Quotes & Notes - December 21
vs. Baylor
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
“What an honor to play in [Madison Square Garden]. This has been a special place for us, especially to play right before Christmas. This kind of game, it's going to be hard to do it going forward, depending on the ACC schedule, but just seeing the crowd show up, and all the Duke fans in New York, what a special thing. For these guys, I know they love playing in it. It's great coaching in it. To play a team like Baylor, to get tested by a team who really had, coming in, a top-five offense in the country, best three-point shooting team, top-five offensive rebounding team, and a great culture. They've been a winning program. So, it's an honor for us to play them…”
- Coach Scheyer on playing Baylor at MSG
“...for us to be in some big-time games right away, and we didn't play our best in a couple of those. We didn't finish in two of them. We have two wins right there and we didn't finish. But we went through some stuff together. Those games, I think, more got brought to the light. I give these guys credit for just putting their heads down and working. I thought we were incredibly tough tonight. I'm not saying Baylor wasn't. I thought we were more mentally tough down the stretch, which is what this program has been about. I thought our defense throughout was pretty good. I mean, they're an explosive offensive team. They're going to score some points….Jeremy's presence over our team, just what he's done over the last few weeks, it can be make or break points in a season, and Jeremy's saying, ‘It's not going down this way.’ And the whole team has responded together.”
- Coach Scheyer on Duke’s toughness down the stretch
“…A ton of respect for Baylor’s backcourt. They have a great backcourt, they're very dynamic. The job these guys have done as two-way guards. All of them. Especially the job that Caleb, Jared and Jeremy did tonight. Playing both ends of the ball, scoring efficiently, taking care of the ball. And then we were disruptive. They had more turnovers than assists. And so, I think they've shown a lot of physical and mental toughness. Like I said, Jeremy, just being the vet and being in these situations, he never looks rattled. And then for Jared and Caleb, they never look rattled. So, to have that and the continuity and learning how to play with each other, playing three guards together is a little bit different, so we've had to adjust. I've had to adjust. But give these guys all the credit in the world. They've done a terrific job and really, that's my expectation going forward.”
- Coach Scheyer on Duke’s recent backcourt play
Stats
After giving up 7 offensive rebounds for 11 second chance points in the first half, Duke did a much better job limiting second shot opportunities for Baylor, as the Bears only managed 4 second chance points after halftime. Trailing 54-48 at the 10:59 media timeout, Duke would only allow 2 made field goals over the next 9:49 of game action, before Baylor knocked down a few shots in the final minute. Last night marked the first time this season the Blue Devils had five scorers in double-figures thanks, in part, to an efficient second half offensively. In the final 20:00, Duke made 16 of 19 free throws and had an effective field goal percentage of 58.3%.
Notes
It’s a bummer to see Coach Scheyer mention that these types of games (non-conference, neutral site in December) may not be possible going forward with the new ACC schedule. I look forward to so many stages of the college basketball season, but Duke’s late December non-conference game in MSG (or another big venue), has been a staple on the schedule for many years. In a fun but meaningless stat, the Blue Devils are now 41-18 at Madison Square Garden, including seven consecutive wins in the “Mecca of Basketball.” As with almost everything in college basketball, scheduling will continue to change with the landscape, but hopefully Duke will be back in the Garden in the future.
In Case You Missed It: Former North Carolina great Eric Montross passed away from cancer earlier this week at age 52. As a junior and senior, Montross was named to consecutive All-ACC and All-American teams, helping the Tar Heels capture the 1993 National Championship before being selected ninth overall in the 1994 NBA Draft. Condolences to the Montross family on their loss, as well as to UNC Basketball and Tar Heel Athletics.
Next Play: Saturday Dec 30 | 2:00 pm CW | After a 10-day break, Duke will return to action at home against Queens for their last non-conference game of the regular season.
Thanks for reading, Go Duke!
Sources