Besides the big names, there were two players I was actively cheering for last night: Isaiah Thomas and Xavier Silas. And the reason being is that most people assumed they were going to go undrafted. Thankfully, Zeke was picked by the Kings with the 60th pick, but Silas wasn’t so lucky. “Well, I went undrafted,” Silas tweeted after all the picks were in. “All that means is that this journey will be a bit more interesting for you and me. Quote me on this… A journey isn’t a journey without a journey.” You gotta love the positive outlook. So for every Kyrie Irving, there’s a J.J. Barea – a guy who gets overlooked on Draft Night but makes a huge impact in the League. With that, here’s are the top 10 players that didn’t hear their named called last night. Read More »

Since jumping onto the national radar in Butler’s amazing 2010 National Championship run, Shelvin Mack has gone from unexpected surprise to burgeoning star. Last season, many of the accolades associated with the Bulldogs’ success was credited to current Utah Jazz forward Gordon Hayward and Coach Brad Stevens – and rightly so. But this season, with an even more improbable return to the NCAA title game, Mack made the difference. And along with graduating forward Matt Howard, Mack made the nation once again take notice of the skills that Coach Stevens has so openly coveted. Read More »

So what are you doing at 9:23 PM ET tonight? Unless you’re watching WWE RAW’s recap of last night’s Wrestlemania, you’ll be tuned in to the NCAA National Championship game between No. 8 seed Butler and No. 3 seed UConn.

So how is this going to play out tonight? You’ve undoubtedly watched/listed to Jay Bilas, Doug Gottlieb, Digger, Hubert, Dickie V, and any number of other talking heads; you’ve probably read plenty of pre-game analysis and you may have even made your opinion known in the comments section of the site or on our poll (most of you appear to be feeling UConn). So last but not least, some members of the Dime Crew wanted to weigh in our personal picks for tonight’s game: Read More »

Is there anyone more inclined to speak on the rise of the Bulldog other than a guy who used to be one? Gordon Hayward helped build Butler, or at least the part of the school that we know something about. And while he was in the middle of that process last year, this year, he’s been at the center of a crushed foundation. No more Deron Williams and no more Jerry Sloan in Utah. But don’t fret too much Jazz fans. Hayward is getting better, and plans to be a lot better next season.

Here, Hayward dishes on a number of things, not just his former college team’s chances this weekend in the Final Four. He talks video games, his favorite sandwiches, the best vacation spots and even why he loves cruises so much. Read More »

Let that boy cook! You know if we didn’t consider ourselves semi-smart, we would say the NCAA did us dirty. Scheduling the two most exciting players in the country at the same time was just a low blow. It didn’t help that both of them had the kitchen burning up and the remotes wearing out … When you think about it, UConn’s seven-point win over San Diego State and Florida’s nine-point overtime win over BYU were really only watchable because of two guys: Kemba Walker and Jimmer Fredette. Everything else was sloppy, filled with turnovers, ugly jumpers, failed final possessions and technicals. The games were close, but take away those two players and we are talking mid-major excitement. (Not that there’s anything wrong with that.) Read More »

Words. Eitan Tye

The Butler Bulldogs stamped their ticket to the Sweet 16 this year in spectacular fashion, edging out a bruising Old Dominion team with a tip-in at the buzzer, and muscling their way past No. 1 seed Pittsburgh with a clutch free throw late in the game. However, despite defeating “the two most physical teams in the tournament,” in the words of ESPN analyst Jimmy Dykes, the Bulldogs’ improbable run has been largely overshadowed by the successes of fellow mid-majors VCU and Richmond. In addition, numerous writers have focused their attention on the dramatic nature of Butler’s victories, choosing to revisit the officiating in the Bulldogs’ games and to scrutinize Pittsburgh for their early exit, rather than to highlight Butler’s impressive play. Read More »

For anyone that was free to sit in front of the television all day, they were in for a treat. Between eight NCAA Tournament games and six NBA contests, there were enough highlights to make sure SportsCenter didn’t feel compelled to show us any B-roll from the NFL lockout negotiations. And if you’re a fan of amazing individual performances, you had eight guys drop 30-plus: Jacob Pullen (38), Jimmer Fredette (34), LeBron James (33), Dwyane Wade (32), David West (32), Shelvin Mack (30), Brandon Knight (30) and Blake Griffin (30). So let’s get started … Read More »

The butler did it…again. Yesterday’s miraculous buzzer-beater lay-in by Matt Howard to beat Old Dominion had me reminiscing over Butler’s miraculous run last year to the national championship game as a five-seed. Does this mean we’re in for a repeat performance? Not so sure. You see, there’s a certain breadstick-eating, prepubescent-looking piece missing from this year’s team that was crucial in the Bulldogs’ triumphant run last year. That boyish charm I’m referring to is none other than Gordon Hayward, who bolted to the NBA after his epic sophomore season in Indianapolis. Read More »

There are a bunch of special dates circled on the Dime calendar – NBA Opening Night, the NBA Draft, All-Star Saturday Night. For us though, none of those dates compare to the first day of the NCAA Tournament. It’s one of those days where we can’t believe how lucky we are that our jobs entail leaving the office to go to a sports bar to watch great college games for hours on end. So yesterday at noon, we hit Wildwood BBQ in the Union Square area for (green) beer, food and madness that included a slew of last-second shots to decide games … The big story from Day 1 of the Tourney is undoubtedly the massive 13-seed Morehead State upset of No.4 Louisville, 62-61. So much for this. You knew something was brewing right from the jump as State raced out to the early lead and then hung with the ‘Ville the entire way. Then with a little more than four seconds to go in the game, down two with the ball, Morehead State’s Demonte Harper raised up in Peyton Siva’s face and drilled a long three from the top of the key. Then Louisville’s Mike Marra had a look from the wing to win the game but had his shot blocked on an incredible defensive play State’s Kenneth Faried, aka “The Next Dennis Rodman” … Read More »

Under the list of ingredients that have become standard in the NCAA championship recipe — defense, momentum, chip on the shoulder, good coaching, depth, etc. — perhaps we should add one more: Ability to win ugly. Last night’s national title game between Duke and Butler wasn’t one for smooth flowing offense and highlight buckets, but it was nonetheless an instant classic with crazy intensity, where both sides played like their lives were on the line and put on a defensive clinic before Duke walked out of the octagon with its fourth national championship … Read More »