The 2011 NCAA tournament is down to just four teams or what is better known as the Final Four. Even though there are two storied college basketball programs coming into the Final Four in the UConn Huskies (3) and the Kentucky Wildcats (4), there are two other college basketball programs that are in unfamiliar territory coming into one of the final stages of the NCAA Tournament in the Butler Bulldogs (8) and the VCU Rams (11).

The VCU Rams (11) are without a doubt this season Cinderella story and have played some very impressive basketball it to this point and pulled off upset after upset after upset, but what is perhaps more surprising is the fact that the Butler Bulldogs (8) have been able to defy the odds for a second straight season and reach the Final Four in two consecutive years.

Last season the Butler Bulldogs (8) were the VCU Rams (11) of the 2010 NCAA tournament as no one expected them to do much of anything during March Madness as they were a long shot just to win even one game. Despite getting the underdog tag immediately out of the gate, the Butler Bulldogs (8) were able to reach the Final Four and then the national championship game against the eventual NCAA champion Duke blue Devils.

This season many more people were aware of the Butler Bulldogs (8) potential to pull off upsets and go deep in the 2011 NCAA Tournament, but no one expected them to reach the Final Four for second straight year and now they’ve done just that as there were able to beat the Pittsburgh Panthers and the Florida Gators in consecutive games in order to advance to the final four.

Whether or not the Butler Bulldogs (8) can get it done once again against a very motivated and inspired VCU Rams squad in the final four remains to be seen, but it will be interesting when these two underdogs go head-to-head for chance at a national championship appearance.

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