A field that started out with 68 teams has now worked its way down to two as the Butler Bulldogs and Connecticut Huskies square off in tonight's NCAA Championship Game. The highly anticipated contest is scheduled to tip off at 9:23pm ET at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. NCAA Point Spreads have the Huskies listed as a -3.5 against the spread favorite; the total in this evening's game is set at 129.
Butler rides a 14 game win streak into tonight's championship clash, but it has maintained its run by a hair's breadth in 
the NCAA Tournament. The Bulldogs, a underdog in every tourney contest with the exception of its last one, beat its first four opponents (Old Dominion, Pittsburgh, Wisconsin, and Florida) by an average of 3.3 points per game.
That, however, is in no way a derogatory statement, but rather it is meant as praise for a team that knows not only how to win but also how to win under immense pressure. It is safe to assume that Butler will not be overwhelmed this evening, regardless of whatever dire circumstances it may find itself in.
The Bulldogs proved their mettle, once again, on Saturday with a 70-62 win over Virginia Commonwealth. Yes, it was the team's largest margin of victory in the tournament thus far, but the game was anything but a blowout. The Rams were in it the whole way and they trailed by four points with just over a minute to play. But, just as they have done the entire tournament, Matt Howard and company weathered the storm and found a way to come out the other side victorious.
Connecticut has also proven that it can handle pressure as well as its only easy win came in the first round when it thrashed Bucknell 81-52. The Huskies also beat their second round foe, conference rival Cincinnati, with relative ease (69-58), but its last three wins required a little something extra.
UConn overcame San Diego State, the West Region's No. 2 seed, 74-67 and it barely escaped a surprising Arizona squad 65-63 in the regional final. Things got even tighter on Saturday against Kentucky with the Huskies sliding past the Wildcats 56-55.
Kemba Walker, despite be dogged at every turn by Kentucky defenders, willed his way to a game high 18 points. Walker, who is averaging 25 points per game in the tournament, also came away with six rebounds, seven assists, and two steals to help UConn secure its 10th consecutive win.
This game is, obviously, hard to call either way, but what is not difficult to figure out is that it will be tightly contested. Both of these teams have been through too much to fall down now, and it is a virtual guarantee that the final score will suggest that the winner was not given the trophy but earned it the old fashioned way.
Walker, who will find, perhaps, his biggest foil tonight in Shelvin Mack, will be the best player on the floor. It is because of him that Connecticut will find a way to prevail and give Head Coach Jim Calhoun his third National Championship since the 1999 season.
Butler vs UConn Spread 2011 NCAA Basketball Tournament Finals:
Butler Bulldogs +3.5 (-110), Over 129 (-110), +155 (Moneyline)
UConn Huskies -3.5 (-110), Under 129 (-110), -170 (Moneyline)
