For the fourth consecutive year and for the seventh time in the past decade, Butler is competing in the NCAA Division I Men's Basketball Championship.
The Bulldogs, seeded No 5 in the West Region, will begin tournament play against No. 12 UTEP on Thursday, March 18, in San Jose, Calif. UTEP (26-6), regular season champion of Conference USA, advanced to the national championship with an at-large bid.
The Bulldogs, ranked 12th in both the Associated Press (A.P.) and ESPN/USA Today national polls, assured themselves of a return trip to the national tournament by capturing the Horizon League's automatic bid with a convincing 70-45 victory over Wright State in the title game of the 2010 Speedway Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship.
Butler also captured the Horizon League's automatic bid in 2008, while earning at-large bids to the national tournament in 2007 and 2009. The four straight appearances are the most by a team from the Horizon League since former league member Xavier made six straight trips to the national championship, 1986-91.
Overall, Butler is making its tenth NCAA Tournament appearance, a record for current Horizon League members. The Bulldogs reached the "Sweet 16" twice in the last eight years (2003 & 2007).
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Release courtesy of Butler Sports Information.
