European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - March 24, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday March 24 2007 stars and stripes Page 3s univ making noise in vegas scene again by Ryan Nakashima the associated press Las Las vegas strip casinos As a backdrop hundreds of univ fans sent the run Nin rebels off to St Louis hoping this would be the team to take them Back to the final four for the first time since 1991 a chanting crowd decked out in red and White swamped players for autographs and pictures As they boarded a bus at the Thomas 6 Mack Center on wednesday after a morning practice session the team headed to the Airport for a trip to the Midwest regional where the third seeded Oregon ducks 287 await Friday night for some the excitement was reminiscent of the Jerry Tarka Nian Era when Larry Johnson Stacey Augmon and Greg Anthony were National champions and superstars in a City of Neon lights the noise level is getting Back to what i remember said Tom Strong a 57yearold Pilot and a season ticket Holder for 12 years there Are so Many things going on in Las vegas to distract when it gets like this everybody starts focusing univ student Chelsea Milko said Treyve been used to being the underdogs for so Long and Treyve sort of been Downtrodden now everyone feeding into it and realizing there actually Good the banged up squad looked healthy in practice Wink Adams recovering from a bruised Tailbone ran full out in full court scrimmages fellow guard Kevin Kruger appeared recovered from a bruised ankle and senior Wendell Whites bruised ribs didst limit him Forward Gaston Ess Engue showed no effects from an illness earlier in the week this year the rebels 306 began the tournament seeded no 7 after winning the Mountain West conference championship its the Best seed and the most Vic tories since Parks to seeded 199091 squad went 341 the year before virtually the same cast won it All but univ Hast been much of a Factor since the significance of the teams return to the spotlight was not lost on the players who have used their underdog status As motivation throughout the season the Midwest Seoi Omal pig 758 655 it 756 690 3pt 386 312 750 j 665 718 i 703 343 364 330 a team picked to finish sixth in con Ference is the highest seeded team remaining in the Field of 16 the rebels were not ranked until sneaking in at no 25 in the a top 25 on March 5 Ever body just real excited that we still have this Chance to make some noise and put univ Back on the map said guar for Ward Curtis Terry who scored six Points against Wisconsin nobody really respected us he said that been the whole focus to get Back to the glory Days guard Kevin Kruger signed autographs As he waded through a crowd chanting Kruger Kruger its unbelievable he said its a great feeling to be out Here and see everybody supporting us you know just to have that Pride Back in univ basketball Brian in los Wendell White reacts after scoring against Georgia tech during the Runnin rebels 6763 first round Victory on March 17 butlers Marcus Nellems 23 and the bulldogs players and coaches on the Bench behind him celebrate during their second round Victory Over Maryland on March 17 in Buffalo by Butler was considered Ripe for an upset As a no 5 seed but is again the underdog against no 1 seed Florida Stephan Back to being underdogs fifth seeded Butler faces tall task against Florida by Michael Marot the associated press Indianapolis Butler guard a Graves thinks Florida has the perfect combination to win another championship and coach Todd Lickliter is still trying to find a weakness his team can exploit yet As lopsided As Friday nights regional semifinal game May appear the bulldogs believe they can dethrone the defending National champs Treyve lost this year so that Means somebody has beaten them said senior Forward Brian Ligon who grew up in St Peters Burg Fla i dont think you can go into a game thinking youre going to lose that not the right Way to prepare Butler 296  care less about conventional Wisdom which suggests the gators Are too big too deep too athletic and too experienced to succumb to the bulldogs Blu Collar tactics players have heard those com plaints All season and through out their College careers and have routinely proven the critics wrong perhaps because their team photo looks like something out of the movie hoosiers no Active player stands taller than 6foot7 and they have a Wisp looking guard in Graves who is generously listed at 61 and 155 pounds even the Short haircuts look like circa 1950s so stopping players like Joakim Noah Al Hor Ford and Taurean Green will be a daunting Chal Lenge Midwest regional Raj off pig 801 j 619 Fqy 5291 404 it 685 j 647 Reg 377 1 295 3pt 402 j 287 Butler Opp 679 j 569 436 k404 759 j 680 298 i 313 369 j 331 a there the defending champs the Overall no 1 seed the Sec champions Lickliter said you know i could keep on going but in already losing sleep now then again Butler has Over come its shortcomings All season critics continually expected the bulldogs to get run Over by bigger name opponents but but Ler kept winning they were More disciplined than notre Dame and Indiana played better defense than Tennessee and out shot Gonzaga to Complete an improbable run to the nit season Tipoff title last week Butler did it again with prognosticators calling the bulldogs Ripe for an upset against 12thseeded old Dominion Butler finally pulled away late before defying the Odds again by wearing Down Maryland Superior ath letes to reach the round of 16 now comes Florida the gators 315 Are deep fast and experienced enough to take advantage of the versatile Noah and the powerful Hor Ford major problems for Ligon and senior Forward Brandon Crone but this is familiar territory for Butler its Back in the More familiar role of prohibitive underdog and Crone insists the bulldogs will not be intimidated by the gators successes what Butler does Best is play precision basketball it commits the nations fewest turnovers ranks seventh nationally in free throw shooting 759 fifth in scoring de sense 569 and 17th in three pointers per game the combination has been Good enough to produce five victories Over Power conference teams and eight straight triumphs on Neutral courts this season and Butler is hoping St Louis about a three hour drive from Indianapolis will be a friendlier environment than Albany by was four years ago during their last trip to the regional semifinals Butler sold its entire allotment of tickets monday yet Graves and his teammates know it will take More than fans to pull the upset of the tournament the fifth seeded bulldogs will need their Best game of the season Florida is a very Good Basket Ball team and if i had to describe them id say there almost perfect at every position Graves said i think whats great about this team is that it Doest look at this game that Way were going to go play what everyone calling the Best team in nation and were going to play Butler basketball 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