NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: FIRST ROUND - CREIGHTON VS SAN DIEGO ST.

March 16, 2022

Brian Dutcher

Dickies Arena

San Diego St. Aztecs

Media Conference

BRIAN DUTCHER: Hey, I know you guys. (Laughing.)

THE MODERATOR: Okay. We are now joined by head coach, Brian Dutcher.

And, Coach, if you can start with an opening statement, and then we'll take questions in the room. And we also have the ability to take questions on ZOOM today. Coach?

BRIAN DUTCHER: We had a great trip in yesterday. We got in, got settled in the hotel, had a film session. Went over to TCU today. Already had an hour and 15 minutes on the floor where we concentrated on our game prep for Creighton.

And now we'll get used to the building in here. It's beautiful, get out there, get some shooting in, get used to the background, and get ready to play a very good Creighton team tomorrow. And excited for that opportunity.

THE MODERATOR: All right. Thank you, Coach.

Questions here in Fort Worth first? Let's start on the right-hand side in the middle.

Q. Now that you've had a chance to watch Creighton a little bit, I just asked the players this: Do they -- do you kind of look at them and see the same team in the sense that, you know, they play a lot of defense, struggled sometime on offense, you know, both teams have the defensive player of the year? Are these teams more similar than they are dissimilar?

BRIAN DUTCHER: Yeah. I mean, both teams are really close to each other as far as profile. Like you said, the defensive player of the year is the key to both teams. You know, you can make mistakes on the perimeter, but anything around the rim is protected, hard to score at the basket. So that's going to be a great challenge for both teams.

Obviously, people say, you know, Creighton doesn't shoot the ball that good. Well, they've got two good shooters. People don't let them shoot the ball. So the key for us is don't let the good shooters shoot and let the bad shooters take them; so that's basketball.

But both teams -- like I said, we both have programs. We're not, like, one-hit wonders, not here every five or six years. Both teams have really good programs.

And so, even though we may not be to our best what we want to be offensively, we find ways to win games. And that's a credit to the Aztecs and Coach McDermott and his Creighton team.

THE MODERATOR: Front-right side.

Q. Dutch, given Syracuse, Houston, the 30 and 2 team didn't get a chance to see what they could do in the tournament over these recent years. Even though this is just one game tomorrow, is there any bigger meaningfulness to picking one up tomorrow beyond obviously moving ahead in the tournament?

BRIAN DUTCHER: Well, we've told every recruit since we got here, our goal is to play in a Final Four, to play for a National Championship. So we can't have that goal and not win games in the tournament. So, yeah, we have to win games in the tournament, if that's what our goal is.

And so we have an opportunity tomorrow. And they're not easy. I mean, obviously, we played a one possession game against Houston, had a shot to win it, didn't make it. And last year I thought we had a great draw on Creighton. We shoot the ball at a high level last year. Playing a zone team, I thought it was a perfect matchup. We got rolled over.

So the thing I want to make sure this year's team does is play with incredible confidence, with a swagger, and not be afraid. You know, you can't be fearful of this time. You have to go out, embrace it, play like you belong here, play like you know you're good, and play with great swagger. And that's what I hope we do tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: On the left.

Q. Coach, given the defensive success that your team and Creighton's team has had this season, are you expecting kind of one of those grind it out games where every point is going to be tough to come by?

BRIAN DUTCHER: Yeah. I've told the team all year, there are certain games where you only get so many mistakes. You know, the lesser an opponent, you can get some mistakes and still win.

This will be a game tomorrow where you can't have a ton of mistakes and win, from either side, because points are at a premium. So both teams are going to have to play as close to mistake-free as you can.

And we know it's a mistake game. Basketball is a game of mistakes. Whatever team can play mistake-free the longest and get a shot up most of the time will have a chance to win.

THE MODERATOR: Back in the front.

Q. Bear with me on an odd question. You talked about, you know, now you're going to move forward and get used to this building. It's built in a unique way in terms of the character and what the outside and you've got the livestock barns and everything around here. What do you know -- as a guy by the ocean, what do you know about bull riding and rodeo?

BRIAN DUTCHER: I like rodeo. And hopefully they have a lot of rodeo at the Thomas & Mack. And we played pretty the good in there. So hopefully we'll play well in here.

But I've not even been into the facility yet, other than in the locker rooms and sitting here in front of you. So I'm anxious to get out there and get a firsthand look. I hear it's beautiful.

Colorado State played here this year and said it was a great facility. And they loved it and thought it was really, really top-notch. So I'm excited to get out there and see the court and see the setup.

THE MODERATOR: Here's the best news about this place compared to the old arena across the street, that place smelt like rodeo 365. This is only a couple years old. It doesn't smell like the rodeo yet.

BRIAN DUTCHER: Yeah, thank goodness.

THE MODERATOR: Back on the left.

Q. Coach, from what you've seen, what has impressed you most about the way Ryan Hawkins kind of fits into this Creighton lineup? And is he kind of one of those prototypical type four for Coach McDermott?

BRIAN DUTCHER: He's ideal for any program that could have got him. He can really score that ball. I mean, he's good in the low post, he pivots, he gets around the defense. He's got the quickest release I've seen all year. He catches it and gets it off.

So we're going to have to pay attention to him, we're going to have to stay connected. But he is a very talented player. And not at just one level.

He's not just a catch-shoot guy. He can post you, put it on the floor a little bit. He's very dangerous and Coach McDermott was very fortunate to add him to this year's team.

THE MODERATOR: Any other questions in the room? If not, seeing none on ZOOM, Coach, we'll let you go.

BRIAN DUTCHER: Thanks, everyone.