VCU, Butler shock as Final Four is set

Virginia Commonwealth and Butler did something nobody in the nation, outside of a few brackets on ESPN, thought was possible.

Making the Final Four is nothing new for Butler. A second consecutive trip to the Final Four officially drops the mid- from mid-major.

Behind Matt Howard and Shelvin Mack, the Bulldogs have the leadership and experience that no other team remaining has.

Although, Butler will be facing one of the hottest teams in the NCAA Tournament, VCU.

The Rams have had the most improbable run in recent tournament history. This is even more impressive than the George Mason run.

VCU played in the inaugural First Four before the start of the traditional tournament. The Rams defeated teams from the Pac-10 (USC), Big East (Georgetown), Big 10 (Purdue), ACC (Florida State) and the Big 12 (Kansas).

The Rams have faced seven consecutive NCAA Tournament teams, dating back to the CAA Tournament when they defeated George Mason and fell to Old Dominion.

It has been the most unpredictable tournament in history and, along with the 2010 tournament, may be a changing of the times in college basketball. The mid-majors have had a larger presence in the second weekend than at any point in the 64-, 68-team format.

Mid-majors are fueled by senior leadership and high basketball IQs, where the major conference schools are extremely talented but do not have the time to become a real "team."

The gap is closing and it is more entertaining by the game.