[2] By reaching the 2011 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournament championship game, they were the third eight-seed team to do so and the first since the 1984–85 Villanova Wildcats.

They were the first non-BCS school to reach the championship game in back-to-back seasons since the 1960–61 and 1961–62 Cincinnati Bearcats.

They were also the first team to reach the championship game without being ranked in the final college basketball polls since the 1987–88 Kansas Jayhawks.

They were the first national runner-up to return to the championship game since the 1990–91 Duke Blue Devils (not counting the Fab Five teams affected by the University of Michigan basketball scandal).

Sources: Roster Last update: 2010-Aug-31 10/30 – Butler vs Florida Southern Butler Rolls Past Florida Southern, 90–70 Senior Matt Howard scored a game-high 19 points and teammate Ronald Nored added 14 to lead #17/18 Butler to a 90–70 victory over visiting Florida Southern in an exhibition men's basketball game at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday, Oct. 30, afternoon.

1 Duke to an 82–70 victory over Butler in the Carquest Auto Parts Classic at the IZOD Center in East Rutherford, N.J.

[63] 12/22 – Butler vs Utah Diamond Head Classic Opening Round Bulldogs Hold On Against Utah, 74–62 Senior Matt Howard scored a game-high 23 points and junior Ronald Nored added a career-high 16 points, all in the second half, to lead Butler to a 74–62 victory over Utah in the first round of the Diamond Head Classic at the Stan Sheriff Center on Wednesday, Dec. 22.

[65] 12/25 – Butler vs Washington State Diamond Head Classic Championship Bulldogs Win Diamond Head Classic The Butler men's basketball team is coming home from sunny Hawaii with a tournament championship.

The Bulldogs buried a barrage of 3-pointers en route to an 84–68 win over Washington State in the title game of the Diamond Head Classic.

The win helped lift the Bulldogs into a four-way tie for second place in the Horizon League.

[71] 1/16 – Butler at Wright State Wright State Takes 69–64 Decision From Bulldogs A three-point field goal attempt to tie the game by Butler's Shelvin Mack with 0:06 remaining hit the back of the rim and the front of the rim twice, before popping out, and host Wright State held on to hand the Bulldogs a 69–64 setback at the Nutter Center on Sunday (Jan. 16) evening.

The win snapped Butler's three-game losing skid and gave the Bulldogs a season sweep of the first place Vikings.

The win was Butler's fourth straight and lifted the Bulldogs into a tie for third place in the league standings.

[83] 3/5 – Butler vs Cleveland State Horizon League Tournament Semifinal Vanzant Leads Butler To Horizon League Title Game Senior Shawn Vanzant scored all his team-high 18 points in the final 13 minutes of the game to help lead Butler past Cleveland State, 76–68, in the semifinals of the 2011 Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship at U. S. Cellular Arena in Milwaukee, Wis., on Saturday (March 5).

[93] 3/8 – Butler vs Milwaukee Horizon League tournament championship Defense Lifts Butler To League Crown Senior Matt Howard scored a game-high 18 points and Butler used a rock-solid defensive effort to defeat top-seeded Milwaukee, 59–44, in the title game of the 2011 Horizon League Men's Basketball Championship at U. S. Cellular Arena on Tuesday, March 8.

Senior Matt Howard scored 20 points and junior Shelvin Mack added 13 in a 61–54 win over Wisconsin in the NCAA Southeast Regional semifinal Thursday night in New Orleans Arena.

For the second consecutive year, the Butler men's basketball team has captured the eyes of the nation.

For the next week, the Butler Bulldogs will be the top story in all of sports as they head to the NCAA Final Four in Houston.

Connecticut held the Bulldogs to 18.8 percent shooting and the Huskies defeated BU in the NCAA national title game, 53–41.