Fourth-seeded Butler draws Winthrop in NCAA Tournament's first round
Butler coach Chris Holtmann knows his opponent pretty well. He actually faced Winthrop before at his only other head coaching stop at Gardner-Webb.
"We were in the same league, and I think they won it one or two years, maybe my first year (at Gardner-Webb)," Holtmann said after the pairings were announced. "I think (coach) Pat (Kelsey) come on in my last or final year there."
Butler, which has the highest seed in school history at No. 4, will be playing in nearby Milwaukee against the Big South champion. Knowing about Winthrop won't make things much easier during a late-night cram session expected to last into the wee hours of Monday morning.
The Bulldogs will try to protect their new status as tourney favorites against a foe that proved it can be a giant-killer, too, one that upset Notre Dame a decade ago.
