“We played it probably 30 or 40 times in the last few weeks,” McFall said. “It’s just something we do.”
McFall, a junior physics major at Butler, plays the alto sax in the Bulldogs’ pep band, and was there for the entire tournament run — with his face painted blue and white.
“I had a few friends who saw me on TV and texted me,” McFall said.
Butler, a No. 5 seed, advanced to the Sweet 16, then beat top-seeded Syracuse and second-seeded Kansas State to advance to the Final Four in Indianapolis, just six miles from campus.
“It was a lot of fun,” McFall said. “We really get into the game. It’s amazing being here and going all the way to the national championship.”
The Bulldogs’ beat Michigan State in the national semifinals on Saturday, April 3, and nearly pulled the upset of powerhouse Duke in the title game on Monday, April 5, falling 61-59.
He said the gym was silent as Butler’s Gordon Hayward took a last-second heave from halfcourt, which nearly fell through the hoop at the buzzer and would have given Butler the win.
“I was hoping it’d go in,” he said.
Contact this reporter at (937) 328-0365 or mcooper@coxohio.com.
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