In Sweet 16, Butler University stuns No. 1 seed Syracuse

SALT LAKE CITY -- From its Indiana roots to its mid-major status to its home gym, Butler has had a difficult time shaking its "Hoosiers" image. But it took another step toward changing that on Thursday night.
The fifth-seeded Bulldogs knocked off top-seeded Syracuse, 63-59, in the West Region semifinals to reach the region final for the first time in school history.
"We can get rid of that, being a small school and surprising everybody," Butler senior Willie Veasley said. "Seeing how much success we've had in the NCAA tournament, I think that's fair to say it's a thing of the past."
The Bulldogs (31-4) take on the winner of Thursday night's meeting between No. 2 Kansas State and No. 6 Xavier Saturday. After another surprising result in this tournament with Syracuse falling, the clear favorite has been removed from the West Region and a Final Four spot is up for grabs.
Syracuse (30-5) looked out of sorts from the beginning. Butler scored 23 points on 18 turnovers by the Orange even though it shot an uncharacteristically poor 25 percent from three-point range.
The game was essentially decided when Veasley hit a three-pointer and made a tip-in on back-to-back possessions late in the game. The three-pointer bounced high off the rim.
"At first, I was already headed down the court because I figured it was going to go over the top and I missed it," Veasley said of the three-point shot. "I looked back, it came back down and went through. Just pure excitement. Just relief that we found that shot."
The Bulldogs are more than a quaint mid-major. They have been to three Sweet 16s in the past eight years and have made four straight tournament appearances.
"There are no mid-majors in this tournament," Butler Coach Brad Stevens said. "There are just a bunch of guys playing basketball with lots of passion."
But there is still the "Hoosiers" perception surrounding the Butler. That film is a re-creation of when underdog Milan High School beat Muncie Central in the final of the Indiana high school state tournament in 1954. Butler has especially strong ties to the movie because its old barn of a gym, Hinkle Fieldhouse, is where parts of the movie were filmed.
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"You know what, we don't really think about that," Stevens said on Wednesday when asked about the program's image. "If people want to think than about our team, then that's okay."
Syracuse had overwhelmed its two previous opponents in this tournament, but Butler opened with a 12-1 run on Thursday thanks to an active man-to-man defense.