It could be a cathedral. A Basillica; a breed of ancient imported beauty that makes your chest swell to the clavicle in anxious reverence and adoration for everything it was built for. On Thursday night Butler, and their faithful, stormed Hinkle Fieldhouse with vicious poise to secure the conference title. I've been here several times throughout the season, but tonight, as Butler's record-breakingly successful season closes in, I stopped to take it in. This building, for all its annoying imperfections... is beautiful. The lighting, the heavy vintage brick coloring against the pale, rusted rafters-- I could come here and play Shostakovich records on a phonograph and write the world's best fiction...if only the polar balconies were filled with fewer potbellies shouting homophobic slurs at nameless white benchwarmers. (This happened once; on the whole, Butler fans are enthusiastic and gracious.)
After losing to Drake on Saturday, Butler fell five spots in the national rankings-- it was their first loss in over a month. In the nationally televised clash of elite mid-majors they played hard, yet curiously empty. But from the opening volley, even before-- as Green, Graves, Betko, Howard, Streicher each quietly quietly bobbed their heads to the low boom of hip hop on the public address system-- with their student support rallying a pending explosion, the archaic arches of Hinkle were rattling.
Wright State is the only team Butler has not beaten this year, and is second in the conference by only 2 games, with 2 games remaining. On the line is the Conference Championship, home court for the tournament, and Butler's national reputation. A second consecutive loss would be a swift and eye-popping knee to the testicles heading toward March, which would surely seep up to the Bulldog's belly when tournament seedings are announced in a couple of short weeks.
Julian Betko came out firing three's with Cheney-like accuracy. (The basketball goal sustained critical injuries, yet after an empty-hearted apology from Betko the matter was curiously forgotten). He hit his first six field goal attempts...five of them were 3's. He wreaked nearly as much havoc on the net as "Mo' Dynamite," the evening's halftime performer. Mo' Dynamite and his posse "Air 101," self-proclaimed as "quite possibly the world's best group of dunkers," came out and gave an uneventful demonstration of dunks. You can buy their DVD, complete with an all-access highlight reel of useless athleticism on Air101.org. I picture it being set to the soundtrack of "Step Up 2: The Step-upp-en-ing", with cut scenes from "Fast and the Furious 4: Des Moines Skidmark." Much more impressive was the half court shot made by a Butler student for 4 free dinners at Outback. Enjoy your toilet meal, John.
With tonight's win, Butler has officially won the Horizon League Championship, and will host the conference tournament March 7-11. No word on if Mo' Dynamite will be in attendance. God Willing.
