On Friday, April 2, 2010, the young children of Butler’s basketball coaches sat down just off the playing surface at mammoth Lucas Oil Stadium and ate Happy Meals as their fathers worked. This was the day of the Cinderella Bulldogs’ open practice at the Final Four, an event unlike anything in school history; the endearing courtside family scene juxtaposed the mom-and-pop nature of the Butler program with the vastness of the moment.
Three days later, the Butler players quaintly charmed America by going to class on the day of the national championship game, then bused seven miles downtown from their campus to play Duke that night. The Bulldogs came shockingly close to winning it all, with a half-court buzzer beater from Gordon Hayward hitting the backboard and rim before bouncing away.
