INDIANAPOLIS – It was an Alex Barlow moment, except it was Rob Phinisee. Instead of beating No. 1 Indiana overtime, Butler lost to Indiana on an improbable buzzer beater.
That Indiana team was better than this one, and those Bulldogs were probably better than these. Yet Butler was undeniably better Saturday that it has been in this college basketball season, and one second cannot zero out 39 minutes, 59 seconds.
Perhaps this was learned during six seasons of watching Brad Stevens coach the Bulldogs: overreaction to mid-December wins or losses is unwarranted. Irrespective of the scoreboard, Butler showed evidence of what it could become in a 71-68 loss at the Crossroads Classic.