Butler’s Steven Bennett, BIGEAST.com’s inside man at the NCAA Tournament, is in Memphis, Tenn., with the rest of the Bulldogs as they prepare for their Sweet 16 matchup with North Carolina Friday night at the FedEx Forum.
Steven fills us in on how tough it was to concentrate in class this past week, (and just wait until you see the list of classes he’s had to take as a chemistry major), what he thinks of North Carolina as an opponent, whether there is any “awe” factor going into the game, what it was like being on the Butler bench the last time the Bulldogs beat North Carolina in 2014, the secret reason why his parents, Steve and Marsha, are thrilled that Butler was sent to Memphis, whether he and the Bulldogs have chowed down on Memphis BBQ and how much fun it is for teammate Avery Woodson to return to Memphis where he played the past two seasons.
And Steven does it all from his spot on the Butler bench, or as we like to call it….The Best Seat in the House.
BIGEAST.com: What was it like on campus all this week?
BENNETT: “Well there was a decent amount of people, more than normal, saying, ‘Good luck in the Sweet 16. You guys are fun to watch,’ that kind of stuff. But other than that, to be honest with you, it was the same old Butler University as it has been.”
BIGEAST.com: Was it tough to concentrate in class this week after the weekend you guys had in Milwaukee?
BENNETT: “Yeah I’d have to say it was hard to concentrate because you know you’re leaving (for Memphis) and you know the opportunity you have coming at the end of the week. So yeah, class was a little more difficult to concentrate in. You just do the best you can. It’s hard because you’re thinking about all the things you have to do but it’s also an extremely exciting time.”
BIGEAST.com: Steven, you’re a chemistry major, correct? So what are some typical classes you take?
BENNETT: “Yes, I majored in chemistry and I’m trying to go to medical school. Normally I can balance both what I do inside the classroom and outside of it. But even for me this week it was very difficult. But I finished my chemistry degree already but I also have a human communication organizational leadership minor as well. So I’m only in two classes this semester because I finished the rest. So I’m in organic chemistry and also business and professional communication this semester. But in the past I’ve been in classes like biochemistry, physics, organic chemistry, genetics and cellular and molecular biology, classes like that. Balancing basketball and class work wasn’t always easy, but luckily this last semester I get to hang out and relax a little more. ”
BIGEAST.com: Switching to the basketball side of things, how much film have you watched of North Carolina this week?
BENNETT: “No more than normal, really. (Wednesday) we watched their personnel and we learned a little bit more about them today. We watched more film on how they play and things like that. We got a game plan now and we’ll just stick with our normal routine. We normally watch film before and after a meal.”
BIGEAST.com: What are your impressions of the Tar Heels?
BENNETT: “They’re really good. They’re a one seed for a reason. They’re an incredible offensive team and they’re very long. It’s going to be a lot of fun. They’re really good and we know we’re really good, too. It’s going to be a fun game and a fun challenge. Playing a team like North Carolina, you know their history and things like that so we know we’re going to have to come ready to go and we’ll see what we can do come (Friday).”
BIGEAST.com: Butler beat Arizona, Northwestern, Cincinnati and Villanova and Xavier twice each. So there is no “awe” factor going into this game is there?
BENNETT: “No, none at all. We know they are a great team, we know the history of North Carolina but it’s just a game. It’s the first game in our two-game tournament this weekend and our opponent just happens to be North Carolina. We just look at it as just another game and another challenge and just prepare the same way and do the same things we’ve done leading up to this point, that led us to those wins prior to this weekend. There’s no “awe” factor. It’s a basketball game, it’s going to be fun and hopefully we come out with a win.”
BIGEAST.com: Butler has beaten North Carolina the last two times it’s faced the Heels and you were there for the last one in 2014 in the Paradise Jam. What do you remember of that game?
BENNETT: “That was fun, it was around Thanksgiving and I remember Kelan (Martin) had a great game. That was his freshman year and he played extremely well. But I was close with (former Bulldogs star) Alex Barlow, too, and I remember how well he played and the passion he played with. That was my first time playing North Carolina and beating them was extremely cool. It was a blast.”
(Martin and Barlow scored 17 points apiece in that win over Carolina in 2014).
BIGEAST.com: Have you tried the BBQ yet? You can’t go to Memphis and not try the BBQ.
BENNETT: “Oh yeah we went to a BBQ place (Wednesday) night called Rendezvous BBQ and it was really good. So we definitely got the BBQ meal in. I think we’re eating at the hotel tonight but we definitely got our fair share of BBQ in last night.”
BIGEAST.com: If you beat North Carolina are you guys going to make coach take you all to Graceland to see Elvis’ place?
BENNETT: “(laughs) Yeah you never know. We probably won’t have the time for that but my parents (Steve and Marsha) and actually huge, huge Elvis fans. So I’m sure it’s cool for them coming here. I’m sure they’re looking into it.”
BIGEAST.com: When is your family getting to Memphis?
BENNETT: “My dad, he’s a big basketball fan, so he left really early this morning but the rest of my family couldn’t leave until 12:30 Eastern time so they’d miss our open practice. But he got here for the practice and the rest are on their way now.”
BIGEAST.com: Where did your dad go after practice? He’s over at Graceland already isn’t he? And without your mom?
BENNETT: “(laughs) He could be. You never know. I haven’t talked to him since the practice and I haven’t seen him since, so who knows where he is. But he’s really good friends with Tyler Lewis’ dad and Andy Chrabascz’s dad so they’re probably hanging out and having a good time somewhere.”
BIGEAST.com: Avery Woodson returns to the FedEx Forum where he played the last two seasons with Memphis before his graduate year with Butler. Has he enjoyed his return to Memphis?
BENNETT: “I can tell it’s extremely special for him to be back here. When we were walking in (to FedEx Forum) he was seeing people that were like his best friends when he was here. It was like he never left. That’s really cool to see for him. He’s had a long journey with basketball and for us to end up here in the Sweet 16, I can just tell, you can see that he’s loving it. So I’m happy for him that we were able to do this.”