Michael Smith On Around The Horn: “I’m Taking Butler For No Logical Reason”

by Glenn Davis | 7:28 pm, April 4th, 2011

At 9:23 p.m. tonight, an unlikely NCAA men’s basketball championship game between Butler and UConn tips off. It’s so unlikely, in fact, that people seem to have a tough time picking a winner. Some think Kemba Walker’s star power will be too much for Butler to overcome, while others think the Bulldogs’ defensive prowess and ability to slow down the pace of play will bring the championship they almost won last year.

It’s a topic ready-made for debate – and sure enough, debate-themed program Around the Horn opened today on just that topic. Keeping with the “unlikely” theme, though, some of the panelists admitted that they weren’t quite sure how we arrived at this title game matchup…and now that we have, weren’t totally sure which team to choose, or why.

Tim Cowlishaw went with UConn due to the aforementioned Kemba Factor. Bomani Jones did the same, though he got in an amusing line about Butler that quite a few people probably agreed with, even if they didn’t want to admit it:

“Let’s all be honest with ourselves here…we never had any idea how it is that Butler actually wins these games. You watch them and you don’t know why they won the game.”

Michael Smith then took things a step further, actually picking Butler to win…but admitting he had no idea why he was doing so.

“I’m picking Butler…and I have no logical reason why…all I know is, if my life depended on a basketball game right now, I would be very much inclined to have Butler play that basketball game for my life…I’m taking Butler for no logical reason…I know that’s not what I get paid to say, but that’s all i can come up with.”

Jackie MacMullan, ever the voice of reason, noted that Butler was one basket away from winning the title last year, and has won 14 in a row leading into tonight’s game…not to mention they’ve got a guy in Shelvin Mack who’ll play at the next level. Video – including some annoyance at Reali for an apparent habit of saying “OK” to get panelists to wrap up – below, via ESPN.