MAUI JIM'S MAUI INVITATIONAL

November 23, 2021

Buzz Williams

Henry Coleman III

Quenton Jackson

Texas A&M Aggies

Postgame Press Conference

Texas A&M - 57, Butler - 50

BUZZ WILLIAMS: I have great admiration and appreciation for Coach Jordan and for how things are ran at Butler with him and before him.

I thought today there were a lot of the same tests that we had to learn from in yesterday. I thought we were distinctly better in some of those lessons that we learned. Much better job on the glass. That gave us a chance.

I thought our defensive energy was significantly better. I felt we were able to play consecutive possessions with great discipline on both ends way better than yesterday. So I think the response of our guys from the lessons from yesterday and a quick turnaround was much better.

And I haven't studied Notre Dame yet, but obviously long-standing competitive relationship with Coach Brey and I think tomorrow is kind of a combination of Wisconsin and Butler in regards to what will give us a chance to win.

Q. Quenton, big game for you on the stat sheet. 15 points. You also had that big three at the end of the first half that got some momentum and then you closed out the game with two great free throws. Do you feel that you stepped up in a leadership role?

QUENTON JACKSON: Yeah. I feel like I stepped up not only just in scoring, just being a leader how in I responded to things not necessarily going my way, figuring out ways, different ways I can help my teammates, whether that be cheering from the bench, scoring points, playing defense, rebounding, however that may be.

So I feel like I've done a great job so far just kind of staying mentally in a narrow lane as far as that goes.

Q. Henry, you had another game with 10 rebounds. Tell me how it was inside and how really your ability to go after the ball all day?

HENRY COLEMAN III: It was a physical game, just like yesterday with Wisconsin, but it's something we practice every day. We have to take up space and I've always had like a kind of a nose for the ball.

We have guys like Ethan, Javonte. Those are the other big 5s boxing out for me out there. It kind of helps you out in a way. So kind of just going after the ball and just being there.

Q. What specific adjustments did coach make in preparation for this game?

QUENTON JACKSON: I would say one of them is just rebound. We did a terrible job rebounding in the first game. So that was a big emphasis coming into this next game, just being able to guard the ball. I would say it's not really a problem, but one of our not strong suits is guarding the ball. I think we just need to stay disciplined in our defensive principles and just guard the ball. So I would say those two are probably the main things we went over.

HENRY COLEMAN III: I think it's something that you can't put on a stat sheet but it's our response. It was our first loss. Nine new guys. Everybody's kind of new to this process so our response I think is something that was big and I think we responded in a positive way.

Q. It seemed like your defensive pressure, especially in the first half, was better than yesterday. They had 13 turnovers in the first half. Just talk about your team's performance today.

BUZZ WILLIAMS: 42 percent of Wisconsin's shots had happened within six feet of the basket, and then today, going into today, 54 percent of Butler's shots have been from three. They're 13th in the country in threes. Most of those shots come out of the rotation from a ball screen. So against Michigan State they set 55 ball screens.

So I felt the reason that we had some success in the first half was our ball screen coverage was really, really good. So it's the two guys that are involved in the ball screen, but it's the three guys behind the ball screen that are going to limit and/or contest the three-point shot. I think they had shot 11 out of 20 were from three in the first half.

So for the game 20 out of their 47. So a unique style of play. 321st in the country in pace, but 13th in threes attempted and nearly all of them are coming from ball screens. So I thought our staff did a really good job and we changed some of the coverages depending upon the personnel that we had in. But not only did the two guys in the ball screen do a good job, the three guys behind the ball screen did a good job.

Q. Obviously forcing turnovers is a big part of your identity. What was the key in that regard today?

BUZZ WILLIAMS: Similar to what Q said. I think when we guard the ball it doesn't necessarily lead to a turnover but it leads to us not being in rotation. When we suffered today in the second half was when we didn't guard the ball and we got into rotation. I do think our turnover rate defensively is important to how we play, but that all is going to come from our ability to guard the ball.

We're playing new defensively. We're playing new offensively in comparison to previous years. And similar to what Henry said, we haven't had a lot of reps because we have so many guys. But we are dependent on turnovers, particularly if they're live ball turnovers that help us in transition. And I think some of that was, we were better today, obviously. Wisconsin, it's hard to get them to turn it over. But in the other five games we've played, that's been important to us.

Q. Your comments on Quenton Jackson as a player, as a leader, it seemed like that he comes off the bench and whenever there's a big play, he seems to be the one. 5 steals today, 15 points. He made the last two free throws to kind of clinch it. Just talk about his game a little bit.

BUZZ WILLIAMS: I think what he said in your question earlier is exactly what it's been. Q was a junior college player. He was in that first group that we signed when we got the job. Most junior college players it takes a semester for them to figure out exactly what's going on.

Second semester of his junior season obviously we won five out of our last seven in SEC play. I thought he was beginning to find a niche and a role. And then obviously last year playing the least number of power 5 games, practicing four times in February, there was never a rhythm.

We weren't any good, particularly me, but his growth as a person in the two and a half years that I've known him has been phenomenal. Two really good parents that have allowed to us coach him on the floor and off the floor. His spirit, just like he said, he's a magnet and that's a blessing and that's a curse.

And too oftentimes early in his career when things were not going his way his spirit impacted us in a negative way. It's almost the exact opposite now. He stays in a narrow lane. I have a great relationship with him, /I'm thankful for that relationship. But his growth and maturity, even today, not just his stats, but his demeanor, his body language, his moxie, because of his magnetism it's really important in how it impacts so many young guys and he has shouldered that with great maturity.