MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Lamont Butler's mid-range pull up jumper as the buzzer sounded for San Diego State, pushing the Aztecs over Florida Atlantic 72-71 in Saturday's Final Four game instantly became an iconic March Madness moment, one that will be played on a loop for years to come to promote the NCAA Tournament we all love.
Throughout the landscape of mid-major basketball, including here in Murfreesboro, however, the moment was more than just excitement over the showcase on Saturday, nor the spike of heartbreak for a peer, but a moment of pride for FAU and SDSU showing what those around the league had all known: Mid Major Basketball in 2023, including this year in Conference USA, was right up there with the best in the country.