NEW YORK – NCAA tournament seeds have long been a controversial issue for Butler basketball. How can the Bulldogs get to the second weekend, fans ask, if they are shafted in their seed line?
Former players have contended Butler could have made its first Final Four in 2008 if not under-seeded at No. 7. In the first second-round meeting of 30-game winners in tournament history, No. 2 seed Tennessee eliminated the Bulldogs 76-71 in overtime.
However, agonizing over seeds largely disappeared after Butler reached national championship games as a No. 5 in 2010 and a No. 8 in 2011.