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NCAA MEN'S 1ST AND 2ND ROUNDS: BROOKLYN

March 17, 2016

Mike Brey

Brooklyn, New York

Q. Mike, how did you handle this week when you see on selection Sunday that you're playing the winner of a play-in game? Did you guys prep for both teams fully, or how did you do that?
MIKE BREY: Are you a Michigan alum? Just kidding. Good to see you.

It was different in that you don't know who you're playing until late last night. But you know what, it may have been a blessing because you concentrated more on your own team than Tulsa or Michigan. Certainly, there's still some things that we can do better, especially taking care of the basketball. We turned it over a bunch in D.C.

So it probably was a blessing in that I wasn't distracted watching too much Tulsa or Michigan film. I think I watched a half of each on Tuesday, and then that was it, and kind of coached our own team. Again, you have plenty of time now with a 10:00 game to kind of get familiar with your opponent.

Q. Just wondering, is it easier to get a team back on its regular pace when you had a blowout loss as your last game? Or is it tougher if it was a close loss?
MIKE BREY: That's a great question. You know, it may be a little easier in that it's one of those burn the tape kind of games at this time of year. The only thing you come back to to dwell on is how we turned the ball over in both games. I mean, I still don't know how we won the Duke game with, I believe, 15 or 16 turnovers. At one time during -- for most of the season, we led the league -- led the nation in least amount of turnovers, and then we hit every cheerleader in the building in the Verizon Center.

So it gave you one point to stress, but we didn't dwell too much on anything else.

Q. I know, Mike, obviously, this is a big rivalry for the two schools. I know you guys don't play in football anymore. I know probably in the moment for you, it's just about focusing on the game, but does this give any extra juice to this week knowing now that you're playing Michigan as opposed to just any opponent?
MIKE BREY: No, I think it's exciting for both fan bases. There's no question the Notre Dame-Michigan thing runs deep. I think it's got both fan bases -- and our players feel that. They feel that. I think it gives a little added energy to it, and we kind of had a week long buildup even though Michigan still had to win, and they did a heck of a job winning a close game. They've won a bunch of close games lately.

Q. I'm just wondering, haven't been around the tournament for a long time, how has it changed over the years? And how has your preparation for the tournament changed?
MIKE BREY: Well, they continue to make the tournament better for the student-athletes, the little things they do to take care of them. I remember when -- you know, this is a long day, the day before. We're over here. You're doing media. You practice. Guys were starving. They were getting potato chips out of machines in the hallways. Now we've got catered meals in there and food, and I think they've really been sensitive to how can we make it a better experience?

Things in the players' rooms, gear when we get there. I applaud the committee and the NCAA for doing that. I've been fortunate to be a part of it a bunch, as an assistant and certainly a head coach. There's nothing like it. It's awesome to be part of it. Our administrative meeting, they started with the little clips from one shining moment. I mean, I get emotional. I start tearing up. I've been doing -- it's just fabulous to be a part of it. I'm very grateful.

Q. A little struggle early in the year, particularly down in Orlando. What did you do to change? How did you reset everything?
MIKE BREY: You know, I think we always understood -- and I try to remind myself that this year's team would not be an extension of last year's team even though our fan base and even people evaluating thought we could just pick right up. We lost two pretty good players and two great leaders. I always thought we were a team that would evolve throughout the season. Then I kind of reminded our guys that so we didn't jump off any buildings after tough losses. Or celebrate too much after wins.

I think our staff did a good job methodically bringing them along. The area where I was most concerned, the leadership that I lost in Connaughton and Grant, was my biggest worry. We still had good basketball players. I figured we'd learn how to score and defend and all that. But Jackson, Auguste, and Vasturia have exceeded my expectations as leaders, and I didn't think we'd get that from them. I really emphasize how far Demetrius has come since his freshman year.

Q. I know you mentioned the ACC loss was a burn the tape type of film. In terms of last year's game against Kentucky, how did you approach turning the page then? And how do you think that's transitioned to this success?
MIKE BREY: I think it's made this group hungry to be back in this tournament. This nucleus was a big part of that run in the NCAA Tournament. And certainly was right there to be so close to a Final Four berth. I think they come into this thing ready to attack, and I certainly don't want to over coach them, and I don't want them playing looking over their shoulders. We need to play downhill.

But there's a group in that locker room that got accustomed to advance, and I hope they certainly remember how that feels.

Q. Coach, you guys have a lot of people from the East Coast area in general. I was just wondering what the reaction was from those guys when you found out this was going to be your first destination.
MIKE BREY: Well, I was loving -- this is a great town for us. This is a great Notre Dame town. And really being in the city now for a day, it reminds me of my old Big East days this time of year. We practiced at John Jay yesterday. We always used that gym when we were here for the Big East Tournament. So there's a little bit of a Big East feel and familiarity for me.

But there's no question, for our fans and our subway alums in this town, this is a great Notre Dame town. I just hope they make curfew tonight on St. Patrick's day, but I doubt that will happen.

Q. Kind of an offbeat question, just in the coming weeks and coming months, we're going to see the new predraft process play out, and just your reaction to the guys having more feedback and more time to make that decision, and also on the flip side, the roster uncertainty that it creates for coaches. Maybe if you're not even going to deal with it this year, but just in general on the new process.
MIKE BREY: I think it's a great decision. I applaud the NBA and the NCAA working together on that. I have a young man in Demetrius Jackson that's going to be in that category. I'm not so worried. I don't think as coaches we should be so worried about our rosters. Let the young man go and get the proper feedback and get educated to the process and then have time to make an educated decision. I think it's a great, yet another step, an example of the NBA and the NCAA working together.

Q. Mike, when you go back and look at the new stuff from Michigan, I assume you draw parallels to the old stuff from John at West Virginia. What's different? What kind of sticks out to you?
MIKE BREY: First of all, I think John's done an unbelievable job, and he's a good friend, given the bodies they've lost this year, to have them playing like they're playing. But there's a lot of familiarity with the system. We played against them a lot at West Virginia -- the open floor, the reliance on three-point shots. We actually go back into some of those practice plans that we had a while ago when John was at West Virginia and some of the breakdown drills and some of the things we emphasized against his system. And he's got the same familiarity with us too.

So we had some great battles in the old Big East.

Q. The whole connection with Beilein, and you said you guys are good friends. How does that play out? Is that just summer recruiting? Do you guys have a deeper relationship than that?
MIKE BREY: I think we're two guys that really probably worked our way up. I was a high school coach, and he got started at a lower level and worked his way up through it. So we probably always have been a little joined at the hip. I think from coaching in the Big East. The Big East meetings, all the years we spent together. We've recruited against each other a bunch now that he's at Michigan because we look for the same type of player, a skilled guy. We got guys that can make shots, guys that have high basketball IQs.

So there's a lot of similarities in the offensive philosophies. So we run into each other a lot. And in the summer I get to see him a bunch and always trading stories. A lot of respect for him. He's one of the real, real good guys and great coaches in the business.

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