INDIANAPOLIS — West Virginia announced Sunday that senior forward Da’Sean Butler tore the ACL in his left knee after a hard collision against Duke in the Final Four.
Sports information director Bryan Messerly said an MRI done Sunday at an Indianapolis hospital also revealed a sprain of the medial cruciate ligament and two bone bruises.
Butler, the Mountaineers’ leading scorer, drew a foul after driving into Duke’s Brian Zoubek near the basket with 8:59 left in the second half of Saturday night’s NCAA Tournament semifinal. Butler collapsed to the court and writhed in pain as a trainer tried to straighten his leg.
Butler finished his career as the third-leading scorer in West Virginia history with 2,095 points.
Duking it out.
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski took a shot at college football and may have provided testimony for any lawsuits against the Bowl Championship Series.
Coach K said there was no way a team like Butler could make it to football’s championship game.
“It’s a completely different animal,” Krzyzewski said. “And they don’t have a system that would allow a smaller school to get into the spotlight with the BCS. They know what the heck they’re doing as far as monopoly.”
Krzyzewski’s statement may get put to the test this year when Boise State, which returns almost all of its starters from an undefeated team, likely will enter the football season ranked in the top five.
NBA prospect.
Butler sophomore Gordon Hayward is projected as a first-round pick in some NBA mock drafts, but he said he won’t address his future with his coach and father until after tonight’s title game.
“Right now, it’s all about Butler basketball,” the star swingman said.
Butler hasn’t had a player leave early for the NBA, let alone drafted.
Service stopper.
Hayward thought he would be able to sneak back to his hometown church for an Easter service Sunday without causing a stir. Boy, was he wrong.
“Me and Garrett (Butcher) couldn’t really get out of there,” Hayward said. “People were swarming us. You don’t really get that at church.”
Butler, an Indianapolis school, has just 4,200 students, making it the smallest to appear in the NCAA title game since the tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985.
The Bulldogs know they’re popular, but Hayward was still surprised by the reaction at Messiah Lutheran Church in nearby Brownsburg, Ind.
“It was weird because I was signing (autographs) on the church program,” Hayward said.
Footnote.
The NCAA semifinals Saturday drew their highest preliminary television rating in five years. CBS announced that Butler’s win over Michigan State and Duke’s victory over West Virginia averaged a 9.7 overnight rating and 19 share. That was up 8 percent from the 9. 0/18 last year and was the best since 2005.
Denver Post wire services
