Yes, at its core this is undoubtedly the most unlikely national championship pairing we've ever seen. Eighth-seeded Butler led by wonderkid Brad Stevens is making its impossible to comprehend return trip and has a chance to tie the historic record of lowest seed to ever win it all. Connecticut is riding an equally improbable hot streak having won 10 straight games after finishing 9th in the Big East. 

This is the kind of game where even fans without a preexisting rooting interest will find a rooting interest. It's the kind of game where you almost can't peg the underdog: Big East vs. Horizon League, or made it here last year vs. overwhelmingly inexperienced. You're almost forced to feel good about the winner regardless if it's the Huskies or the Bulldogs. 

While we can't predict with absolute certainty who will be left standing when the final horn sounds, we can give a pretty accurate representation of what to expect from both offenses tonight. Both Connecticut and Butler feature star driven offenses with the Huskies relying heavily on Kemba Walker and the Bulldogs subsequently on Shelvin Mack and Matt Howard. Each team runs certain sets fairly consistently to get the ball to their scorers where they are most comfortable as we'll see in this breakdown.

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In defeating VCU 70-62 in the national semifinals yesterday, the Butler Bulldogs played the exact game they wanted to. Shelvin Mack will be remembered in the long term for his 24-point performance, just the latest big game he has produced in this tournament, but undoubtedly defense was the deciding factor. The Rams face paced offensive attack which hadn't been solved in five previous games, was limited to 68 total possessions, but more importantly held without a single fastbreak point  - a tremendous accomplishment. 

Giving Brad Stevens a week to prepare for a game is always dangerous as the Bulldogs head coach is a master of breaking down opposing teams and scheming against them. In yesterday's game it wasn't so much that Butler pressured the ball excessively and forced turnovers, rather they avoided getting sucked into the lane by the Rams dribble drive game which has proven so troublesome for opposing teams. 

Follow after the jump for a breakdown of how Butler managed to avoid giving up open looks from the perimeter.

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There's been a fair amount of talk about the production of VCU's offense in the last couple of weeks, not only on this site but nationally. Simply put, the Rams have been scoring the basketball quite well.

Following a win over USC in the First Four, Shaka Smart's team has scored at least 71 points in each of its subsequent contests, including a scintillating 92-point effort against Purdue in the round of 32. For those who have followed the Rams since the season began in November, this isn't a sudden revelation, rather another stretch of highly productive basketball that has littered the schedule this season. It just so happens that when the bright lights were first turned on in late February, the team was mired in its stretch of basketball, particularly at the offensive end.

Follow along after the jump for a look at just how productive VCU has been this season on a game-by-game basis.

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It's hard to overstate the value of excelling in the half court game at this time of year. A strong transition game can undoubtedly yield regular season success and in many instances carry a team in the postseason, but the ability to perform in a grind it out contest consistently proves fruitful in the college game.

Over the last two seasons Butler has managed this practice better than almost anyone, riding their formidable ability to exact their pace on opponents to back-to-back Final Four appearances. For fans of the Bulldogs the last two weeks may not have visually looked all that different from the regular season as Brad Stevens club keeps things slow as it is, ranking 270th nationally in adjusted tempo. The fact remains though, Butler has drawn things out to an almost snail-like pace in their four NCAA Tournament games, capitalizing on their strengths as an offense and augmenting their defensive efficiency to an almost otherworldly degree.

It may be this fact above all others that has Matt Howard and Co. back on college basketballs biggest stage.

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Sometimes when you're hot, you're hot. 

Of course utilizing such a term much actually underscore what VCU has done over their previous five games to reach the Final Four for the first time in program history. The Rams haven't lit up the nets from the outside in this year's NCAA Tournament - they've torched them, shooting a remarkable 53-of-121 (43.8%) from beyond the arc. Their lowest total for three-pointers made up to this point has been the eight they hit in an 18-point win over Purdue and they've managed to bury a dozen in three out of their give total contests. 

Common logic - and even statistical evidence - suggests that the Rams are due to cool off at 'some point from this torrid shooting streak, but then again pundits have been saying that since they reached the Sweet 16. Upon closer inspection it becomes readily apparent that VCU has all the makings to continue its perimeter shooting prowess given the versatile manner in which the Rams get their three-point attempts.

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I couldn't tell you how many kids were born in local Richmond hospitals today - that's a number that escapes me. What I can tell you with absolute certainty though is the handful of individuals that were welcomed into the world on this day will forever be tied to the greatest afternoon in Virginia Commonwealth history.

Yesterday I said that hyperbole no longer applied to Butler after reaching back-to-back Final Fours. If there is a greater degree of that same sentiment - I'm not sure there is - VCU has reached that plateau. With all due respect to the magical 2006 George Mason run, the Rams have one upped their CAA bretheren.

I've spoken with several broken Kansas fans in the hours following their teams loss, they've been left numb by shock. Losing to and 11-seed, one that hails from the Colonia Athletic Association, was simply beyond the parameters of their perception. Maybe conceptualizing five wins from a Rams team deamed unworthy to even land in the First Four, let alone contend for a national title.

We'll have six days to analyze, dissect and prepare for VCU and Butler's clash. A bright day for mid-majors to be sure. Until then, let's just appreciate this game for what it is - maddeningly beautiful in a manner that only college basketball can achieve.

Is it too much to ask for a raise less than 12 months after signing a 12-year contract extension? Brad Stevens may need to test that theory in the upcoming months.

For the second consecutive year the coach who looks young enough to be a member of his own team has led the Butler Bulldogs to college basketball's final weekend: the Final Four. Led by a 27-point effort from guard Shelvin Mack the eight-seed out of the Southeast Region slipped past second-seeded Florida 74-71 in overtime, sending the college basketball world into a frenzy once again.

While last year's run to the national championship game is one of the all time great Cinderalla stories in the NCAA Tournament, this season's Final Four appearance may be even more unexpected. Butler cruised through the regular season a year ago, they were led by a surefire star in Gordon Hayward. Despite the all engrossing shock and awe in the aftermath of nearly winning it all, there was a certain degree of expected potential when the brackets first began to unfold.

Yet now, a team that failed to even finish first in the Horizon League during the regular season, a team that many doubted could earn an at-large bid with their resume, is back on the biggest stage of all. We'll have plenty of reaction and analysis here tomorrow, but for the time being, I think Dickie V says it best.