Final Score: Duke 61, Butler 59

In one of the most thrilling college basketball title games of the last 20 years, underdog (5) Butler came just inches away from pulling off the championship upset when Gordon Hayward's half-court heave bounced off the left rim.

"We just came up a bounce short," Butler coach Brad Stevens said.

It was one of the most impressive underdog runs in the history of college basketball, and the Butler Bulldogs almost took home a National Championship in the process. But when Hayward's shot was off the mark, (1) Duke was victorious and claimed its 4th title in 20 years.

"First of all, it was a great basketball game. I want to congratulate an amazing Butler team and their fans," Duke's Mike Krzyzewski said. "Fabulous year. We played a great game, they played a great game. It's hard for me to say it, to imagine that we're the national champions."

There's no question that the story of the game was Butler's ability to stay close all game with the 7-point favorite Blue Devils. But that's not to take away from the outstanding performance put together by Duke, which had to play a different style of game than they're used to in order to take home the title.

After averaging nearly 80 points per game in both the regular season and NCAA Tournament, Duke had to win a game in the low 60's. The 61-59 victory proved that Duke was just as mentally and physically tough as they were offensively talented.

Kyle Singler was named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player, and had 19 points in the final game. He also added 9 rebounds, 2 assists, and 2 blocks in this game. Jon Scheyer had 15 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2 blocks, and Nolan Smith added 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 4 assists.

Singler played a tremendous final 2 games after an 0 for 10 shooting performance in the Elite 8 victory over Baylor. "I can't really put it into words because the last couple of plays were just not normal," he said.

The last few plays were certainly not the usual end to a game. And they were absolutely nerveracking.

Duke had a 1-point lead with under a minute to play, but Singler misfired on a jump shot on their possession. Butler milked the clock on the next possession and called a timeout, essentially setting themselves up for the final shot. But Gordon Hayward's baseline jumper rimmed out, allowing Brian Zoubek to grab the rebound and get fouled with 3 seconds to play.

After Zoubek hit his first free throw, he intentionally missed the second. The rebound came down in Hayward's hands, and he had one more chance to make a miraculous game-winning shot. After taking a couple of dribbles up court, Hayward launched a high arching half-court shot that bounced off the backboard and nearly went in. But it bounced off the left of the rim, and the Duke Blue Devils were the 2010 National Champions.

It was such a fantastic effort from Butler that it's hard to call them losers in this game. There are no words that can describe how shockingly impressive Butler played all NCAA Tournament, and especially in the final game. The unthinkable almost happened, and the championship dreams were not dashed until the very last second of the game.

Gordon Hayward was inches away from being a legend in college basketball history. Instead, he will have to settle with being a new household name, huge NBA prospect, and heart and soul of one of the great runs in all the years of the NCAA Tournament. Oh, and he's only a sophomore. If the 6'9" forward sticks around for another year, he will get a shot at redemption next year.

Hayward had 12 points and 8 rebounds in the game. Guard Shelvin Mack had 12 points, 5 rebounds, and 2 steals in the effort. Point guard Ronald Nored had 7 points and 6 rebounds in the game, and played outstanding defense all night long on Nolan Smith. Nored is a fun player to watch simply because of his defensive intensity, and also runs this team very well on the offensive end. They are all sophomores who will come back for a revamped Butler squad in 2011.

F Matt Howard had 11 points and 4 rebounds. He's only a junior. The return of Howard, Hayward, and Mack next year, the team's 3 best players, will certainly give Butler another top 10 preseason ranking, and high hopes for another run in 2011.

The Butler Bulldogs are now on the college basketball map as a team to watch and follow over the next few years. Their 33-year old coach, Brad Stevens, might be the best reason of all to keep an eye on Butler next year. The calm, collected, enthusiastic young coach did not seem rattled at all by the high stakes of the NCAA Tournament, and he's proven to be a tremendous leader for his players.

As for Duke, you know they'll be back and reloaded for 2011. Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith are both juniors and could return, but they also could enter the NBA Draft and have a great shot at getting drafted. Jon Scheyer, Brian Zoubek, and Lance Thomas are graduating and will be missed greatly. But like all college teams, the torch must be passed to a younger class of players. Mason and Miles Plumlee will be ready for increased roles, and with a new stacked recruiting class led by #4 overall player Kyrie Irving (PG), Duke will be ready to defend their title in 2011.

Monday night's National Championship game was one of the best overall games of the year of any sport, and may have produced the most storylines in both pre-game and post-game of any single game. Congratulations to Coach K and the 2010 National Champion Duke Blue Devils. Yet what we will always remember about this year's NCAA Tournament will be the sensational performance of the 2010 runners-up, Butler Bulldogs.