Coach Brad Stevens, whose Butler University Bulldogs were edged out by the Duke Blue Devils in last night’s NCAA men’s basketball final, talks about his team’s storybook road to the finals on the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN, Tuesday, April 6.
Letterman asked Stevens, who appeared via satellite from the Butler campus in Indianapolis, how things were on campus today after the teams two-point loss to Duke in last night’s title game. “They’re still pretty electric,” Stevens said. “Now, I will say this: we’re licking our wounds as a team in a program – you know, when you come so close and you have the chance to win it all, it certainly hurts, but the people around here have made it just unbelievable for us.” “Well, I tell you,” Letterman said, “I’ve been talking to my basketball people all day and you have nothing to apologize about, you have nothing to be ashamed about.”
(Click Here to Watch a Preview of Coach Stevens’ Interview on Tonight’s LATE SHOW)
The host also asked about Butler’s game against Michigan State over the weekend and Spartan coach Tom Izzo’s prediction that Duke would beat the Bulldogs by 10 to 15 points. “Why would he say something stupid like that?” Letterman asked. “You know what,” Stevens replied, “he knows a lot more than I do, and, you know, it was just one of those days where I felt like we were playing really well. Our guys really believe in one another…and when you win 25 straight games, you start to think that you’re going to figure out a way to win and we couldn’t just quite do it yesterday but, you know, to have a chance to play Michigan State and Duke back to back in the Final Four and then in the national championship game, you know, obviously two class programs, two class people and we’re privileged to be on the court with them.” Letterman then deadpanned, “You’re just not going to take my bait, are you?” Stevens joked, “I’m too young to take your bait.” Letterman said, “Well, you know, Tom Izzo’s a great coach and maybe he knows more than you do, but he also took the early bus home, so there.”
Letterman told Stevens that “what you did for your team, for your university and for your community and the nation at large is a victory and just don’t ever forget that, by God,” and then asked the coach, “I’ll give you a year of my pay if you take the head coaching position at Ball State,” Letterman’s alma mater. “Hey, you know what,” Stevens replied, “you know what, Dave, they have an outstanding coach and a terrific person up there, Billy Taylor. He’s going to get it done up there.” Stevens’ entire interview can be seen on the LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN tonight (11:35 PM-12:37 AM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network.
The LATE SHOW with DAVID LETTERMAN is a production of Worldwide Pants Incorporated. Barbara Gaines, Matt Roberts, Jude Brennan, Maria Pope, Eric Stangel, Justin Stangel and Rob Burnett are the executive producers.
(source: CBS)
