	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

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

March 16, 2017

Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Butler - 76, Winthrop - 64

THE MODERATOR: We're going to be joined by Butler student-athletes, Andrew Chrabascz, Avery Woodson and Tyler Lewis and Butler Head Coach, Chris Holtmann.

Coach, please.

COACH HOLTMANN: I was proud of our guy's effort today. I was really proud of their effort. I think they had great regard and respect for a Winthrop team that we knew was very good and capable, and I liked their attention to detail for the most part in the game. And I really liked their ability, willingness to share the ball for the most part in the game. So I thought we did some good things against a quality team. Proud of them for their effort.

THE MODERATOR: Questions for the student-athletes, please.

Q. How did you guys think you did defensively on Keon Johnson?
AVERY WOODSON: I think we did a pretty good job. He's a very explosive player and can get going at any point in, time but I think we did a good job containing him.

Q. Avery, you seemed a little cold in here yesterday wearing that parka. I wonder if you got any pushback from your teammates over there and if you felt a lot warmer during that first half.
AVERY WOODSON: They know where I'm from. I'm not used to this cold weather (laughter). They had no problem with me wearing that jacket. John said I was good so -- but the first half, I was just the end result of a great ball movement. Our player makers did a great job of getting me open. Credit goes to them.

Q. How critical was it to kind of check their runs every time they tried to get maybe 7-2, 7-0 run? You guys kind of knocked them back.
ANDREW CHRABASCZ: That's the big thing about the NCAA Tournament. There's going to be a game of runs. They're a very explosive team. So, maintaining it and controlling like how limited the run is is important. I think the one run where they got it to 7 was a little too much, especially because it was lack of defense and some effort plays on our end and some execution on offense during that stretch.

But like we said, we contained their big scorers I think pretty well. Little things here and there that we got to fix before Saturday.

Q. Avery, you had a pretty big game here against Marquette back in February. Another hot shooting night today, too. Are you comfortable playing here, obviously?
AVERY WOODSON: I just play. I can't give you a direct answer to why, but I'm just playing, honestly.

Q. Tyler, about midway through the second half, you sort of dominating by penetrating. Did they switch defenders? Did you get in the mood? What happened, what switch got flicked, if anything?
TYLER LEWIS: Well, Coach is always on me about my pace and controlling the pace out there on the court. That's what I wanted to do, and there was a couple seams out there and I just split the gaps a couple times. And they gave me a lane to the basket, and I was able to make a couple layups.

Q. For Andrew, couple things. What's it like when the four other guys are playing with Tyler and he's really out there with flare and ball just moving so fast and then also any residual effect coming off the two losses to end the season, because it seemed like those happened like three years ago instead of a week ago?
ANDREW CHRABASCZ: Those two losses those were learning experiences for us. I mean, obviously you don't want to lose but, at the same time, especially from the Xavier game we could take a lot away from that game. But as for our offense, we know whenever we move the ball from side to side, get paint touches, everything like that, that's when we're at our best. When we're stationary playing a little bit one-on-one, that's when we're hurting ourself.

Today, just like I said, I think we did a really good job just -- had good pace with most of our offensive sets and moved the ball side to side really well.

Q. Andrew, what was it like? It seemed like they switched on a lot of your screens, a couple times you -- Keon Johnson was trying to guard you. What do you think they were trying to do and what was your plan when that happened?
ANDREW CHRABASCZ: I actually faced that a lot with the BIG EAST schedule switching 1 through 4. You just have to read it. I mean, some teams trap it, some teams are sitting on your lap with the other defenders. I think I should have been a little bit more patient or more aggressive at times, but, at the same time, we had a lot of open looks from -- like I said, our formula is inside out, whether it's paint touches or whether it's getting into the post.

So, yeah, switching 1 through 4 just have to read it, but at the same time, I think -- I thought we did a really good job moving the ball around today.

THE MODERATOR: Anything else for the student-athletes? All right, guys, you're free to go. Thank you. Now we'll entertain questions for Coach, please.

Q. Chris, what did you think of what Kamar was able to do today, and how did you think the hedging of the bigs influenced what Keon was able to do and not do?
COACH HOLTMANN: It was really important for the game. He's so dynamic with the ball. I thought Kamar, you know, worked extremely hard to make it difficult for him. He got loose a little bit there in that stretch in the second half, but I thought he was really critical.

Listen, my staff just told me that I looked terrible and looked like I hadn't slept in a week, which was nice of them (laughter). The reason was that kid. I mean, he is a load to guard.

Q. Coach, talk about the way that Tyler was able to have that four, five-minute stretch in the second half after they made the run and how his play influenced you guys pushing the lead back up.
COACH HOLTMANN: His -- we've seen him do that all year, kind of come in and make really impactful stretches, and, you know, I think it was important for him. Sometimes there's difficult matches -- matchups for him to guard out there, and that limits -- can limit his overall minutes. When we don't have to -- when we can put him in there and leave him in there and he's helping our defense, he is -- he's just terrific with the ball and terrific, and he was terrific today.

THE MODERATOR: Other questions for Coach.

Q. Coach, we know what a tough business the college basketball can be. Just wonder what your reaction was to Indiana firing Tom Cream today or if you even knew that that had occurred?
COACH HOLTMANN: Did that happen?

Q. It happened right before the tournament started.
COACH HOLTMANN: You know -- you know, I don't know what to say to that. I've got a lot of respect for Tom and how his team plays. I had one of my closest friends lose a job not too long ago at Illinois and listen, we all get into this knowing the deal. Do I disagree with those decisions? Absolutely. Absolutely I do.

My bias -- do I disagree with the decision at Illinois? Absolutely. They don't care. But I know how hard that guy works, and I know how committed he was to his players, and I believe he was really close to turning the corner.

So, you know, we know what we bargain for in this whole deal and everybody wants to be here now, and when you're not here, people get upset.

THE MODERATOR: Anything else for Coach?

Q. How big of a physical advantage did you feel like you had at certain positions? Because it seemed like maybe it showed up at the free-throw line a little bit.
COACH HOLTMANN: Yeah. That was important for us. I think -- it's how we need to play. Getting to the free-throw line is important to us, it needs to be -- continue to be more important for us than what it has at times. The BIG EAST is brutal, and it's a very physical league. But we did -- that was a big part of our game plan is could we impact things from the paint out and offensively.

So, you know, getting to the line 30 times was critical.

Q. Did Kelan cramp up and is there any concern for him moving forward?
COACH HOLTMANN: Just got a knee to the thigh or something. A charley horse. He's fine. I think he'll be sore, but our training staff will do a great job with him.

THE MODERATOR: Thanks, Coach. Good luck Saturday. One more? I'm sorry.

Q. Coach, does where you lost the past two years create any additional pressure to try to get to the Sweet 16 this year?
COACH HOLTMANN: There's pressure every time we play. We love it. If you don't love pressure, you're in the wrong spot at the wrong time. We're going to embrace it and have a lot of fun and cut loose and play -- we're going to play a great team.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297