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

March 16, 2017

Buffalo, New York

Notre Dame - 60, Princeton - 58

THE MODERATOR: We'll open with a statement from Coach Brey.

MIKE BREY: First game in the tournament. Got everybody ready, gave everybody a show. We know what we're supposed to do. I'm thrilled about our defense to keep them under 40% and really guard the arc. I think they're 8 for 31. That's how we were going to escape and we did escape. They're really good, but we've been in a lot of games like that, where game situations, having to make a big defensive stop, having to get a bucket, get it to the right guy, getting a ball in bounds to win a game. We've been there, really proud that we're still alive.

THE MODERATOR: At this time we'll take questions for Bonzie and Matt.

Q. For Bonzie and Matt, you guys typically are, you know, a prolific three-point shooting team. Today it looked like you guys were really working to the inside, getting to the lane. Is that something you were specifically planning on coming into the game, or is that something that was happening as the game was developing?
BONZIE COLSON: I would say it happened as the game developed. We tried to attack them with the three in the post. That's the way we play, we can post up, we can play five all cutters and ball screen roll. We saw some mismatches and tried to attack the best we can.

MATT FARRELL: I think we made adjustments in the second half trying to get Bonzie down there. That really helped us getting him in the lane and getting deep position. He's really tough to guard down there. It's just about making adjustments. I don't know if we shot the ball very well, but, like I said, it's about making adjustments and we did what we had to do to get out of there with a win.

Q. For both players, can you just describe the emotions of that last minute or so?
BONZIE COLSON: Yeah. I mean, it was something we've been through. We've been through a lot of those game situations. We've worked on it since summertime. So we walked in, and we knew what we had to do. They had big shots, but we stayed composed. We stayed locked in on defense and then on the offense end, we was still in our movement. They're a good team, they have a lot of good movement, but we talked and we communicated. I think that was something that got us the win.

MATT FARRELL: Yeah, I think we're a very confident group when it comes down to game situations. We've been a lot in the past, especially in the conference that we play in. We got a lot of guys that are poised. Like I said, we're confident in game situations.

Q. Obviously, a game like this, first round, there's fans from all four teams there. Notre Dame well-represented. At the same time, especially second half, Princeton going on a run, did you feel at all the crowd was against you, that maybe some of the neutral fans would be thinking hey, it's fun to see the little guys win.
BONZIE COLSON: I'm sure you see that with all teams. Princeton was a great team. They guarded us well. They played on the offensive end, but we just stayed with what we do. It was a good game. No matter how we looked, we got the win. That's all that matters.

MATT FARRELL: We've played in some tough environments before. Try not to pay attention to that. We knew they were going to go on a run. Talented offensive team. So we just had to stick with it. Once they went on that run, we made a couple adjustments, but we try to stay focused on the game and try to stay focused on what we do.

Q. Could we talk perimeter defense? They're one of the most efficient, effective perimeter teams in the country. Just what was your focus and what went so well?
MATT FARRELL: Just running them off the three-point line. We didn't want to get them going from behind the arc and we did a good enough job to do that. They're lethal from behind there. We had to do that and we had to rebound. We thought we had an advantage on that end, so we did both of those things.

BONZIE COLSON: Yeah. I think their movement on the offensive end is really different than what we've seen, a lot of back doors. They have a lot of three-point shooters, so we wanted to run them off the three, create gaps and I think that really helped us get some stops and rebounds as well.

Q. Matt, last year you were in the starting lineup for the first time. Now a year later, had a tremendous junior season. How much different does it feel being up there right now?
MATT FARRELL: I think it's the same. Having fun, having fun with the guys I've been with. It's the same. March is crazy. We just saw that, but I think it's the same confidence. It's the same mindset. I think it's a lot of fun to be here, especially with the guys around me, so, kind of the same mindset, just do whatever it takes to get the W.

Q. This has already been asked. Bonzie, the ankle, how it felt today and if it hindered you in any way?
BONZIE COLSON: Yeah. My ankle's good. I'm ready to play again. It's fine. I'm going to ice it up. I'll be ready.

THE MODERATOR: Bonzie, Matt, congratulations. Thanks for your time. See you tomorrow.

Q. Same for you, Coach. Perimeter defense, they had some open looks but not that many?
MIKE BREY: You know, to force them into 8 for 31 is a heck of a job by us. And it's probably why we won the game. We even blocked a couple. We got out. I thought our sense of urgency, switching stuff, getting out on shooters, was a key. And, again, I'm really thrilled, because this team is a good -- this group's a good defensive group. And we had to win it playing defense. Because we weren't in a great flow offensively. Some guys didn't shoot it as well as they'd liked, but we continued to guard. That's where we're pretty mature. We understand if our -- maybe different than some of my other teams. When we're not scoring it doesn't affect us on the defensive end.

Q. With Bonzie, he clearly doesn't want anybody to think he's injured, but is he 100 percent, and also, what does it mean in a match-up of similar teams perimeter games to have a guy like him with his inside ability?
MIKE BREY: He's certainly the difference. We were able to post him more. We really don't post him as much against ACC teams. He's outdribbling, exchanging, and shooting 15-footers and then sneaks into the post off a ball screen roll. But we were just throwing that darn thing in there. Looked like the Harongody days. Just chuck it in there and see what happens.

He's sore, he's a warrior, he played through some soreness. The great thing about the NCAA Tournament, you've got a day in between to really get that thing right again. And this time of year, you're playing on adrenaline anyways.

Q. You have a player that creates a foul but still gets dinged in the head, gets six stitches I've heard?
MIKE BREY: Yeah.

Q. Talk about the resilience there and the fact of physicality and injury and all of that?
MIKE BREY: I'm a big karma guy. Bonz is banged up a little bit. We used a lot of energy in Brooklyn and Pflueger gets dinged and is bleeding. I thought, God, I don't know about today. Is today going to be a weird day?

He's a tough kid. We glued him up. We would have stitched any other of our guys, but since he's from L.A., and he's into Hollywood, we didn't want to mess his face up, so we glued his head up because he could be a movie star someday. But he's been tough as nails, and to come back -- I actually said to my staff, he was back in, and I said Is he right? Is he giving us anything? And he hit the baseline jump shot and I turned around an said I guess he's okay. He really defends. That attention to detail, chasing shooters off the arc, he's fabulous about that.

Q. Mike, last year you started him this year at this point in the tournament. Now a year later, how much have you seen his confidence grow?
MIKE BREY: He's at the controls of this program. He's been that way since the summer. What helped him get confident early in the season, was that we did start him in the NCAA Tournament. So when we went to Brooklyn and won the Legends Classic, that was a great coming-out party, but he felt good, and that made us all believe and believe in him.

Q. You guys have been pulling NCAA Tournament wins kind of out of the fire for the past three seasons now, and you've had a ton of close games this season as well. What about your guys, when they're clicking, kind of makes them able to survive those late runs or is there an X factor?
MIKE BREY: We've had an unbelievable run in close games. I think we're 18-3 in our last 21 overtime games. That shouldn't happen. The law of averages. But we've been in so many of them, we really believe, and I think in this tournament, this nucleus of guys, just feel like as this thing was getting close, well, that's what we did all last year. We just stole wins to get to the Elite Eight.

And it's very similar to two years ago, the Northeastern game, you know? A tough one, you escape, and maybe can get on a run. Our guys have really believe that, because they've experienced it, which is huge.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you, coach, congratulations. See you tomorrow.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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

March 16, 2017

Mike Brey

Bonzie Colson

Matt Farrell