They said it could not be done. The Butler Bulldogs have not only made it to the Final Four, but with tonight’s 52-50 win Butler is now 5-0 in the 2010 NCAA Tournament and headed to Monday night’s Championship Game. Now 33-4 on the season, the Bulldogs await tonight’s Duke vs. West Virginia game winner. The “experts” all said Michigan State’s experience under Tom Izzo, with 6 Final Four appearances in 12 years, was going to vault them into the Championship over Butler, but in the end it was the pride of the Horizon League, the Butler Bulldogs. With campus just 6 miles away, a point that the staff of both ESPN and CBS loved to make note of time and time again, marking the second straight year where a local team played in the same state as their campus. Of course it was last season when Michigan State advanced to the NCAA Championship Game in Detroit before losing to North Carolina. For the record, the 2011 NCAA Tournament Final Four will be held in Houston, Texas.

Butler fans can celebrate this season’s success with great prices on Butler NCAA Tournament hats & apparel online through DFN Sports sites.