While Wichita State gets most of the nation's attention (including an article by me earlier today), it might be the right time to look back on Butler's back-to-back NCAA Championship game appearances in 2010 and 2011 as easily the greatest two year run by a mid-major since the tournament expanded to 64 games. The Shockers will need at least another Final Four appearance to get close, and a finals appearance to beat it (considering their record this year, that should do it).

Luckily for Butler, in their first year in the Big East, they don't have to worry about the mid-majors unless they happen to play one in the NCAA tournament. Unluckily for them, that won't be this year, for the Bulldogs are struggling (12-15, 2-13) in their first season with the big fellers and the first without wunderkind head coach Brad Stevens (currently doing a steady job with the Boston Celtics).

Even as they're now in the majors, Butler's respectable out-of-conference record (10-3) is a case-in-point against their former middling status. If they hadn't switched to the Big East and were in a conference like the MVC, it's feasible that they could be something of a "bubble team" right now. With their reputation and their solid non-conference mark, they could maybe have a 22-8, 12-5 type mark with the chance of an at large bid pending a deep conference tournament run. Instead, they're playing Big East teams every night -- and in a down year for the conference -- and have mostly just lost, close and not so close.

Against #8 Villanova (24-3, 12-2), who only loses to Creighton and undefeated teams (Syracuse at the time), they'll be 15 point underdogs. Probably, they were never such heavy dogs in the Stevens era. A loss tonight will be their seventh in a row, none of which would have cleared a 15 point spread. I'll pick them to lose by 14. Butler for the cover.

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Record: 20-29 (Goal is to avoid 30 losses this year, C'mon!)

Butler @ Creighton: L (picked Butler, +10.5)

UConn @ Memphis: L (picked Memphis, -7.5)

Depaul @ Villanova: W (picked Villanova, -17.5)

Pittsburg @ Syracuse: L (picked Syracuse, -5.5)

Creighton @ Villanova: L (picked Villanova, -6.5)

Baylor @ Kansas: W (picked Baylor, + 10.5)

Indiana @ Michigan State: L (picked Michigan State, -12)

Iowa @ Michigan: L (picked Iowa, + 1.5)

Colorado @ Arizona: W (picked Colorado, + 14.5)

Illinois @ Ohio State: W (picked Illinois, + 11)

Michigan @ Michigan State: W (picked Michigan, + 4.5)

Villanova @ Marquette: W (picked Villanova, -3)

Utah @ Arizona: W (picked Utah, + 15)

Oklahoma @ Oklahoma State: W (picked Oklahoma, + 4.5)

Villanova @ Georgetown: L (picked Villanova, -6.5)

Michigan State @ Iowa: W (picked Michigan State, + 5)

St. John's @ Creighton: W (picked St. John's, + 12)

Iowa State @ Kansas: L (picked Iowa State, + 8.5)

Syracuse @ Wake Forest: L (picked Syracuse, -10)

Purdue @ Michigan: L (picked Michigan, -12)

Florida @ Mississippi State: W (picked Miss. State, + 15)

Duke @ Syracuse: L (picked Syracuse, -3)

Xavier @ Villanova: L (picked Xavier, + 10)

Nebraska @ Michigan: L (picked Nebraska, + 13)

Boston College @ Virginia: L (picked Virginia, -13)

Oregon @ Arizona: L (picked Arizona, -11)

Oklahamo State @ Texas Tech: W (picked Texas Tech, + 6.5)

West Virginia @ Kansas: L (picked WVU, + 14)

Maryland @ Virginia: L (picked Virginia, -11)

Iowa State @ West Virginia: L (picked Iowa State, - 1.5)

Michigan @ Ohio State: L (picked Ohio State, -3.5)

Florida @ Tennessee: W (picked Florida, - 1.5)

Syracuse @ Pittsburg: W (picked Syracuse, + 2.5 -- absurd line)

Villanova @ Depaul: W (picked Villanova, -14)

Creighton @ Butler: L (picked Creighton, -8.5)

West Virginia @ Texas: W (picked Texas, -6)

Florida @ Kentucky: L (picked Kentucy, -2)

VCU @ Saint Louis: W (picked VCU, +4.5)

Villanova @ Creighton: L (picked Villanova, -3.5)

Texas @ Iowa State: L (picked Texas, +6)

Villanova @ Providence: L (picked Villanova, -4.5)

Wichita State @ Loyola: L (picked Loyola, + 13.5)

Creighton @ Marquette: W (picked Creighton, -3)

Gonzaga @ BYU: L (picked Gonzaga, +2)

Duke @ North Carolina: L (picked Duke, -2)

St. John's @ Villanova: W (picked St. John's, + 8.5)

Seton Hall @ Creighton: L (picked Creighton, -13.5)

Syracuse @ Maryland: L (picked Syracuse, -4.5

Indiana @ Wisconsin: W (picked Wisconsin, -10.5)