Underdawgs: How Brad Stevens and Butler University Built the Bulldogs for March Madness

In 2010, Butler University in Indianapolis became the smallest school in forty years to reach the NCAA championship game. Then, in 2011, the Bulldogs did it again. The way in which Butler accomplished this incredible feat makes for one of the most uplifting narratives in sports history. Butler's coach, Brad Stevens, looked so young he was often mistaken for one of the players, but he had quickly become one of the best coaches in the nation. A statistical and tactical wizard, Stevens led the Bulldogs by employing the "Butler Way," a philosophy of basketball and life based on five principles: humility, passion, unity, servanthood, and thankfulness. Even the most casual observer could see this in every player, on the court and off, from NBA first-round draft pick Gordon Hayward in 2010 to senior leader Matt Howard in 2011 to the last guy on the bench.

March Madness is among the athletic world's supreme manifestations, and for two seasons, the Bulldogs made it as exciting as it has ever been. Much more than a sports story, "Underdawgs "is the consummate David versus Goliath tale, the likes of which we may never see again. Unless Butler does it.