ESPN Men's Basketball

This doesn't exactly qualify as college basketball news. I get that. Da'Sean Butler is now a member of the Miami Heat, which means he's off to professional pastures and will no longer be the topic of this blog's admiration. Oh well. We'll always have six game-winners, kid.

As a parting gift, though, Da'Sean decided to tweet a children's story of his own invention. Yes, your eyes are working correctly, and your brain is processing text accurately. You did indeed read that sentence. Butler spread the story out over dozens of successive tweets last week. In the interest of preserving that story, South Florida Sun-Sentinel hoops writer Ira Winderman recreated Butler's sentences in chronological order. A brief excerpt:

Once upon a time there was a young boy named Da’Sean. Da’Sean was 22 years old and lived in Newark, NJ. While walking home from school one day, a Purple Dinosaur jumped out from behind a Brick Wall and tackled Da’Sean to the ground. But just when he was about to let out a scream for help, Da’Sean realized that the Purple Dinosaur was only licking his face, not trying to bite it off. At that moment, Da’Sean decided to keep the Purple Dinosaur as a pet. And on the way home he decided to name his pet Purple Dinosaur ”Barney.”

And that's just the first paragraph! Eventually, "Barney" gets in trouble with Da'Sean's parents, Da'Sean makes a trip to video game retailer Game Stop, the term "whoopie cakes" is used, and children learn a valuable lesson about listening to their parents and following their elders' advice. Or something like that. I'm not really sure.

So, yeah, Butler might not be the next great children's author. But last time I checked, Shel Silverstein never won the Big East title. That was one thing "The Giving Tree" couldn't give. Advantage: Butler.

In West Virginia star Da'Sean Butler's final moment as a college player, he crumpled to the ground with a knee injury so devastating that coach Bob Huggins knelt to the floor to console him.

More than the national semifinal game against Duke was lost on that day, as the prospects for Butler becoming an NBA draft pick appeared to take a severe hit as well. Coming back from ACL surgery is no easy feat.

But might there be an incredible thrill in store for Butler on draft night next week? Butler's agent, Richard Katz, told the Charleston Daily Mail this about his client's draft projection:

"I can tell you there's an awful lot of interest in him. One team I won't name said he was solidly on their board as a first rounder, then off their board completely, but now they have him back on there as a solid first-round pick."

We'll soon find out if a team takes a chance with Butler, but it does appear certain that he'll continue to receive good publicity leading up to the draft.

ESPN's "Outside the Lines" on Sunday is scheduled to air a segment on Butler's rehabilitation process. See the preview clip below, which includes footage of Butler walking on his own power during the team banquet and also being asked to autograph someone's rock. Fitting, when you think about it.

West Virginia is in the midst of a search for a new athletic director, and Jack Bogaczyk of the Charleston Daily Mail is floating out Mountaineers coach Bob Huggins as a potential candidate.

From Bogacyzk's story:

There's been something louder than a rumored whisper about adding "AD" to Huggins' very large responsibilities as men's basketball coach. He'd get the big title, and WVU would hire something like a "senior associate AD" to run the day-to-day operations.

Does Huggs want to be the AD at his alma mater?

"I don't know," Huggins said, with a bit of a laugh, while "hanging out" at Berry Hills Country Club on Thursday. "I don't really want to talk about it ... Jack, I'll discuss it with you at a later date."

I don't see WVU going that route. It goes against most everything in major college athletics operations these days. Huggins is a sharp guy, but he has enough to do to win basketball games, recruit the country and spend his spring running all over the state and beyond pressing the flesh with donors and fans.

Ah, but it's interesting to think about, isn't it? Obviously Huggins has had history with clashing with a university president who told reporters after his ousting that "character counts." He had a renegade reputation coaching Cincinnati teams that played the role of the bad guys.

Flash forward to now, and the windbreaker fits a little more snugly at West Virginia, his alma mater. One of the lasting images of the Mountaineers' run to the Final Four this year was of Huggins consoling a fallen Da'Sean Butler.

Last month, the NCAA publicly recognized Huggins' team for its Academic Progress Rate score, which sits among the top 10 percent of all men's basketball teams.

But would sitting in both the boss's chair and on the bench be a comfortable place for Huggins?

Former President Bill Clinton was the keynote speaker at West Virginia's commencement ceremony and apparently was starstruck meeting Mountaineers star Da'Sean Butler beforehand.

According to the Charleston Daily Mail:

Clinton said he experienced two "big thrills" at West Virginia University on Sunday -- earning an honorary doctorate degree and meeting Da'Sean Butler, the Mountaineer basketball forward headed to the NBA Draft.

"I cheered for you in the NCAA basketball tournament after I lost my Georgetown team," Clinton told a crowd of more than 1,200 graduates of the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at the WVU Coliseum.

Nothing says big man on campus like having the former leader of the free world name-drop you in a graduation speech.

And as a friendly gesture, Butler went on Twitter to bestow an honorary nickname upon Clinton that could be considered somewhat of an upgrade from "Bubba."

Met with the Real Pimp C today----Bill Clinton. Cool dude n knows his basketball. It kinda surprised me.

When Da'Sean Butler went down with a brutal ACL tear and MCL bruise in West Virginia's Final Four loss to Duke on April 3, it was clear that his college basketball career was over. What was put in more serious jeopardy was Butler's professional life: What effect would the knee injury, which came so close to draft season, have on his chances of making it to the Association? The simple answer is that it wouldn't be good. An ACL injury is a risk, and NBA teams like to mitigate such risk. Butler wasn't a lock to be in the lottery or even the first round when he was healthy. Without the chance to participate in draft workouts, attend the combine, or play in summer league, the cold calculus of the situation is easy to read.

Here's the thing about Butler, though. He's tough. He gets it. And if there was anyone you'd be willing to bet could come back from an ACL injury and make the NBA, well, my money's on Butler. Why? This:

"There's always maybe one or two days every two weeks where rehab gets so bad that I'll just sit down and think, 'Man, I hate this,' '' Butler said. "But you have to keep your faith and understand that everything happens for a reason. It's going to be painful, but you have to go with it and just roll with the punches. I have my days when I think, 'OK, I don't want to play basketball anymore. It's time to start thinking about coaching so I can get this ice off my knee.' But if I stick it out it's going to make me a tougher person and a player. But I'll look back on it one day and know that if I can take it, I mean anybody can take it."

And this:

"By the end of the day, things will change. They always do,'' Butler said. "One day I'm not running, the next day I am. But if things don't work out in the draft, then I'll just find another route.''

And this:

"You can't help but look at the reality of the situation, which in my case was that I had worked myself into something and then I lost it,'' Butler said. "But I always look at the positives of everything. No, I'm not going to get guaranteed money right off the bat, but even if I just go and get a one-year contract and work hard and they keep me, then I get guaranteed money the next year. It's all up to me.''

Sure, Da'Sean Butler may not get drafted. He may have to find a different route to the NBA. He may have to play in the D-League, or overseas, or wherever. That he recognizes this is a major step toward making it happen. But if he keeps approaching his injury and its effect on his basketball career with this sort of mature, intelligent, downright forgiving perspective -- when most of us would be cursing the basketball gods and whining that we'd been unjustly robbed -- he'll be just fine. At this point, it's all he can do.

INDIANAPOLIS -- West Virginia guard Da'Sean Butler sat in a chair in the Mountaineers' locker room at Lucas Oil Stadium on Saturday night, his left knee wrapped in ice and crutches sitting nearby.

With about nine minutes remaining in the Mountaineers' 78-57 loss to Duke in the national semifinals of the NCAA tournament, Butler felt his left knee buckle as he drove to the basket. Immediately, he clutched his leg and fell to the floor.

Butler's worst fears instantly ran through his mind.

"I hope this isn't what I think it is," Butler told himself.

"But it hurt," he said.

After Butler lay on the court in obvious pain for a few minutes, West Virginia coach Bob Huggins walked onto the floor. After chirping at officials, Huggins leaned over his player until they were nearly nose-to-nose. Huggins appeared to wipe a tear from Butler's cheek.

"I was just apologizing because I wanted to win it for him, too," Butler said.

"Don't be sorry," Huggins told him. "I love ya."

The scene was one of the more emotional moments in recent NCAA tournament history. A star player crumbling to the floor and his volatile coach helping pick him up.

"I'm not surprised," Butler said. "That's my coach. He's like a father to me. It's something we expect him to do. Maybe everyone else didn't, but we're all a family and we love each other."

Butler said he was more scared than anything else. After watching Purdue star Robbie Hummel suffer a season-ending knee injury late in the season, Butler feared he'd suffered the same fate. And with a potential NBA career looming, Butler didn't want his college career to end with a serious injury.

"I was just terrified," Butler said. "I've seen a couple of my good friends hurt their knees. I didn't want it to happen to me."

Huggins said Butler's biggest concern at the time was that he had let his teammates down.

"I knew it was bad because [Butler] is really a tough guy," Huggins said. "I've said this repeatedly and I mean this: He's a really, really good player, but he's a better person. When I went out, it was more about he felt like he let his teammates down than his injury. That's how he is. He's got a great heart."

Butler, who last week was named second-team All-American by the Associated Press, scored 10 points on 2-for-8 shooting. The Mountaineers trailed 63-48 when he was hurt.

Butler made two foul shots to cut Duke's lead to 46-40 with 15:44 to go, but the Blue Devils went on a 12-4 run over the next four minutes to blow the game open.

"I'd do anything for the last 14 minutes," Butler said, as his blood-shot eyes began to tear up again. "I wish I could change it. That's it. That's all I've got."

INDIANAPOLIS -- West Virginia star Da'Sean Butler said doctors have told him he has a sprained left knee and didn't expect to find more serious damage once they re-examine him in a few days.

Butler was injured with 8:59 left to play in the Mountaineers' 78-57 loss to Duke in Saturday night's national semifinal game at Lucas Oil Stadium.

Butler, a senior from Newark, N.J., was hurt while driving to the basket. He said he planted his left foot to hop toward the basket, but planted too hard. His knee buckled and he fell to the court.

"It wasn't that big of a deal," Butler said. "It scared me because I've never hurt anything before. You see all these people get hurt, and I was afraid it happened to me."

Butler, who was named a second-team All-America by the Associated Press earlier this week, scored 10 points on 2-for-8 shooting in 28 minutes.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Well, that was tough to watch. Da'Sean Butler's brutal-looking second-half injury sealed a 78-57 blowout Duke victory, and partially obscured what was a truly beautiful performance by a dominant Blue Devil team. Further analysis therein:

HOW THE GAME WAS WON: How many ways are there to extol Duke's brilliance tonight? How many phrases can stand in for "Duke was just awesome." Because it was, from start to finish. The Blue Devils played under control. They operated with calm, clinical efficiency on the offensive end. They never forced. They got to the rim and finished plays. They made a torrent of 3s (tying the Final Four record with 13). They defended at every position, helping and rotating and making things continually difficult for a West Virginia team that could never quite catch up. This wasn't just Duke's best game of the tournament, but the best game of the season. It was, without straining to find another adjective, awesome. In every way.

TURNING POINT: This is no big secret. With 8:59 remaining in the second half, Butler drove baseline and met Brian Zoubek under the hoop. Butler collapsed in a heap. Replays showed that he buckled his knee. Things got solemn in a hurry. As Butler writhed on the ground, biting his fist in pain, his knee being looked at by the team doctor, Bob Huggins came out of the coach's box and leaned down into his player's face. They were inches apart. Butler was crying. Huggins was wiping his cheeks. We may never know what passed between the two, but it was one of the more touching and difficult sports sights I've ever seen.

Duke was already beginning to pull away at that point, but the Butler injury sealed the deal. With their star player and emotional leader being wheeled into the locker room on a golf court, the Mountaineers were officially done. It's a shame it had to end that way. But end it did.

PLAYER OF THE GAME: Jon Scheyer -- 23 points, six assists, two rebounds, two steals. Counting his assists in the equation, Scheyer had a hand in half the team's points. Scheyer is officially past his slump. Just in time for a chance at the national championship. Convenient, right?

PLAYER OF THE GAME II: Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler share this honor. There's a reason they're called the Big Three. All three of them were big tonight. Try a combined 63 points, 17 assists and 12 3s. That group alone outscored WVU, 63-57.

STAT OF THE GAME: Duke's offensive efficiency remains the story here. Duke scored 1.5 points per possession against West Virginia, a team that had been allowing a mere .88 points per trip this season. The Blue Devils made a ton of shots (52.7 percent from the field; a 64.5 effective field goal percentage), and when they missed, they grabbed offensive rebounds, and made those shots. They scored the first 17 second-chance points of the game. That Duke was able to so thoroughly dominate this West Virginia team is a marvel. Who saw that coming?

COUNTRY ROADS: Bob Huggins is officially a sympathetic figure. I wrote that before the Final Four -- heck, this was happening before the Mountaineers beat Kentucky -- but after tonight's performance, few fans will be able to claim Huggins is merely a sleazeball that doesn't care about his players. He has his faults, sure, and he stands out for being gruff in a profession that rewards gruffness like few others, but the man has love in his heart. That's never been clearer than tonight. Sad that it had to end for Huggins, but he seems to have found a place that appreciates him as much as he appreciates it. Sappy? Sure. True? I think so.

INDIANAPOLIS -- Quick thoughts after Duke’s 78-57 national semifinal win over West Virginia.

This victory will be remembered for Duke’s impressive offensive display, the horrific left knee injury to West Virginia senior forward Da'Sean Butler, and the reaction from West Virginia coach Bob Huggins.

Let's examine each:

• Duke sliced through West Virginia’s porous defense and moved the ball well, finding the mismatch or open shooter. Just when the Blue Devils looked like they might have an issue, a pass would find Nolan Smith, Jon Scheyer or Kyle Singler. The ability for Duke to rebound as well, especially by senior center Brian Zoubek was monumental in keeping the Blue Devils’ possessions alive.
• Butler was driving to the basket with 8:59 left in the game and his left knee buckled. You could hear his scream from press row. Butler tried to put weight on his left leg but couldn’t. He was helped off the court and made it only to the bench. He needed more help to get to the locker room. Butler had a magnificent senior season, including seven game-winning shots. Butler will have to earn a first-round spot in the NBA draft without any workouts in the spring. That’s going to be tough.
• Huggins should never be looked at the same again. Huggins’ reaction to Butler’s injury should show the country how much he cares about his players. I have never seen a coach get so close to a player during an injury of this magnitude. Huggins was within inches of Butler’s face. He was cradling his head, patting his stomach. He was visibly upset with the officiating but didn’t take his mind off Butler. His compassion for his players is real. He was genuinely upset and no one should think otherwise.

INDIANAPOLIS – Quick thoughts with Duke up 67-52 on West Virginia with 7:07 remaining.

• West Virginia all-American senior Da'Sean Butler left the court with what appeared to be a severe left knee injury. His knee buckled as he drove inside the lane. He was writhing in pain as he lay on the court. West Virginia coach Bob Huggins barked at the official for not calling a foul and then knelt down within inches of Butler’s face to comfort his star senior. Butler was helped up but couldn’t put any weight on his left leg. He made it to the side of the court, then stopped and had to be helped to the locker room. It was a crushing blow to his career and to the Mountaineers.

• Duke continues to make shots and has stretched its lead, preventing any chance for the Mountaineers to come back.

• West Virginia has committed plenty of frustration fouls in the second half.

• Duke has been the far superior offensive team.

INDIANAPOLIS – Quick halftime thoughts from Duke’s 39-31 halftime lead on West Virginia.

• West Virginia’s early defense, especially the 1-3-1 wasn’t working at all as the Mountaineers repeatedly couldn’t find 3-point shooters Jon Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith.

• Duke did to West Virginia what the Mountaineers did somewhat to Kentucky in the Elite Eight. Scheyer, Singler and Smith made 7 of the 14 3s attempted by Duke.

• The pregame storyline was who would control the backboard and the answer was – Duke. The Blue Devils had seven offensive rebounds and kept plenty of possessions alive. The unselfish play by Duke was evident as it had 12 assists on 16 field goals.

• Singler is playing like a high draft pick in this tournament. He continues to hunt his shot, make tough ones from behind the 3-point line and can get to the hole.

• The Mountaineers started to find their rhythm and did shoot 50 percent in making 13 of 26 shots, 4 of 7 3s. The problem was Duke shot over 50 percent.

• Deniz Kilicli was a factor in the first half by scoring four points in five minutes but did have a costly turnover that led to a bucket.

• Joe Mazzulla got pummeled multiple times. His shirt was torn and he had to get a new one with a fresh number. He looked like he hurt his ankle and then his head. But he stayed in the game and played 16 of the 20 minutes. The Mountaineers must have him on the court to have a chance.

• Da'Sean Butler has to find his groove. He is just 1-of-5 from the field. The Mountaineers can’t win if he doesn’t get untracked.

• Devin Ebanks is the Mountaineers’ stud so far. He’s playing with more enthusiasm, emotion and purpose than I’ve seen at any point this season. He was 4-of-5, got a three-point play when the Mountaineers needed it most and finished with nine points in 17 minutes.

• Duke is 20 minutes away from facing Butler in the final. That would be perceived as the ultimate David vs. Goliath, even though in this season, the Bulldogs aren’t far off from being an equal.

INDIANAPOLIS –- It was two years ago, but the memories are pretty fresh.

And so are the postgame quotes.

West Virginia didn’t just beat Duke in the 2008 NCAA tournament.

It beat Duke up, beat Duke down, beat Duke sideways. And then the Mountaineers mocked the Blue Devils on the way to the Sweet 16.

At one point in the game, Joe Mazzulla got down and slapped the floor, Dukie style. (“A spur-of-the-moment thing,” Mazzulla said.) And several WVU players remarked after the 73-67 victory how unimpressed they were with the blue-blood Blue Devils.

Mountaineers forward Wellington Smith: “It's just a name on the front of a jersey,” he said. “It's not like they have Jason Williams or Carlos Boozer anymore.”

Mountaineers star Joe Alexander, after crushing Duke 45-19 on the glass: “We knew that coming in that they were just going to stand around and not rebound, so we were ready to exploit that.”

Mountaineers reserve Cam Thoroughman, when told that point guard Greg Paulus was one of eight McDonald’s All-Americans on the Duke roster: “Oh my God. Are you kidding?”

West Virginia did everything but graffiti Cameron Indoor Stadium and draw a mustache on Mike Krzyzewski (the latter disrespect was performed Friday by the Indianapolis Star). And there was nothing the Devils could do about it.

It’s safe to say that Duke has not forgotten.

“I definitely remember the game,” senior guard Jon Scheyer said. “You do remember parts of what people say.”

Anyone think those quotes might have found their way onto the Duke locker room bulletin boards? Maybe?

“Yeah, yeah, I'm sure I am,” Thoroughman said Friday. “But that doesn't bother me too much. That's OK with me.”

Thoroughman said his ’08 comments weren’t “supposed to be for the media. I didn't mean to disrespect anybody.” But he did. And you can be sure that Duke is making a big deal about it, as every team would in that situation.

“Of course we want to beat a team that knocked us out two years ago,” Scheyer said. “Who wouldn’t? That’s our approach.”

Duke certainly will be eager to show how much it has grown up since that whipping in Washington, D.C. Especially inside. The finesse Blue Devils team that was mauled on the backboard then looks much more rugged now.

Duke has pulled down a whopping 63 offensive rebounds on 125 missed shots this NCAA tournament and is a plus-45 on the glass through four games. The Devils’ two senior big men, Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas, have gotten bigger and better, and they are buttressed by brothers Miles and Mason Plumlee off the bench.

“They’re a lot more aggressive on the boards this year, especially offensively,” said West Virginia’s Da'Sean Butler. “Zoubek and Lance Thomas and (Kyle) Singler do a great job of just attacking offensive boards. For us to be successful this year, I believe we need to neutralize that, make sure we don’t let them get to the offensive glass as much as they usually do. Coach said they’re the best on the offensive glass that we’ve played all year.”

The Mountaineers, of course, aren’t too bad in that department either. Ken Pomeroy’s stats rate them the No. 2 offensive rebounding team in the country. So this figures to be quite the Toughman Contest in the paint.

The question is this: If it tilts West Virginia’s way again, will Mazzulla slap the floor once more?

“Depends on how the game goes,” he said.

INDIANAPOLIS -- There are strange creatures running around here at Lucas Oil Stadium, oddities so rare in college basketball that they ought to be studied for scientific merit: teams.

That’s to say, instead of a collection of superstar players here for a college hoops fly-by, there are five guys who recognize the sum of the parts is stronger than the strengths of the individual.

In what is almost always the coming-out party for the next big thing, there is no next big thing in Indianapolis.

Not a single one-and-done, not a single consensus All-American.

According to Mike DeCourcy of the Sporting News, this marks only the third time in the past 27 years that the Final Four will be played without a consensus All-American on the court.

“You’re not looking at a bunch of Carmelo Anthonys,’’ MSU coach Tom Izzo said. “You’re looking at a bunch of teams where the fifth guy is maybe as good as the first guy. I don’t think anyone is anywhere near where North Carolina was last year.’’

Certainly the constant shuffle at the top of the rankings and the wildly unpredictable upsets throughout this tournament has borne that fact out.

But there could be more at work here than an unstable field.

The glory of being the most coveted player or worse, freshman, comes with a price. Swirling rumors, constant questions and fending off (or not) agents who want to secure their cut in advance can make a college season nothing more than a pesky way to fill the day.

“It’s my favorite word of the year – distractions,’’ Izzo said. “We’ve got some great superstars playing college basketball but too many of them are looking too far down the road instead of the task at hand.’’

Indeed it was the distractions, not his desire to leave, that forced West Virginia’s Devin Ebanks to call a timeout last year.

“Devin, a year ago, never thought about it,’’ WVU coach Bob Huggins said. “Devin had a meeting because I think all the circulation was about him leaving. He came back and just said, ‘How do we stop this?'"

Some people, understandably, will hate this sort of Final Four. They want an NBA all-rookie team when it comes down to the final weekend of the college season.

But others, purists maybe, will revel in a chance to watch a different brand of basketball, one predicated on team play. Count Huggins among the latter group and understandably so. His West Virginia team is a classic example of a group that has aged well over time.

“I think the offseason is really important and when you have guys who are coming and going, you don’t get that time together as a team,’’ Joe Mazzulla said. “I mean, in Morgantown there’s not a lot to do and pretty much everyone who lives there is a college student. In the summer, everyone clears out so it’s really just us. We’re stuck together, but that’s where the chemistry comes from.’’

INDIANAPOLIS – The headline game at the Final Four has two of the best big-shot makers in the tournament: Duke’s Nolan Smith and West Virginia’s Da'Sean Butler.

Butler’s seven game-winning shots are well-documented. Smith has made his big shots by saving the Blue Devils from a series of empty possessions.

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said Smith has done it a number of times, essentially bailing out the Blue Devils.

“It’s not just to win a game, but when we’re up by six with two minutes left and we’re using clock and then boom he hits a shot or gets fouled,’’ Krzyzewski said. “Nolan is the unsung hero of our team, and while everyone saw that against Baylor when he scored 20 points, when he scores points it’s pretty good.’’

Krzyzewski said it reminded him of the way in which former Blue Devil player David Henderson used to score for the Blue Devils. It would be at opportune times. That’s the key for Smith, he makes winning plays throughout the course of the game, not just at the end of the game.

“I’ve done it a lot of times,’’ Smith said. “You don’t want the shot clock violations so you have to get as shot up.’’

The reason Smith takes and makes these shots is easy: he’s the only one who can create his own shot.

“He can really create and has that ability to create off the dribble and he has the guts,’’ Duke senior guard Jon Scheyer said. “He can put those things together and find a way to get a bucket when we need it.’’

What also makes Smith so effective is his ability to convert the mid-range shots, which happens quite a bit when you’re in a late shot clock situation.

“He’s one of those guys in college basketball who is a very good in-between player,’’ Krzyzewski said. “He can make a lot of in-between shots from the 3-point line to the goal.’’

Butler said that the harder of the two shots to make is the one at the end of the shot clock.

“In my situation, the game has been tied, so any buzzer-beater I hit is either going to send the game into overtime or everyone is happy,’’ Butler said.

Yet, just like Smith, the Mountaineers have faith in Butler in late-shot situations.

“We’d rather have the ball in his hands than anyone else,’’ said West Virginia senior Joe Mazzulla.

“My teammates and my coach put me in the right spots,’’ Butler said. “My teammates set me up for those shots and put the confidence in me and get the ball. It’s just a matter of me just playing. They give me space and I’ve been successful with that.”