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

March 17, 2018

Detroit, Michigan

THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Butler student-athletes Tyler Wideman, Kelan Martin and Kamar Baldwin questions?

Q. If you could all speak to this, how is Purdue different without Isaac Haas?
KAMAR BALDWIN: He's a big body. I don't know if he's going to play or not. But we know they're a really good team with him or without them. So we're going to prepare either way and be ready to go tomorrow.

KELAN MARTIN: Pretty much what he said. They have another big guy also. So he protects the rim. So this is just another big body out there for them.

TYLER WIDEMAN: Like they said, they do a good job of using their bigs. If he's in or out. So they're still a good team regardless of who is playing and who is on the court.

Q. Do you think it helps having the familiarity of having played them? Sometimes in the NCAAs you hope that you have that, we haven't played you before. Can't prepare like that. But it's different with this matchup.
TYLER WIDEMAN: I think it helps a little. I think it helps the coaching staff with their scouting. They already have stuff on those guys. But that was a long time ago, so I don't remember too much from the game. But I think any team you play at this point you just know they're a good team, and you're in for a good game.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you. We're joined by Butler head coach LaVall Jordan. Coach, an opening statement.

COACH JORDAN: Obviously it's an exciting thing to still have games to coach at this point and for our team to still be playing and competing for a championship. As we're watching games, I think one of the best parts of this time of year is when you win and you kind of have the next day to watch other games and knowing you're still going to play the day after.

And so our guys are excited. And we've got a tough task ahead of us with Purdue. I was proud of how we competed yesterday. And watching the film, I thought we executed fairly well. We've seen Purdue earlier this season. And so we've got some film to draw upon to try to correct some of those mistakes. We'll work on and talk about that over the next 24 hours.

Q. First, talk about Carsen Edwards and how his role has changed since the first time you played him. And then just what makes him such a difficult player to stop?
COACH JORDAN: Yeah, I don't know if his role has changed. I think he's just -- his confidence has grown to such a high level, as you continue to watch him develop. He's always been a very aggressive player. And I think he's dynamic.

He's one of the guys that across the country that, his athleticism, his speed to get to the rim. And then you look up and he's got 90 3s made on the season, which is a high number. I think Kelan Martin just got over 90 yesterday. So that's an elite-level shooter. And they have two of them, him and Dakota Mathias.

They move him around well. He's a load in transition up the court. And defensively, their team is really good defensively, but he's got the ability to shoot some lanes and steal some passes, so he causes some havoc on that end of the floor as well.

Q. Butler, perhaps more than some other teams, has a huge influence when you guys are hitting 3s -- some of your best wins have been when you're making them. What are the components that allows you to do that? Is it from scheme? Is it from what the opposition gives you? Is it how you're defending? What are -- how you're moving the ball -- what are the things that you've noticed the team through the season allowing you to do that?
COACH JORDAN: I think -- I agree with you, when we're at our best, we're getting a good percentage of shots made from 3. How we get them important. I think when we're playing inside/out, that's critical to our shot percentage going up from 3. Whether that's attacking the paint, off the dribble, throwing into the post and ball movement. And earlier in the year it wasn't as crisp or fluid as it's gotten over the season. And we have to have that.

And I think the other formula for us, part of the formula for us is transition. I thought we got pretty good looks in transition yesterday. We made them early. We had a spell when they made their run where we missed a few. And then we made a few big ones late. I know Kelan made a big one off the steal up the court late.

So we can't get 3-ball dependent. That's not who we are. But when we've got a good balance we're pretty good.

Q. A few weeks ago you put Sean McDermott back into the starting lineup. What have you seen in his play since coming back from the ankle injury? And how does having him in the starting lineup change the dynamics of the team?
COACH JORDAN: Sean, he had a terrific offseason. I thought he prepared himself well to have a big role this year. And then as we got into the start of the non-conference, he came out really strong. He was shooting the ball really well from 3. He was making plays offensively. He was a big part of it.

And then defensively he's got length and he's got an IQ. And so after he was injured, we went small with three guards and it was really good for us offensively as well but we were smaller at position. And I think the Providence game was when Sean came back into the starting lineup. And they're 6'6", 6'7", 6'8" everywhere. So it was more of a matchup-based type of thing at that point in time. And we kind of stuck with it.

I think Paul came in with great energy off the bench, and yet he wasn't doing so great leading up to that game. And he had a couple of good games in a row. Just gave us more scoring off the bench than bringing Sean off. And so we just stuck with that lineup, and I think defensively it's really helped us just to have a little more length on the court.

Q. In the first matchup against Purdue, maybe one of their best defensive halves of the year in that first half, you mentioned they're a good team. What makes Purdue a good defensive team?
COACH JORDAN: They've got the ability to -- some teams can't pressure without giving up great looks. And they're really well-coached, where they can apply a ton of pressure, ball pressure on the perimeter and still keep you from getting wide-open, drive-kick 3s.

A lot of that is due to they've got rim protecters at the basket. When Haas is in there and the other kid is in there, he blocks shots, so you're forced to drive into him.

And then I think they're really smart. I think they've got high IQ guys with Dakota and P.J. Thompson and Vince Edwards. And those guys, they're veterans. They cover for each other. When some guy is over on the rotation, they kind of pick it up on the backside, and next thing you know you're taking difficult shot-clock shots.

Q. Back to Carsen, but in terms of matchups, is that something that Baldwin starts out on him, but it's like a team defensive thing?
COACH JORDAN: No question it's a team thought. I thought we did a tremendous job yesterday with the two guards from Arkansas, and they're pretty dynamic with their ability to score. Aaron and Kamar took on the bulk of the assignment, but there was a team thought to it. Because if you're going to sit there and guard Carsen Edwards one-on-one, good luck. He's too good for that.

But you can't over-help. I think that's the challenge with them. They're 40 percent from 3 at multiple positions, so you can't overcommit two guys onto the ball, but you have to be there, because's if he's just looking at one defender he can attack one guy, and he's really good at that.

Q. The narrative is they'll just replace Haas with Matt Haarms or maybe the 6-10 Taylor kid. But what if they go small with Vincent at the 5 and move Nojel in the lineup? What defensive challenges does that present if they go small and they have five guys that can spread the floor and shoot and drive and handle and all that?
COACH JORDAN: I think that's -- you gotta think that way if Haas is not available for certain. I think probably Creighton would be the best reference point for us. Providence has done that in our league where they play Bullock and just go small.

And the decision you have to make on our side is are you going to match it? Or are you going to try to play advantage basketball with your post? And we have to do some of that in the Creighton game. So we've got something to draw on there.

And that's kind of a game-time -- I think we've got to prep for all of it and make a game-time call as you're in the moment and see what's best if they do do that, how you're going to counter it.

Q. How are you a different team than the first time you played these guys?
COACH JORDAN: Yeah, I think we are. I think that's a great observation. I think we are a lot more fluid offensively. At that point in time it was pretty choppy. That was one of our worst games. Now a lot of that was due to Purdue's defense.

And then I think defensively we've gotten a lot stronger, a lot more solid, a lot more aware, a lot more connected on that end of the court, where we've had from that point on, once we got in the Big East play, we've had some really solid defensive performances. And guys have good clarity, a lot more clarity at this point.

I think Kamar Baldwin, specifically, during that time he was transitioning kind of learning on the fly, where he look at him last night, he's got a really good command of the court. He knows what he's looking for. And that was due to us simplifying some things for him, us probably over-coaching at that point, and then him studying and growing and developing.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you.

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