It shouldn't have even been as close it was down the stretch—Butler has been a tough draw since Brad Stevens became coach after the 2007, and it's doubtful that Indiana took them lightly, but this was a match-up of a No. 1 ranked team against an unranked opponent on a neutral floor. Indiana had come in winners of every game they'd played thus far this season, including double-digit victories over Georgia, Georgetown, and even North Carolina. Still, it counted as a small victory when they came back today to force overtime after having been down seven with just over two minutes left, because Butler had looked that good, and because Indiana needed a perfectly executed three on their final possession (courtesy of Yogi Ferrell and smart pick-and-pass from Cody Zeller) in regulation just to push it to overtime.
When Alex Barlow—a walk-on sophomore guard that had scored all of 18 points in his college career before today—sunk the awkward, game-winning floater on a halting drive in the waning seconds, it was hard to imagine how Indiana could have defended the play better. Alex Barlow doesn't beat you—Clark Kellogg eloquently pointed out that he was "the most unlikeliest guy" to make the shot—heck, Butler isn't supposed to beat Indiana. 'Til they do. Threes from Rotnei Clarke and Chase Stigall set the table, and Clarke in particular—having played all 45 minutes and scored 19—willed the Bulldogs to victory.
It's not the end of the world for the Hoosiers, who may lose to their grip on the top spot for the moment, but won't be disqualified for anything. The last team to go undefeated was Indiana in 1976, so suffice to say this isn't a mark of death. Unless you consider getting supplanted by Duke a mark of death, which some people in Indiana might.
We'll swap in some video of the last shot when it surfaces, but if you see any—or any huffy Jordan Hulls reaction .gifs—let us know. Highlights over here in the meantime.
UPDATE: Ah, embeddable video. Marvel at Barlow's ungainly genius under pressure: