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NCAA MEN'S 2ND & 3RD ROUNDS: PITTSBURGH

March 20, 2015

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA

MODERATOR: We have Butler student-athletes Alex Barlow, Kellen Dunham. Questions?

Q. For Kellen, got a question for you.
KELLEN DUNHAM: Wow. Nice first one.

Q. Have you had a chance to watch Notre Dame play this year?
KELLEN DUNHAM: A little bit here and there. They were at our Crossroads Classic, so I got to watch a few possessions of that when they were playing Purdue. Other than that, not a whole lot. I know that they're very, very good offensively.

Q. Based on the scouting report that coaches have given you, what's the primary area of concern?
KELLEN DUNHAM: I think that they really spread the ball and share the ball really well. So we're going to have to make it difficult on them. Maybe apply a little more pressure than normal, things like that, and make their passes difficult throughout the game, as well as when they pass it to each other, they shoot it really well. So there's another thing we've really got to focus on.

Q. Alex, I know this is the time of year where you don't really care who you play and you don't care about your seed and such things. But the fact that it's another Indiana school, does that increase your burden in any way?
ALEX BARLOW: I don't know if it increases really anything. It's kind of cool to play another in-state school because there are going to be a natural rivalry. It's also cool because we don't play Notre Dame. We haven't played them since I've been here and they are in state. So I think that makes it more exciting, more fun. But I don't think it really increases the pressures or anything just because you're in the NCAA tournament, there's enough pressure being in the tournament.

Q. For Kellen again, when you play a player like Jerian Grant, who is -- a lot of people say he's going to be picked in the NBA draft, do you kind of use that as a measuring stick for yourself and kind of a self-evaluation, how you hold up against them?
KELLEN DUNHAM: It presents a definite challenge. I think that him being viewed that he's going to go to the NBA draft is definitely like a good challenge for me to see how do I compare to him. But it's a hard comparison because I feel like we're completely different players in a lot of ways. So I'm sure he's going to compete just as hard as I am.

MODERATOR: Gentlemen, thank you. We have Butler head coach Chris Holtmann. We'll start with an opening statement from coach and then go to questions. Coach?

COACH HOLTMANN: Well, we're obviously excited about the challenge here that's in front of us with Notre Dame. They're a terrific team, they've had a terrific season. We have so much respect for them. Obviously, they're incredible offensively. I think they're the best offensive team that we will have played this year. So obviously have a lot of respect for them. Coach Brey and their program is going to be a great challenge for us, and it's certainly kept us up throughout most of the night trying to find a way to prepare for them.

MODERATOR: Questions for Coach Holtmann.

Q. Coach, what's Rose's status?
COACH HOLTMANN: We anticipate that he's going to play. He's gotten around the clock treatment, so we certainly anticipate he's going to play, Tom. To what extent he's going to be, it's still yet to be determined because, obviously, it's been a quick turnaround and we haven't seen him out on the floor. So we anticipate he's going to play.

Q. What exactly was it?
COACH HOLTMANN: I don't know if I want to get into the specifics of it, but it was right around the knee, certainly nothing that is permanent or anything that he could risk further damage.

Q. Last one for me, Notre Dame, they score in transition. They shoot threes. Yesterday, they have a post guy go for 25. What area is most concerning to you and what are you going to do about it?
COACH HOLTMANN: Well, all of it would be the simple answer. I think we're going to have to take certain things away, Tom. You mentioned transition, and that's critical. That's going to be critical for us. I know for them, obviously, it's going to be critical for them to try to get some transition scores. All that's tied into your offense and how well you play offensively to keep them out of transition. They do a great job not just of shooting and making threes, but they do a great job of getting paint scores off of their movement and their action. We've talked a lot this year about they make you guard the entire floor. How do they make you guard the entire floor? Well, they've got guys that can shoot it so they space you. They make you guard the entire width of the floor. It's going to be -- we're going to have to -- our strengths are going to have to be our strengths in this one for sure.

MODERATOR: Other questions for Coach Holtmann? Thank you.

COACH HOLTMANN: Thank you.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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