senior, he averaged 20 points per game and was named First Team All-Ohio by the Associated Press.
He chose Butler over offers from North Carolina, Maryland, and Providence.
In 2009-10, Hayward helped lead Butler to its first National Championship game with a 68-64 win over Duke. The following year, he led the Bulldogs to their second national title after they defeated Harvard's defense in the final. This past June 7, 2017, Hayward was selected by the Utah Jazz with the ninth pick in the 2017 NBA Draft. He signed with the Jazz on July 11, 2017.
Butler University is a private Catholic institution based in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Butler Bulldogs men's basketball squad, 2009-10
| 2009–10 Butler Bulldogs men’s basketball | |
|---|---|
| Ranking | |
| Coaches | No. 2 |
| AP | No. 11 |
| 2009–10 record | 33–5 (18–0 Horizon) |
It began on March 17, 1983, and concluded on April 4, 1983, with the championship game at The Pit, then formally known as University Arena, on the campus of the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. ... Groups.
| Seed | East | 4 |
|---|---|---|
| Team | Georgia | |
| Coach | Hugh Durham | |
| Finished | Final Four | |
| Final Opponent | 6 NC State |
Butler Community College Johnson attended Butler Community College for two years. Butler won two national championships with his assistance, defeating Ricks College in 1998 and Dixie College in 1999. Before turning professional, he played one season with the Chicago Bulls during the 2001-2002 NBA season.
Butler Community College Foundation Inc was founded in 1996 by a group of parents who were concerned about the lack of diversity among students attending the school. Their goal was to increase academic support and cultural enrichment at Butler CC for its diverse student body by creating a foundation to raise money for those initiatives. The foundation's first major project was the construction of the Rudi L. Johnson Center for Diversity and Inclusion at the school. It is named after a former basketball player who died in 1995 at the age of 26. He played one season with the Chicago Bulls before being drafted by the New York Knicks but never played in an NBA game due to a knee injury.
After graduating from Butler CC, Johnson went on to play four seasons for Butler University until 2003. During his time at Butler, the team made it to the NCAA Tournament all four years he was there. In 1998 and 1999, they achieved national championship victories over Ricks College and Dixie College respectively.
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