Butler, VCU Look To Cash Ticket To National Championship Game

The Butler Bulldogs will square off with the VCU Rams, today, in an NCAA Tournament semi-final match-up. Tip-off time at Reliant Stadium, in Houston, Texas, is set for 5:09 pm. The Associated Press, courtesy of espn.com, has the story, below.

Head coach Brad Stevens of the Butler Bulldogs looks on during practice prior to the 2011 Final Four of the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Tournament at Reliant Stadium on April 1, 2011 in Houston, Texas.

That Butler and VCU proudly wear the same small-conference, lovable underdog label is readily apparent.

Less obvious is their shared devotion to the not-so-sexy practice of hard-nosed, aggressive defense -- long a trademark of Butler's game but much more of a surprising late-season development from the running, gunning Rams.

http://espn.go.com/ncb/preview?gameId=310922086