Graves is from Switz City, Indiana - the population of which, at most recent data, was 312 people. He operates in a team-centered, ball-control offense. He's 6-1 and 160 pounds, yet often plays like the biggest player on the court.

In his final high school game, he broke the county scoring record, which at the time was held by his uncle. All three of his older brothers played basketball, and all of them went to Butler as well; two were All-Indiana as HS basketball players.

Graves' story has the potential to be a key element in this year's answer to 1999 Gonzaga or 2006 George Mason. Imagine, for a second, Butler with a 4 seed in the same bracket where Wisconsin pulls a No. 1. In a neutral site Sweet 16 matchup, Butler's ball-control offense and team accuracy from the charity stripe might force Wisconsin into a tight contest; Flowers, in turn, might not be able to handle that.

Graves could also go the route of another small-town Indiana boy made good, current Broncos QB of Jay Cutler of Santa Claus (honestly, that's the name of the town), who took over the starting job slightly after the midway point of the season. While he did well, he ultimately wasn't able to lead Denver to the playoffs.

That's no issue for Graves - the Bulldogs will be in the Dance, but the timeless question remains - How far can they truly go? For the sake of all college basketball fans, let's hope the answer becomes "pretty far." That answer will lead us to another captivating March essay, this one about small towns, made free throws, picket fences, and a program made good.