From: USAToday.com -

Butler coach Brad Stevens is doing this week what no men’s college basketball coach has done since John Wooden with UCLA in 1972.

Stevens is leading his Bulldogs into the Final Four in their hometown of Indianapolis. Wooden led UCLA to the Final Four in Los Angeles in ‘72.

Stevens played basketball while growing up in Indiana and still has many friends and family living in the area. Playing the Final Four right down the street means plenty of people will be asking for tickets.

Stevens joined Dan Patrick on his radio show Wednesday and discussed the issue — and whether it’s a burden as he prepares for the biggest game in school history.

Stevens said one of his first objectives was to talk to Ohio State coach Thad Matta, who was Stevens’ first boss at Butler and the coach that led the Buckeyes to the national title game in 2007.

Matta’s first bit of advice?

“Get out of the ticket business early,” Stevens told Patrick. “So I promptly then called my wife and said, ‘Can you handle this?’ …”

“I’ve gotten a few emails, but for the most part people have been great”

With that off his plate, Stevens has had four days to prepare for Tom Izzo and the Michigan State Spartans.

“It’s fun as a basketball junkie to study their teams and it’s overwhelming to think that you’re actually going to have to play against these guys,” Stevens said.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 31st, 2010 at 3:56 pm.
Categories: MEN's BASKETBALL.

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