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NCAA MEN'S 3RD & 4TH ROUND REGIONALS: ST. LOUISMarch 22, 2007Brandon CroneA.J. GravesTodd LickliterBrian LigonST. LOUIS, MISSOURI THE MODERATOR: We welcome Coach Todd Lickliter. We're going to ask him to make an opening statement about his team being in St. Louis and then we'll go to questions. COACH LICKLITER: We're thrilled to be in St. Louis. We're thrilled to be in the tournament, and I'm proud of the way the guys have played and that they've earned the right to be here. We understand what a great challenge it is to compete against Florida. We have the utmost respect for them, as I'm sure all of you do. Anybody that's seen them play has the utmost respect for them. So we understand the challenge, but we're thankful to be involved and looking forward to competing, and guys have prepared well and now we'll see what will happen. Q. Coach, I was wondering if you could talk about your recollections of the Florida NCAA tournament game in 2000 and people talk about how that's affected their program since then. What, if any, influence did that have as you guys would start going to the tournament regularly after that? COACH LICKLITER: I remember it well. And I thought we had played well and I thought they played well. And it was a great game. I was disappointed at the end. I remember going to the Final Four that year and the assistant coach with me was Thad Matta and we were about two rows from the top of the dome in Indianapolis, and I looked down and I saw Billy and his team on the floor. And I said to Thad, amazing the distance in one shot, what it creates. We're at the top. He's on the floor. (Laughter) That's not to say that we would have gone on to be runner-up. They made the most of it. And I thought that team was terrific. And Mike Miller obviously made a big shot. And I know this, that it hurt our guys. And I'm kind of proud to say that, because they weren't just happy to be there. They wanted to advance. They wanted to finish that game, and I thought it drove them to compete at a higher level and prepare well. Then the next year we advanced and played Arizona. And I think it's something that you build upon. Florida has a great program and they were very good that day. Q. How do you begin to defend this Florida team? COACH LICKLITER: Fortunately, I don't have to do it, myself. I was never real big on defense as a player and struggled offensively. So I probably would have a lot of issues if I was playing. But as a team, as you look at it, I don't know if -- they're so versatile. And the thing that impresses me about Florida as much as the talent that they have and the individual skills is their willingness to share the basketball. It's a team that if you weren't playing them you would really be pulling for because you can tell that they're truly a team. And my hat goes off to Billy for that. They enjoy passing the ball. You can tell it. I think one out of every two field goals they've made this year have been assisted. That says a lot. When you look at Horford, when you think that he's being doubled and a great deal of the time, yet he has a positive assist turnover ratio for the year. That speaks volumes that your post can pass like that. So I think that's going to be really difficult because you don't want to get in rotations with them, because they move the ball so well. And they shoot it so well. And then secondly, and the last thing is is that you'll be out of position to try to block off. And that's going to be very difficult. Q. You guys have had a good program since Coach Collier and it's just continued. There have been a lot of good players in the Indianapolis area last four, five years, Courtney, Lee, Ratliff, McRoberts, Oden and Connelly. Do you get involved with any of those kinds of players or do you look elsewhere? COACH LICKLITER: We've invited them all. (Laughter). Yes, we get involved. And there are still the issues that, and as you can ask anybody that's in a city or in a location, so often the recruitable student athletes in that city think going to college is going away. So there's issues that you're fighting. We want to recruit serious students that want to be a part of the university, that can play, and if they're in Indianapolis or any city throughout the nation, we'll recruit them if they're the right guys, and yeah, we've recruited all those guys. Q. After all you've accomplished not only this year but in the past, generally perceived still as Cinderella. How do you guys feel about that label? COACH LICKLITER: We really don't address labels at all, to be honest with you, until someone asks us. We're Butler University, Bulldogs. We play the game the way we want to play it to the best of our abilities, and we don't necessarily -- in these situations, we don't pick our opponent. So we can't be concerned about it. We have to play the game the way we -- or try the play the game the way we want to. Now, I've said this numerous times. That's going to be a great challenge against Florida, because they just don't let people do that. Q. A follow-up, are there really any mid-major schools left now or has parity made it such that any of the good programs can compete? COACH LICKLITER: I gotta say that I think that labeling is an individual thing. I'm sure that no matter what the situation is, that individual, whoever it is, myself, media, whoever, you can put a label on anyone, anything that you want. So are there any mid-majors? I know this that there's -- depending on how you categorize that, I'm sure there will always be. But, again, the beauty of the sport is that it's competitive. It's that given night. It's execution on the floor. And it's what we all love to watch because it's student athletes competing. I just don't think that the labels matter once you arrive on the court and the ball's thrown out. Q. What challenges do you see in guarding Al Horford. That's what most people say? COACH LICKLITER: Why would you have to bring that up? I was having a nice afternoon. I just think it's -- like I said before, one of the things that impresses me is that he's seeing a lot of different defenses. He's seeing doubles. He's seeing guys that -- he's seeing one-on-one, just different things. And yet he has a positive assist to turnover. It speaks for volumes how he feels the game and plays the game and not only that he's scoring. I won't have that answer. We're going to try some different things. We're going to look at some different ways of defending. And hopefully during the course of the game we can come up with a solution to him. But it won't just be him, obviously. Like I said before, they play so well together and off of one another together that if you thought you had one issue solved, believe me, there will be another issue coming up. Q. Can you talk about how you get shots for A.J., a guy his size and how you're able to get him open and give him open looks? COACH LICKLITER: I think the biggest thing is for A.J. to stay open. Possessions are 35 seconds. There's numerous ones during the game. He's got to stay patient. And I think there's respect for other players. Our other players have the ability to get to the basket. They have the ability to score the ball. So we're going to continue to look for them. And if A.J. is unable to get open, then he needs to do a great job of screening. And he needs to do other things. And he's more than willing to do that. A.J. does not hunt shots; he takes shots that are available. And so hopefully through ball movement, through execution by other players, we'll find A.J. at the right times. And if that's the case, and A.J. has good looks, I want him shooting it every time. It is hard to do, because people understand what caliber of a player he is and what he's been able to do. So it's hard for him. And he has to score on minimal shots. Not like some other people. But he's fine with that. Q. Coach, I kind of apologize for this question in advance. But if y'all never even bring up the concept of being Cinderella, I assume there's never a game, even a game against defending champion like this where you feel like you need to go out and measure the rim before the game? COACH LICKLITER: Well, the way we measure it is we just go in and shoot. And if they go in, then you know a few years ago we went to a shoot-around and we had a guy dunk and reverse dunk, I've never seen him dunk before and we did measure it. We had him come out. Sure enough it was low. (Laughter) But these appear to be the right size. And, no, you don't really -- if you focus on who people are picking, what they're saying about you, any number of things, you'll miss out on what you really need to focus on. And that's your game plan, execution. The skills required, the opponent. All those things that, like I said, make this game great. Q. How come Butler has been able to do what it's done? You look at Gonzaga, it's the only other, quote/unquote, mid-major that's been able to sustain this level of, you know, that's been able to keep things going over a long period of time. What do you think makes this unique? COACH LICKLITER: I think it's the same with any organization. Great people. I think that Butler University attracts student athletes that are willing and eager to support one another. We're in Indianapolis, where we have a good location for a good recruiting base. And we have really good people. I've been very fortunate to coach young men that are what I would say selfless. They believe what's on the front of the jersey is more important than the back. They mesh their skills well. So we're stronger as a unit than the individual parts. Q. Could you just talk about Mike Green, what you've got from him, particularly his rebounding for a guy his size? COACH LICKLITER: It would be my pleasure to talk about Mike Green. I love the guy. What you see on the court, his rebounding is only part. I've said this many times. He's a very serious student, a community leader. He's going to be a success after he leaves Butler. And he was a great, great addition for us. He was hungry to win. He's never had a negative comment about Towson and his experience. That's not his nature. It wasn't about that. He just wanted a new environment. The first time we met on campus during his visit I knew it was a good fit. And he agreed. And we haven't looked back. And he's just been a terrific addition. I love the way that he and A.J. complement one another, but not only that, the way they complement the entire team. Q. Did you have any apprehensions about playing in a dome stadium? Sometimes people complain that the visually and so forth it's difficult? COACH LICKLITER: I asked them to move it. And they wouldn't do it. (Laughter) I petitioned it. No, I have no apprehensions about it at all. If they told us it was outside, we'd show up and play. We're thrilled to play, and we're going to play in it. Florida is going to play in it. So I don't see that there's any advantage or disadvantage for any one team. Q. When you insert Campbell, is he under orders to just start firing as soon as the ball gets there. (Laughter) COACH LICKLITER: We'd like for him to wait until he gets the ball, yeah. You know, Pete has a special skill. He's earned it. He spent time over the course of his life. I'd like to say that I created that. But I think we all know that was a lie. He has a special skill. But the thing that Pete brings is that he hasn't relied on that. Pete has defended well this year. He's a great teammate, but he understands that he's to use that skill, the highest percentage amount of time as possible. And so he's a great shooter. There's no question about that. Q. Bruce Weber was talking about his recruiting one day and he said that he could win without having a star or two stars in his program. But he wasn't sure he could win the national championship. Those stars are the ones who win the big games in the end. I wonder what you think of that. And also if two Top 10 recruits knocked on your door, would that change the Butler way or how would you deal with that? COACH LICKLITER: Top 10 in what way? Nationally you mean? Q. Yes. COACH LICKLITER: You don't foresee that happening, do you? (Laughter) I'd answer it. I promise you that. If they knocked I'd answer and we could discuss it. But I don't know. What is a star? I think a star is somebody that makes everybody around them better. So in my opinion I'm fortunate I've got twelve stars. THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much. Now for the student athletes. Q. A.J., you walk in a place like the dome here or Madison square garden and think at all of where you've come from to get to this point? A.J. GRAVES: Pretty impressed that you found Switz City to begin with. But I walked in here. It's impressive. And you know it's a big atmosphere. But I think that the team here is ready to take on this challenge. Q. How does a guy like Mike Green end up leading the team in rebounds when he's maybe six feet? BRIAN LIGON: Well, we've got a team concept that everybody is supposed to go out and block out and whoever is open man, you know the guys get back down the court and he's free to go get the ball while we're holding our men off and we're happy he goes and gets them as long as other teams not getting it. Doesn't matter who is leading the team on Butler. Q. Considering the house you grew up with the baskets and everything, the environment you grew up in, the background, did you have any other choice but to become a basketball player? A.J. GRAVES: I don't think so. If there's another choice on the way I didn't present it to me. Growing up that's all there was to do. I was joking with Coach earlier. The basketball that we had, behind it was just fields. So it was open. So it's kind of like the dome here. You look behind the basketball and it's open. So I mean I feel real comfortable here. Q. I think A.J. being able to anticipate plays just anticipate my question I was asking him and Brandon what it was like shooting in the dome. I don't think Butler shot in a dome all season. Some people wonder if the visual acuity and peculiarities of shooting in a dome make it difficult either one of you. BRANDON CRONE: Not really, I felt good about that. I know the guards were hitting pretty much everything they shot. There's only one spot where the lights are a little bright if you get on the wing. Kind of reminds me of Hinkle, when the sun is coming in in the afternoon anyway. I don't think we'll have any problem with it. Everyone seemed ready and was shooting well today. A.J. GRAVES: Seemed fine to me. I have bad eyes to begin with. I'm not going to trust what I see. I'm just going to go out there and shoot like I always have. Q. For all three guys, were any of you offered scholarships by Big 10, ACC, Big 12 or any of the, quote, major conferences? BRANDON CRONE: No. I wasn't. I was looked at by Purdue for a little bit. But was not offered any of the major conferences. A.J. GRAVES: I wasn't offered. I committed way too early. So, I mean, I didn't have a chance for anyone else to come look at me. BRIAN LIGON: Nope. (Laughter) Q. What's the mind set of the team going into this game? Do you want it to feel like a David versus Goliath thing? Do you want to feel like an underdog in this game to help motivate you guys or what's the mind set? BRANDON CRONE: The mind set is to come in this thing and attack it. Obviously we're playing defending national champions. It's not going to be easy. They pose a lot of problems for us. So, I mean, we kind of leave that to you guys, really. I think we probably have been the underdog all year in pre-season and stuff. But we haven't looked at it. We're just really excited and happy for this opportunity. Q. Somewhat of a follow-up to that, do you guys resent or dislike the mid-major label and is that even relevant what you a guys have done over the last couple of years, Gonzaga and Southern Illinois? BRIAN LIGON: I think it's been irrelevant from the get-go. We don't focus on the outside influences. We go out every game with a specific game plan and sticking to that is what gives us the best opportunity to go out and compete and win games. Q. Question for A.J. You mentioned a moment ago about the basket outdoors that you used to shoot at. Was that backyard or was that a school yard and what else can you tell us about that environment playing there? A.J. GRAVES: It wasn't a school yard. I was too far from the school. But it was the driveway. And like we were the only house within miles. There was like two houses on our road. That was the way it was growing up in a small town like that. Q. By yourself? A.J. GRAVES: By myself. My brothers had grown up and moved on with their adult lives. Q. This question is for Brian and Brandon, mostly. With the guys that you guys played against in high school very highly touted recruits do you get to this point and compare your success to them at the NCAA level at least? BRANDON CRONE: I haven't -- I have a lot of friends, like I said, who was on those teams. We don't really compare it to that. We just talk. Just friendship stuff. I'm sure probably a little bit later in life when we're not able to get out on the court anymore I'll have some stuff to throw back at them. But this is my first NCAA tournament. So I never really had a lot to -- a lot of ammunition anyway. So now that I do, we'll wait and see what happens in a few years? BRIAN LIGON: Yeah, I kind of agree with Brandon. Not so much comparing, just kind of seeing how well they're doing. Keeping tabs on each other. And I think the experience that you gain from college basketball is like none other. I played against a guy on Florida's team, Richards, every year in high school. It's good to see somebody you know succeed. And I think they feel the same way, all our friends. Q. Brandon, is Florida where you wanted to go growing up? BRANDON CRONE: It was one of the choices growing up as a freshman. They were successful at the time. It wasn't anything that I ever looked at real seriously. I was really just recruited by mostly Indiana schools? Q. For all three of you, did you play AAU ball, have you seen a lot of these types of players? BRIAN LIGON: Yeah, I played AAU in high school. Played against a few, top prospects while I was in high school and so we've seen talent like this before, I'd say. BRANDON CRONE: Yes, I played for Bloomington. We had a pretty good AAU team went to nationals, Final Four three years in a row. I have played against a lot of them. I think three years of playing at Butler, we played against a lot of good competition as well. A.J. GRAVES: I played AAU but played it seldomly. I went out once in a while. The times we did go out I did see good competition. It kind of reminds me of this atmosphere we've got here. Q. If you could put your finger on it, what's the number one key to beating this Florida team? Do you have to play the perfect game, stay competitive on the boards as Purdue did? BRIAN LIGON: I don't think anybody can play a perfect game. But you do have to be good against a team with this caliber. And we're going to have a specific game plan. Like I said before, sticking to that is going to give us the best shot in competing with this Florida team. Q. Brandon? BRANDON CRONE: Like Brian said, we'll have to keep our poise. We're obviously they're a team that likes to press and they're pretty good at it. So we're going to have to keep control of the ball, take care of it and really just focus on the game plan and stick to what's been successful all year. Q. For A.J., I heard that you were the team barber for your high school basketball team. I'm wondering if you hung up your clippers, still cut any hair, and why you decided to grow yours out? A.J. GRAVES: I don't know where you get all this information. It's supposed to be kept away secretly. Q. The people in your town like to talk about it. A.J. GRAVES: I used to cut the team's hair and Coach's hair a few times we went to semi-state. I put that up. I was even bald my senior year in high school. I used to do that. But I'm just trying to create a -- I don't know. I don't know if I'm trying to create anything. I just thought I'd do something different for once. (Laughter) My grandma says she likes my hair, so I think I'm going to keep it. Q. We forgot to ask Brandon what he was doing with the Brian Evans hair cut, where did that come from? BRANDON CRONE: This is a sad subject. I don't appreciate you bringing that up. I went in to a lady who had 23 years of experience, but she kind of chopped it all off and I was kind of wondering how she had 23 years of experience. But it wasn't exactly what I asked for. But it got me to Sweet 16, so I can't really complain now. Q. Did Campbell go to the same person? BRANDON CRONE: Actually he was at the same person. Small place. I went into Great Clips and here he was in the chair. But he didn't warn me. (Laughter) THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much. End of FastScripts |
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