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

March 15, 2017

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

THE MODERATOR: Joined by Butler student-athletes, Andrew Chrabascz, Kelan Martin, and Avery Woodson. Go ahead with your questions.

Q. Guys, what have you seen from this Keon Johnson on film and what kind of challenges does he pose for you guys?
KELAN MARTIN: It's going to be a fun challenge. He's a different player. We haven't really seen this year. He can score the ball, he's quick in transition, and he just pulls from anywhere. It will be interesting to see what we can bring to the table tomorrow defensively.

Q. For each of you, what has been the key for Butler this season? When you have shot 3s well, it seems like when Butler is shooting the 3 well, like the whole offense clicks. But is there any common theme that you can detect that when we're doing such-and-such that's when we're making 3s?
ANDREW CHRABASCZ: I'd say when we're just moving -- like getting the ball swinging side to side, when we have first side shots, normally those are tough ones. When we're getting paint touches as well, that just sucks the defense in and then opens up 3-point opportunities a lot more.

So, doing a little bit of both of that will definitely help. But we know this team is well disciplined, very good defensive team. We're going to have to do a lot more just to -- we'll have to do a lot more to come back with a W.

AVERY WOODSON: The key is ball movement, getting to the second and third side and letting our playmakers make plays. And when they do that, the defense collapse and gives us a chance to shoot open 3s.

KELAN MARTIN: I agree with both of them. Second and third side shots are more efficient than first side. Just paint touches, ball movement, and just getting the defense shifted, just want to break them down and get our team the best shot.

Q. Going into this, what are some of the points of emphasis that you've heard about from your coach?
ANDREW CHRABASCZ: Big thing is they're uptempo, obviously. We're a very explosive team. Very well-disciplined defensively. But big thing for us is to focus on us, making sure that we're playing the Butler defense that we know we can play. And we have to play a complete team with this team. We know they can go on runs with the explosive players that they have. It's going to be a challenge for us. We're looking forward to it.

THE MODERATOR: Anything else?

Q. I know I asked you this on Sunday, Avery, your foot feeling better? Have you been able to practice in the last couple of days?
AVERY WOODSON: I'm fine.

Q. Any of you guys, has there been any sort of common element or tie when it comes to the wins you guys have had over ranked teams this year? Is there anything you've noticed that has carried through in those games throughout the year?
AVERY WOODSON: Obviously every game is different, you know. We have just tried to play our best basketball whenever we face a challenge. And if that's against a ranked team or it's not, we just come out and try to compete as hard as we can and we know every game is different. We just try to give each and every game our all.

Q. Kind of following up on that, how did you beat Villanova twice?
KELAN MARTIN: We just came out competitively, you know. We wanted it and we came out together. And that was our game plan, just being together as a team, as a collective group, be the more ready team, be the more together team. We came out and executed well offensively and defensively. Our game plan was on point.

THE MODERATOR: If I can ask you guys, do you think it's an advantage that you played in this building before in the BIG EAST?

ANDREW CHRABASCZ: For sure. But I mean, this brings a whole different challenge with a team that we haven't seen before, and just the atmosphere is going to be completely different it being March Madness now. We have to make sure emotions stay even keel. 10-foot rim and 94 feet. Same court.

Q. Not that you're going to share any state secrets, but do you know right now who you're going to matchup with Keon Johnson?
ANDREW CHRABASCZ: No. We're still trying to figure that out. It's going to be a team effort on that one. He's a very explosive scorer. It's not going to be one man matching up with him. It's going to be a team effort to make sure we can control him as much as possible. Make him as inefficient as possible.

Q. With a guy like that, do you try and blitz him, try get the ball out of his hands?
KELAN MARTIN: I mean, it just depends on what the coaches say. Just making him shoot contested shots all night is our defensive game plan. That's basically what we want, to make him inefficient, like Andrew said.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, guys. Good luck tomorrow.

Please welcome Butler Head Coach, Chris Holtmann. Butler has a fourth seed, highest in the history of the program. This is Coach Holtmann.

Q. Chris, have you seen anybody like Keon Johnson either this year or in past years, and what kind of a coaching challenge does he pose for you?
COACH HOLTMANN: A big one, a really big one. He's one of the most dynamic players in college basketball. He is nearly impossible to keep in front, and his ability to make shots makes him incredibly dynamic.

You know, I think you've seen kind of, obviously our friend at the Celtics have seen what a little guard can do at a really high level, and boy, Keon, he's fantastic.

You know, you look at it, Illinois, he goes and plays at Illinois 38 points on 15-21 shooting, 6 rebounds, 3 assists. I'd say that's a pretty good night when they beat Illinois.

Q. Chris, in many of Butler losses, your opponents shot the 3 very well. Have you been able -- I mean, even analytics and film review, there seems to be like a controversy overall, you know it's hard the prevent good 3-point shooting. When you look at film, has there been a common thread or theme that sort of has allowed the other team to shoot the 3 that well?
COACH HOLTMANN: No. I don't think so. I think, you know, schematically we could do some things probably -- continue to do some things better. I think probably our lack of length on the perimeter has impacted that a bit. Really 1 through 4, you know, team -- for whatever reason, teams didn't use to shoot the 3s much when Cam Woods was in there. So I think his ability to move and defend was really important for us. But I think that's obviously going to be important, but they score it in other ways too. They're terrific in transition, too.

Q. Coach, there was a lot of attention on Michigan because of what happened and what it turned into for their results. Can you share the experience of what happened to your team and how it affected you and your team?
COACH HOLTMANN: Yeah, sure. I think that what a great story that is in college basketball with Michigan. Congratulations to them for the run that they're on, and thank the good Lord that they are -- everybody is safe.

You know, I just think that what they probably did is what we played -- the way we played the next week; and that is, you really play pretty free, because it just changes your perspective on things when you feel like maybe your life is in the balance or at least could be at risk.

So, I think for us, it was -- our next game we played very well against Providence.

I think there's an element of team stuff that happens out of that where because you're going through something traumatic together, so there is a unifying element of that that I'm sure they experienced. It's unique to have two of those situations in one year in college basketball. But I'm sure that -- they're going to look back on it and remember that week, week and a half, and in a lot of ways.

Q. Coach, Cooks and Chrabascz, how important are they to each team? How much impact will they have on the outcome of the game? They seem like kind of similar players, even though they physically look different.
COACH HOLTMANN: Very similar. Cooks is outstanding. I think he's a pro. I think he's a pro. His length and size and shooting and scoring ability and ability to block shots, I mean he's a pro. He can play anywhere in the country at anytime, and they play through him a lot like we do with Andrew. Both guys are exceptional passers. Both guys read the game really well. Both guys can shoot it and drive it and they're utilized in a lot of same ways.

You know, Andrew plays with his back to the basket probably a little bit more and -- but they're utilized in similar ways.

Q. Coach, how much have you seen Andrew grow from his freshman year to his senior year? He's obviously gone through three different coaches through his recruitment till now. Now he's become the big leader on your team.
COACH HOLTMANN: He continues to mature and grow. We've said that from day one. And if we're going to play well tomorrow, he's going to be a big part of it defensively and offensively with his matchup with Cooks and some of their other interior guys.

You know, when he plays well, we really play well. When he plays well, it doesn't always show up in stats. You know, we've beaten really good people. Sometimes he's had statistically a pretty quote/unquote normal game, but his impact has been enormous. He's got a huge challenge tomorrow against a really good player.

Q. Getting back to Keon, have you seen anybody like him in the BIG EAST, either this year or in past years, or is he completely unique?
COACH HOLTMANN: No. No. No, I haven't, Bob. He's a really, really unique player. And, you know, he obviously he has a really big heart. He's got a really big game and whatever 5-7, 5-8 body. He's got a huge, huge game. There's not many guys really like him in college basketball that have his type of size and speed and shooting ability.

When I was in the Big South, these Big South guys will know, Saah Nimley was a similar kind of player in terms of his -- how dynamic he was from Charleston Southern. Both guys can just take over a game.

Q. There's very few guys built like Keon, right? One of them happens to be coached by two Butler coaches. Do you call Brad, did you call Brad for any tips on how do we stop this guy, he's a lot like Isaiah?
COACH HOLTMANN: I haven't. We've texted. I just kind of thrown myself -- the game is different, their game is different than our game, and their ball screen coverages are a little bit different than ours are. But I have talked to him throughout the year about how teams try to stop Isaiah and what teams do, and so I probably would say I have carried some of those thoughts. There's some similar comparisons between the two in a lot of ways, how they can take over a game.

Q. I thought you might have an original idea here.
COACH HOLTMANN: Yeah.

Q. You being familiar with the Big South, how unusual for that conference, would you say, some of the guys on their roster are when you think of like Keon or Xavier or even like Duby Okeke, just physically and how they play?
COACH HOLTMANN: I think the two -- really probably the three you mentioned, it's a good league, and, you know, talking to one of the guys in their league this year, throughout the year, they felt like Winthrop is as good a team from the Big South in the last four, five years. And that's certainly saying something because there's been some good teams.

Those guys, like I said, they're very good players, and I think when you're a 6-9 like Cooks is and can pass, handle it and shoot it and move like he moves, that's why I think he's got a chance to be to be a pro. Like you mentioned, their size and length inside is good, it's very good. Their 4s and 5s are long and can really move.

Q. Chris, what are some of the keys to stopping a guard like Keon? And is it a State secret as to who you will put on him?
COACH HOLTMANN: Well, I don't know that there's going to be one specific guy that will be on him kind of the whole game. It will rotate between multiple guys.

You know, I don't want to oversimplify it, but the biggest thing is we've got to try to challenge him and make him work and earn it. You know, he's going to score the ball. And obviously you look at his numbers offensively, he's pretty efficient.

But our challenge is just -- like it is, they have other really good players. They can spread you out and really shoot you, and that's what makes them difficult because of their ability to shoot the ball across the board.

But the biggest thing is we're going to have to try to keep him in front, challenge his ability to make 3s and make him work for everything. They're very good in transition. They're very fast. He adds that element to them, but they're fast and athletic across the board. So, limiting his ability to get loose in transition is going to be important, too.

Q. You mentioned Andrew has a big impact on games even if the score sheet doesn't show it all the time. I'm going to embarrass myself. I was surprised he was All BIG EAST because I don't see that sort of thing. Is that the kind of thing coaches, a basketball junkie would know and appreciate what he does because he's not scoring 20?
COACH HOLTMANN: Yeah. I was really happy to see that. I really was. That stuff is voted on by coaches, I think you know that, Greg. It was great for me to see as his coach because, you know, coaches can value things maybe differently at times than other people do, and you know when your team finishes alone in second place, right, somebody -- we need to have some guys on the first team. They've earned it and they deserve it. He's helped us in important games.

Andrew is the first one that will tell you if he's not completely locked in, and there are times where he can look normal and look kind of average at his size and some of his limitations athletically. He'll be the first one to tell you that. His mind and his effort have to allow him to be a really good player, and that will be important tomorrow.

Q. Pat Kelsey mentioned you guys spent a lot of time together, I think this past year. Do you regret at all having let him pick your brain for that period of time?
COACH HOLTMANN: No. No. I don't. I've known him for a number of years. You know, coaching is for all of us is a life learning process. So, I think -- or lifelong process of learning. So I think I admire guys. I probably took it as much from him or more from him than he took from me. It was mutual.

THE MODERATOR: Anything else for Coach? All right. Thank you. Good luck tomorrow.

COACH HOLTMANN: Thanks, guys.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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