Usually this story resonates but I’m not sure the public is buying it this time even with the overused hype.
- Butler finished 11th in the polls, just 8 spots below Duke.
- Both schools have less than 7,000 undergraduates.
- Both rank highly as Universities, Butler 2nd in the Midwest among universities with master’s degrees and Duke 10th among national universities.
- Butler runs nearly $30,000 a year, Duke a little over $38,000.
- Both have good men’s basketball graduation rates with Butler at 92% and Duke at 89%.
- Butler is located in a much larger city with Indy nearing 800,000 and playing at home and Durham, the home of Duke is closing on 260,000 for the single city-county.
- Both are located in big basketball states and both play in storied arenas. Both win with defense and rebounding and close teamwork.
- Neither of these specific teams has played before for the championship.
Seems like a pretty fair contest and one either team can win. What’s wrong with that as a storyline. Are we really so shallow as sports fans that we need to be manipulated to watch the national championship game. And if we are, isn’t their something more original?
As for me though, don’t get me wrong. It’s Go Duke! (by the way, tied for the most favorite NCAA men’s basketball program nationwide according to a Harris Poll in march, both of which are located in the Durham NC MSA!)
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