Blue II will be impatiently waiting for next basketball season to begin, too.

A blue paw print marks every Butler University game on my calendar. Where, when, against whom and if it's going to be on television, which station all follows in neatly printed handwriting.

No more paw prints, no more dates, no more victories and no more losses.

It's been a few days since the Bulldogs took Tennessee to the wire, and I think my blood pressure has returned to a healthy level now.

But I can't help but get a little teary when I think about those seniors not playing together anymore. A.J., Drew, Pete, Julian, and Mike brought more joy to a bitty little school in Indianapolis than more people can imagine.

And they made watching fundamental basketball fun again.

This time last year, I was watching the Bulldogs take on Florida in St. Louis. That was the best paycheck I've ever spent -- our seats were great, the fans were great and I was proud of how hard we battled.

This year, watching from the couch and seeing the Sweet 16 slip away in the first and last minutes of the game was heartbreaking.

So, with a mending heart and a powerful will to root against Bruce Pearl and the Volunteers, I say "Thanks" to Coach Stevens and the rest of the Bulldog team for a wonderful season.

I don't know when BU will get back to the tournament since they're losing such experience, but I do know I'll be there when it happens.