Butler Back to Elite Eight After 61-54 Victory Over Wisconsin

NEW ORLEANS -- He. Made. Every. Effort. Play.

And because Butler senior Matt Howard did, Butler has advanced to the NCAA Tournament’s Southeast Regional Final.

The eighth-seeded Horizon League champion Bulldogs defeated fourth-seeded Wisconsin from the Big Ten, 61-54, Thursday night in the New Orleans Arena and will now meet No. 2 seed Florida in Saturday’s championship game with a Final Four berth again on the line for Butler.  Tip time is set for 4:30 p.m. ET on CBS.

Howard’s 20 points and 12 rebounds -- especially his 12th rebound, which led to game-clinching free throws -- led Butler (26-9) and helped keep Butler in control of a game they led virtually from start to finish.  The double-double was the ninth of the year for Howard and his first in nearly two months.
It was the third straight stellar tournament game for Howard, who made the winning basket against Old Dominion and the winning free throw against Pittsburgh. This time, he just made winning play after winning play after winning play.

"He's been outstanding," Butler head coach Brad Stevens said following the game. "He's been outstanding the whole tournament. You'd be hard-pressed -- I don't know if this is a fact or not, so you'd have to check, maybe Kemba Walker did, I don't know who was the MVP last year of the Big East tournament. Matt was the MVP league tournament last year, he was the MVP of the Diamond Head Classic this year, and he was the MVP of our league tournament this year. Matt's a guy with -- you know, when it's a one and done situation, he is a fighter anyways, but he is a winner, and he's played -- his play has been special."

Butler built as much as a 20-point lead against the Badgers but then had to hang on as Wisconsin whittled away and eventually closing to within four twice in the closing minutes.

Shelvin Mack added 13 points and Shawn Vanzant 10 for Butler. Center Andrew Smith had eight points and six rebounds and shook off an ankle sprain early in the second half.

Wisconsin shot horribly, going 17-for-56 from the field including just 7 of 29 on three-pointers.

That Butler is back in the Elite Eight for the second straight year is not a surprise to Howard.  "I don't know necessarily that I'm shocked by it because I knowwhat this team is capable of. You know, the type of guys that we have, and when we buy into the coach's game plans and are able to execute it. So notnecessarily shocked by it, but very happy that we were able to execute again tonight and get the job done."

Butler also outrebounded the bigger Badgers, 37-31.