Underdawgs - by David Woods (Paperback)

About the Book

Relates the story of the Butler Bulldogs college basketball team and their improbable run to the 2010 NCAA National Championship game under the leadership of their young coach and his unique philosophy of basketball and life.

Book Synopsis

"In the best John Feinstein tradition" (Booklist) the greatest college basketball story in decades--the Butler Bulldogs and their improbable run to two straight NCAA National Championship games--now updated in paperback.

Butler University in Indianapolis became the smallest school in forty years to reach the NCAA championship game. Calculated as a 200-to-1 shot to win, Butler came this close to beating the heavily favored, perennial leaders of college basketball: the Duke Blue Devils in 2010. And in 2011, Butler advanced again to the finals, ultimately losing to UConn--but accomplishing so much. Underdawgs tells the incredible and uplifting story.

Butler's coach, thirty-three-year-old 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 by employing the Butler Way. This philosophy of basketball and life, adopted by the program, is 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 2010 NBA first-round draft pick Gordon Hayward to the last guy on the bench.

Much more than a sports story, Underdawgs is the consummate David vs. Goliath tale--the Bulldogs proved they belonged in the spotlight and, in the process, won the hearts of sports fans everywhere.

Review Quotes

"If you want to learn how basketball is played in its purest form--the team game--learn all you can about Butler hoops. They represent what college basketball is all about!"

--Dick Vitale

About the Author

David Woods is an Urbana, Illinois native who has won national and state awards for his sports reporting. Woods has covered five Olympic games for The Indianapolis Star, and he has been that paper's beat writer for Butler basketball since 2001. He maintains the "Bulldog Insider" blog for IndyStar.com and is also the author of The Butler Way: The Best of Butler Basketball, a history of the program, published regionally in 2009. He and his wife, Jan, and their two daughters live in Indianapolis.