Hell yeah

So UNC lost, which meant that my then-perfect National Championship game is no longer perfect. However, I am much more thrilled that they were the ones to fall, rather than the Virginia Commonwealth Rams, who are in the Final Four.

Do they have a realistic chance of winning it all, like my bracket expects it to do? They might. Don't know much about Kentucky, but as far as I know UConn is a one-man show--and with an off night from Mr. Walker, anything can happen. As for Butler--well, they're not the greatest team in the world... but they've made it this far, so any lack of talent they make up for in true grit.

And honestly, I might even be cheering for the Butler Bulldogs. I'm not sure yet. VCU has got a great story of having everyone complain about their inclusion--all the while having to play an extra game just to stay alive in the tournament. I mean, their run is way more improbable than Butler's--and Butler made it to the Final Four last year, which makes VCU the bigger underdog in this, so it's obvious that I cheer for them, right?

The only reason I'd go for Butler is because of the coaches.

Now, if I were coaching a mid-major team, I'd stay for as long as possible. If I were lucky enough to be successful, it'd be much more satisfying to bring an entire program to the top than leaving for a job that's already at the top. And I feel like Butler is at that point, and that coach Brad Stevens is more likely to stay with that program now that he's proven he can be more successful than most other powerhouse programs with his small little unit. Shaka Smart of VCU seems like a pretty cool guy--but he's at the top of every head coaching vacancy. And you can't know if he's going to bolt for a better paying job at the end of the tournament.

I guess you could say the same for Stevens as well, as he could get upset that Butler is not paying him as much as he thinks he's worth and then take off--or he could just think "well, I've accomplished all I could here" and opt for something else--but he had every job open to him last year, and yet he's still coaching the same team. Which has to mean something, right? And no other school can offer him the allure of the "prestige" of a major-conference school or whatever, because it means nothing now that his team has done something most programs could never ever dream of pulling off.

Essentially, if I were in these guys' shoes, I'd choose to stay where I am, because it would entail that I'd remain beloved by essentially the entire NCAA--whereas risking it for a bigger job would mean much more intense scrutiny and no greater chance for success. And I guess I'd rather see a coach get rewarded for sticking with a smaller team rather than rewarding a coach who'll use this run to get a better coaching job. And again, there's no guarantees either way--Stevens might bolt, Smart might stay--but again... one's already had the opportunity.

Basically... whoever wins the game between the two, I don't really care--I'm just hoping that the winner will beat the crap out of either UConn or Kentucky.