Quotes & Notes - December 13
vs. Hofstra
After every game I always watch the press conference, read the quotes, and study the box score. Quotes & Notes is my wrap-up of Duke’s most recent game(s).
Quotes
“Proud of that. I thought they [Hofstra] came out and were on fire there for a bit in the first half. They are incredibly well coached, a ton of respect for Speedy [Claxton] and their staff. They run great stuff offensively. They have some dynamic scorers. [Tyler] Thomas can really score, [Darlinstone] Dubar has a big-time game with seven threes and five in the first half. Some of those were tough shots and some of those we could have done better. I just like the response from our team. I thought we had great leadership tonight. I thought Jeremy [Roach] was in great control of the game. His stats were great with 19 points and eight assists, but for me it was just his command, his poise, and the way he looked throughout: never rattled. He has really stepped-up big time for us….We switched a little bit how we played defense, they spread you so much that we ended up switching a lot. I thought we moved our feet well, limited their threes, and to hold a team like Hofstra, who averages 80 a game, to 29 points in the second half, thought that it was really good.”
- Coach Scheyer on the Hofstra game
“We have played two really good teams in Charlotte and Hofstra. We just want to take a step forward, and of course you want that to translate to winning. For me, it is not just about winning; it is about how we played, it is about how we competed, and about how we prepare. After the last game I told our team, the blueprint is set. The blueprint is set after these last two games. You have to continue to adjust and adapt to who you're playing and what the game plan is, but in terms of the preparation, the collective effort, the fight, tonight was great. We did not have it perfect for us in the first half; for them to take the lead and for us to respond, that was great. It was great for this team to go through that first half.”
- Coach Scheyer on what the team has learned the last two games
“I think currently, we're in a good spot - we're far from arriving, you know, we’re far from who we can become….our goal, after that Georgia Tech game - Tyrese gets hurt, we lose that game right at the end - our goal was to be the best team we can be to elevate, and then when Tyrese comes back we're a better team. I don’t think the beginning of the season was about effort or these guys not wanting it, it was about understanding how to do it together on both ends….but I think we’re in a good spot if we understand we have to continue to work, we have to continue to improve….we’re going to continue to adapt and adjust as a coaching staff, but I think we’ve found some strengths with our team that we can definitely have moving forward.”
- Coach Scheyer on Duke’s progress
Stats
It was an extremely efficient game for both sides offensively, with each team hitting the 60% mark in effective field goal percentage and generating over 1.00 pps from both two-point and three-point range on the night. Duke was able to tighten its defense in the second half, forcing Hofstra to commit 10 of their 14 turnovers after halftime. The Blue Devils shared the ball well again, assisting on 22 of 33 made field goals (66.7%), led by Jeremy Roach and Kyle Filipowski with eight dimes apiece.
Notes
In Case You Missed It: The Los Angeles Lakers captured the first NBA In-Season Tournament championship over the weekend, with a 123-109 win against the Indiana Pacers. While I had mixed feelings about the tournament (more competitive NBA basketball in December, yes please; awful court designs/colors, no thanks), it was definitely a net positive for the league. I’m especially happy to see Cam Reddish playing well, defending, and getting support from King James. Reddish had 9 points and 3 blocks in the title game, and I’m glad he seems to have found a role with the Lakers.
Next Play: Wednesday Dec 20 | 7:00 pm ESPN | After another week off, Duke will travel to New York to take on Baylor at Madison Square Garden. The Blue Devils have been fortunate to play some awesome opponents in MSG - my wife and I were there in 2018, and next week will be another great test for Duke in the world's most famous arena.
Thanks for reading, Go Duke!
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