Quotes & Notes - January 14
vs. Georgia Tech
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
“That was a big time win for us. I thought it was a gutsy win to go into this game without Mark [Mitchell]. He’s such an important guy for us. I call him a connector, and when you remove him from the equation, I thought it took us part of the game to overcome that. I thought we came out with good energy, but [without Mark], it puts everybody in a different spot, no matter what. I thought we missed him, but it’s no excuse for us, it’s next man up. Give Georgia Tech credit. I thought they hit some really tough shots. I think some of them were on us, but you’ve also got to give them credit. That is the best they’ve shot the ball from three recently. They had some really tough shots in the paint and again, you’ve got to give them credit and tip your hat to the shots that they made. The biggest stretch [of the game], to me, was that second half when we got down 10. We subbed in Jaylen Blakes, we subbed Ryan Young in, and they just made it happen, especially in this building, and on the defensive end. I thought Jeremy [Roach] and [Kyle Filipowski] in particular, made some big plays; Jaylen’s block was huge. Down the stretch, we found a way to win and that is what it’s all about in ACC play, especially doing it without Jeremy…We’ll get him checked out and take it step-by-step. I thought this was a really great win for us. To be able to fight through adversity, while two of our starters were down. Georgia Tech was rolling, I think they’re one of the more talented teams in our league. Those two freshmen [Baye] Ndongo and [Naithan] George are really good and [Kowacie] Reeves and [Miles] Kelly and their talent ability. For us to beat them under these circumstances and the way they were playing, I’m very proud of our team.”
- Coach Scheyer on the Georgia Tech game
“...I think more was brought to the light earlier for us. When that happens, you can either make excuses, point the finger, you can say it’s somebody else’s fault, or just an anomaly, or you can say whatever you want. There was not one person in the program that didn’t take responsibility, me included. I told the team in preparation for this game, watching [the previous matchup] back, I could have coached you better, you guys could have played better, we could have all done a lot better collectively. We’re just a different team. It was hard to take a lot away because I felt we were so different. Ironically, the two games that Mark hasn't started and he didn't play in this game, but we’re different besides that. To see the growth, to see the mental makeup of the guys on this team, they’re tough. I’m talking mental toughness, not just the physical toughness on the court. I’m really proud of the growth we’ve made. And really, since that game, I do think we’ve been a different team.”
- Coach Scheyer on Duke’s progress since the game in Atlanta
“Going into that timeout when we were down eight or 10 points, we weren’t getting discouraged with ourselves or pulling away from each other. In fact, we got a lot closer. We knew the game plan, we needed to execute well and do it play by play. Coach Scheyer didn’t say that we’d get it back right away. We just needed to be patient with them, make it a process, get those stops on defense, and that’s exactly what we did.”
- Kyle Filipowski on Duke’s deficit early in the second half
Stats
After leading 28-18 at the 9:20 mark, Duke made just one field goal for the remainder of the first half, and was outscored 35-15 over the next 15 minutes of game time. Georgia Tech now led 53-43 with 14:35 to go, before Duke outscored the Yellow Jackets 41-26 to close the game. Georgia Tech posted the highest effective field goal percentage (64.5%), and the most efficient three-point output (1.65 pps), of any Duke opponent so far this season. Duke’s advantage in both made free throws (+12) and second chance points (+8), helped offset Georgia Tech’s excellent shooting. Coach Scheyer also mentioned the turnover margin postgame - the Yellow Jackets committed 14 turnovers, compared to just 4 for the Blue Devils. I’m proud of the guys for the toughness and togetherness they displayed yesterday.
Notes
In Case You Missed It: One year ago, I wrote about Becoming a Duke Fan. I may do a follow-up to that essay at some point, but wanted to share it again today as my dad turns 77. Happy Birthday Dad!
Next Play: Saturday Jan 20 | 8:00 pm ACCN | Duke gets the week off before resuming action in Cameron against Coach Capel and Pittsburgh.
Thanks for reading, Go Duke!
Sources