Underdawgs: How Brad Stevens and the Butler Bulldogs Marched Their Way to the Brink of College Basketball's National Championship
In the spring of 2010, Butler University came within a shot of winning the NCAA collegiate basketball championship against heavily favored Duke. Woods, the team’s beat reporter for the Indianapolis Star, presents a sunshine-and-balloons account of the magical season. For context, he provides a history of the basketball program, which not too many seasons ago was almost downgraded to Division III. Then came the gradual ascension of the Bulldogs over a period of years, culminating in that heartbreaking loss to Duke. He profiles head coach Brad Stevens, the players, the rest of the staff, and even—briefly—some of the fans. Also, in the best John Feinstein tradition, he gets inside the team dynamic. The culture Coach Stevens fosters is one of team over self, defense over all, and a commitment to the “Butler Way.” Well, readers might ask, doesn’t every coach promote essentially the same values? The answer is yes, of course, but the best coaches do the small things that convince the players to buy into the program. The 2009–10 Butler Bulldogs were a great, feel-good sports story, and Woods tells it well. --Wes Lukowsky