Answered By: Marianne Eckhart
Last Updated: Jun 16, 2022     Views: 210

On Dec. 30, 2017, for the second time in 12 months, Butler's men's basketball team, in a 101-93 win at Hinkle, knocked off No. 1 Villanova (https://www.indystar.com/story/sports/college/butler/2017/12/30/insider-these-cats-may-want-hide-dawgs-next-time/982130001/).  It was Butler's third time in a row to beat the Wildcats. Coach LaVall Jordan, who played for Butler 1998-2001,  joined Brad Stevens, Thad Matta and Chris Holtmann as first-year head coaches to lead the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament

According to the Indianapolis Star, from the Jan. 20, 1949 debut of college basketball’s national rankings through Dec. 14, 2012, Butler had one regular-season victory over a team ranked in the top five. 

Butler made 10 trips to the national tournament between 1997 and 2011, according to the Washington Post.

In 2009-2010, Butler fell to Duke 61-59 in the April 5 NCAA Final Four championship game. Then President Barack Obama told the team he appreciated the way they play. In 2010-11, Butler was in its second final four and second title game in the NCAA Men's Division 1 championship game, falling to Connecticut 53-41. Butler also made the NCAA Tournament but didn't progress as far in 2015, 16 and 17.

Tony Hinkle was the first men's basketball coach to lead the Bulldogs to the NCAA Tournament, in 1961-62; Butler lost the regional semifinal. Subsequent coaches who took Butler to the NCAAs were Barry Collier, Thad Matta, Todd Lickliter, Brad Stevens, Brandon Miller, Chris Holtmann, and LaVall Jordan.

Here are the NCAA Tournament results for Butler's years in the Final Four:

2007 No. 5 First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen
2008 No. 7 First Round Second Round
2009 No. 9 First Round
2010 No. 5 First Round Second Round Sweet Sixteen Elite Eight Final Four National Championship Game

 

Stretching back in the archives, according to the Butler Drift, Butler beat Michigan by a score of 79 to 64.  However, it does not indicate that Michigan was ranked #1, Marianne Eckart in Special Collections said on Dec. 14, 2010.