College Basketball: The 10 Most Unlikely Final Four Teams Since 2000
8. 2010 Butler Bulldogs
The Butler Bulldogs are synonymous with NCAA Cinderellas.
The first time they made their mark was in 2010, when they went 33-5 under head coach Brad Stevens. The Bulldogs finished 18-0 in conference with a nERD of 13.63. They were led by future NBA players Gordon Hayward and Shelvin Mack, who averaged 29.6 points per game between them.
With that kind of tournament resumé, Butler was put on the 5 line, and edged out UTEP, Murray State and Syracuse, followed by wins over Kansas State and Michigan State in consecutive games. They held every team they faced to 59 points or fewer -- that is, until the national title game.
Pitted against Duke, Butler ceded 61 points and scored 59 themselves. They were that close to much more than a title appearance.
