Butler shoulders the load

Caron Butler carries the Huskies into the Sweet 16

By: Mike Cardillo

Posted: 3/18/02

WASHINGTON -- As the final whistle sounded Sunday afternoon at the MCI Center, Caron Butler ran into the open arms of teammate Mike Hayes, like a little kid would run to catch the ice cream truck on a hot and humid summer afternoon. His Huskies had just gutted out a 77-74 victory over a pesky North Carolina State squad that refused to give up as his emotions bubbled over in front of an on looking national audience.

It was Butler's career high 34 points and do-it-all attitude, which propelled the Huskies into their first Sweet Sixteen since 1999. It was the most points a Husky had scored in the postseason since Ray Allen had 36 against UCLA in 1995.

"Now it's money time in the NCAAs," Butler said. "If you lose, you go home. You have to leave it all on the floor."

On a larger scale, with Sunday's performance Butler finally earned his way into being mentioned in the same note with past Husky greats like Ray Allen, Richard Hamilton and Donyell Marshall.

"I want to leave something behind," Butler said. "It's a special thing to mentioned with Ray, Donyell and Rip (Hamilton). I was hoping I was in the category already, but coach told me today that I stepped it up big time"

As Marshall's legacy at UConn will forever be linked to his two missed free-throws in the final seconds of regulation in the Huskies 1994 overtime loss to Florida in the Sweet Sixteen, Butler may be remembered for converted free-throws. Saturday he was 12-for-12 from the line, including hitting all five in the final minute to shut the door on the Wolfpack.

The first three of these free throws may forever be linked to controversy (at least to NC State fans) as with 11 seconds remaining, Butler attempted a three, but was fouled by Julius Hodge. Most of the sellout crowd at the MCI Center did not hear the foul call and boos reigned down from the partisan ACC crowd as Butler went to the line. Coolly and calmly, Butler made all three shots, which put away the Wolfpack for good.

"I pulled up and he hit my forearm and the rest is history," Butler said.

Focusing on whether or not Butler was fouled would be an injustice to the effort he put forth Sunday.

With 8:24 remaining, Butler took the game over.

It began when he leapt out nowhere to block a Josh Powell lay-up. When he came down to the floor, Butler's look was that of someone who was not going to be denied.

"This is my ball club," Butler said. "The better I play, the better they play."

From then on, Butler scored 16 of the Huskies final 24 points and showed off all aspects of his versatility:

Put backs of his teammates' misses.

A three-pointer with a hand in his face.

A steal at half-court that turned into a quick lay-up.

Perfection from the free-throw line.

He even seemed cool and collected bringing the ball up the court against a relentless Wolfpack full-court press.

Butler's leadership took the pressure off the rest of his teammates, including freshman center Emeka Okafor, who played with the maturity of a player who had played in more than one previous NCAA tournament game.

"It got to the point where I knew it would be a good bucket," Okafor said of Butler's dominance down the stretch. "I started thinking, 'this is two, get ready to play defense Emeka.'"

There is no doubt that this is Butler's team and that he leads both vocally and by example. Butler says that leadership was something that was clearly missing in last years' disappointing season that ended in a second round loss in the NIT to Detroit.

"Last year we had a situation where we had three seniors who had all won a national title," Butler said of Souleymane Wane, Edmund Saunders and Albert Mouring. "The freshman, as talented as we were, couldn't tell them what to do."

Unlike his elders from last season, Butler has led this year's freshman by example. Butler's presence is part of why Okafor and fellow freshman Ben Gordon don't play scared as some freshman tend to do. Gordon finished scoreless Sunday and was thankful that Butler stepped up in the closing seconds.

"He was just showing what he was made of," Gordon said.

And Butler is made a lot tougher than most other players.

He spent time in a correctional facility as a youth for drug and gun charges, he's turned his life around and was able to captivate an arena as well as a national television audience with his performance.

"I came out doing a show," Butler said. "I gave the people their money's worth."

Butler is proud he was able to overcome his past indiscretions and thinks he serves as a model to anyone else who ever got a second chance.

"If I can do it, anyone can," Butler said. "It shows people like me deserve a second chance."

If Butler continues to carry this team on his back as he did Sunday, those second chances may end up hurting a few more teams an the Huskies mush toward their goal of a Final Four in Atlanta.