2017 March Madness: Butler vs. Middle Tennessee State preview, prediction, TV schedule

The Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders got it done in the first round of the NCAA Tournament for the second year in a row, but can they make it past the Butler Bulldogs and into the Sweet 16?

TV schedule: Saturday, March 18, 7:10 p.m. ET, TBS

Once again, the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders entered the NCAA Tournament under-seeded and, once again, showed the Selection Committee that they deserved a higher seed. The Minnesota Golden Gophers never stood a chance, as the physicality of the Blue Raiders forced bad shot after bad shot as the game expired. Rick Pitino even got a tech at a time when the game was basically over, likely trying to save face with his players in a game that was already lost.

Next up for MTSU, however, is a showdown with the Butler Bulldogs for a place in the Sweet 16.

Butler got the job done against a solid Winthrop Eagles’ squad and look to be rounding into usual postseason form. They are making shots and playing solid defense, which is the recipe for success in March. This team has what it takes to get “hot” and make a run to the Elite Eight or Final Four.

This game will come down to whether or not Butler can make their threes. As I said in another article, if Butler hits most of their threes, the Bulldogs will destroy the Blue Raiders. If they make some of their threes, it will be a close game. If they are off, MTSU will win big- look at the game against the Vanderbilt Commodores earlier in the season.

Next: 5 most likely second-round upsets

In all of my brackets, I have Butler advancing past MTSU (and, yes, I picked MTSU over Minnesota in all brackets), but something about this MTSU team feels like they have an Elite Eight run in them. The Blue Raiders win and move on to the Sweet 16 to keep the dream alive.

Prediction: MTSU 75, Butler 69