Quotes & Notes - February 13
vs. Wake Forest
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
“Well, look, I think that's a really good win for us. I'll just tell you guys this. I think Wake Forest is a big-time team. I don't think they get the respect, nationally….They started off 4-3. Since then, they've only lost four games when [Efton] Reid is playing. You add a guy like [Damari] Monsanto, later in the year. We know him well. Monsanto, he's a dangerous player. For them, even with that, if you look statistically, analytically, all that stuff, they're really like a top-25 team. I don't know how you don't think that's a tournament team. That's the first thing. But the second thing is, they're really good. They kept answering us. For us to have the lead the whole game – it was tied, too – but for us not to give them the lead for 40 minutes, I think that's a big time thing. I thought Mark [Mitchell] and [Kyle Filipowski] were men. I thought they were really tough tonight. And these guys, anybody who doubts their toughness, what they're about, they don't know Mark Mitchell, they don't know Kyle Filipowski. Those guys were just men tonight. And I could go down the list, Jared [McCain], it's four out of five games he's had double-digit rebounds. He's a warrior. We were kind of banged up. Tyrese [Proctor] was a little banged up, but he was battling through. I thought Jeremy [Roach] stepped up to hit some big-time shots.”
- Coach Scheyer on the Wake Forest game
“He's a different guy. Kyle's very thoughtful. And he takes the pressure, the responsibility, that he has for our team. And when he's not playing as well, he takes that on his shoulders. Basketball is not a sport that you're supposed to be perfect in. For him, it's just embracing that. He's doubled down on the work that he's put in. If you saw him earlier today, he got a great workout with Coach [Chris] Carrawell, on the court, to really just simulate what he's going to do in the game. I thought the main thing he did, he just had a different burst to him tonight. I'm proud of him for that because it's not supposed to be smooth sailing all the time. Even when you come back as a sophomore, you think it's supposed to be better. Well, it's only better if you make it better, and he’s made it better, especially tonight.”
- Coach Scheyer on how Kyle Filipowski has responded to a difficult stretch of games
“…It was just how I felt in that moment. And Cameron, they’re great, they always respond to you. The fans, the students, they always respond. And that, to me, is what makes this place different and special….I think these guys, there’s so much noise sometimes. I just want them to keep believing in themselves, keep believing in this group. We have everything we need, just need to keep growing, need to keep learning.”
- Coach Scheyer on pumping up the crowd in the second half
Stats
Duke turned the ball over 8 times in the first half, giving Wake Forest a 9-0 advantage in points off turnovers before the break. The Demon Deacons missed their first 11 attempts from beyond the arc, before making 6 of 15 three-pointers (1.20 pps) the rest of the game. In the second half, Duke went 14 of 17 from the line and led for the final 17:45. While Duke refused to give up the lead, Wake refused to go down by double digits. Jeremy Roach’s three with 4:39 remaining gave Duke a 9-point lead, matching their largest of the game. From there, Wake would cut the lead back to 5 on multiple occasions - credit both teams for continuing to respond down the stretch. Duke nearly had three guys post a double-double, as Mark Mitchell, Kyle Filipowski, and Jared McCain combined for 61 points and 28 rebounds (Mark 23/8, Flip 21/10, Jared 17/10).
Notes
Mike Krzyzewski turns 77 today - Happy Birthday, Coach!
In Case You Missed It: Seth Curry was traded last week to his hometown Charlotte Hornets, where father Dell is a commentator on the local broadcast. While wearing his dad’s #30, Seth scored 18 points last night in a 111-102 win over the Pacers. It was fun to hear Dell welcome his son home over the weekend.
The Duke Women’s Basketball team rallied to beat North Carolina 68-60 (OT) on Sunday afternoon. In front of a sold out Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke outscored UNC 34-14 in the fourth quarter and overtime. Delaney Thomas posted a career-high 19 points for the Blue Devils. Coach Lawson’s team currently sits at 16-7 (8-4), with six ACC games left to go.
Next Play: Saturday Feb 17 | 2:00 pm ESPN | Duke travels to Tallahassee to take on Florida State.
Thanks for reading, Go Duke!
Sources