Location in a major metro area is a plus for Butler - large potential fan base in Indianapolis, easier/cheaper travel costs for the team and recruits.

But, mainly it's a great coach and kids who work their tails off and believe that has put Butler where it is now.  You can't be a fan of a mid-major school and not love the hell out of the run they are on.  I hope they take the title this year. It's just so amazing that a Horizon school lost a NBA lottery pick and still made it back to final four.  I am in awe.   

I think you have to give some credit to the past coaches there too.  A system, "The Butler Way", is perpetuated there and the results are showing.  

I agree that past coaches helped lay the foundation, but they are not coaching this team.  Brad Stevens and his staff are doing a fine job making the tactical moves that keep his team within striking distance at the end of the game.  The players with some luck and mojo(momentum, whatever you want to call it) are closing the deal at the end.     

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I started to explain it last year but was quickly put in my place by an esteemed poster on this board and told that the kids at Butler are just like anyone  anywhere else. and are not special or different  For the record, I am very happy that every time Tommy comes home the last 4 years those guys hit him up on facebook or by text  to get to Hinkle for open gym before he even hits the  back door. Great kids, Great Parents All of whom I consider my close friends, they go to class, get up for 6 am practice everyday, I dont have to worry about them bringing drugws inmy house whenthey stop over and I never worry that they will do soomething stupid that my kid has be ashamed of when he is with them. My . only momentary  regret is that i am too tired after a day of State Finals that started at 730 am withour annual pre finals breakfast to meet all of them at Hinkle in 30 mins when they get home.

I do too.

It is nowhere near as easy or as simple as success breeding more.... Collier laid the building blocks and put the system and psyche in place and ensures it continues in his function as the AD.

Matt Howard is their ONLY 4 star recruit in the last 5 years, everyone else has been a 2 or 3 star recruit, We have guys that have had interest from big schools. Maybe they are getting the better 3 star recruits but I would say that they maybe are better at getting 3 star recruits at the positions that they need. They may also be getting more role players, I would not contribute their success though to the quality of the recruits.

A few earlier posts hit the nail on the head: they are getting some high major guys and they are in a major city. It sounds like the kids are great, as well. We had a high major guard last year in Basset- he put us over the top. I don't think Butlers budget is that high compared to the big 6. It's almost impossible to match them at our level.

That's the Tee shirt.....ON THE CUSP.

But Ohio spends significantly more than the Horizon average on hoops, no? (~500k less than Butler, and a penny more than VCU)

Amen Brother Ted!

Sorry my Michigan St friend we never had a problem .I love your posts zand logical arguments that are always laced with facts. There is nothing for you to shoulder. We are good. Always have been. I will someday put together a post that sums things up with Butler. Once I get to sit down with Matt and Zach and Tommy after an open gym and get some questions answered that still are in my mind I will put something together.

That was clearly an exception, not the rule Ted.  Toledo has the MAC's 2nd highest hoops budget.  Green Bay is the 3rd lowest Horizon spender for hoops (33% below the conference average, and nearly 60% below the top of the league). 

I presented the stats before, and football clearly shoulders a large share of the blame in my view.  MAC football spending has increased 22% since 2006, while MAC basketball spending has only gone up 13% over the same period.  In contrast, the Horizon has increased hoops spending by 22% since 2006, more than doubling the already existing gap in spending between the conferences.  Meanwhile, the CAA has increased its basketball spending 25% since 2006, resulting in a 133% increase in the size of the spending gap between the CAA and MAC.

In real dollars, the average MAC school spent $1 million more on football in 2009 than 2006, but less than $200K more on hoops.  If we had instead split that $1.2 million in extra spending evenly between the two ($600K more for each), we'd have been ahead of both the Horizon and CAA in spending in 2009 in basketball. 

Meanwhile, given the current depths to which MAC football has already sunk, how much worse would it really be with $400K less in annual spending?  Maybe WMU wouldn't have gotten that memorable bid to the Texas Bowl a couple years ago (that has clearly propelled the Broncos' program forward), or maybe Troy would have beaten us by 35 instead of 27.  At the end of the day, though, we'd still be neck and neck with the Sun Belt as the two worst D-IA conferences, just like we are today.