Quotes & Notes - March 13

Pittsburgh, Miami, Virginia

Mar 13, 2023

After every game I do three things: watch the press conference, read the quotes, and study the box score. Quotes & Notes is my wrap-up of the most recent games of the Duke season, including postgame quotes, stats, and other thoughts.

Quotes

“Yeah, I just would add for me, one, I'm incredibly fortunate the experience I got before I was a head coach just with Coach K, how he would just be so open in the way he would share, just whether it be game plan, strategy, motivation, whatever it may be. But for me, I feel I've gotten a lot better. I've gotten a lot better with these guys. I'm just so thankful for them. You build up the trust in the relationship, and that's what I'm most proud of. We've been through a lot together, and people -- I don't know what people say, to be honest with you, but I know for us, we believe in each other, and that's what I'm most proud of throughout this year.”

- Coach Scheyer after the Pitt game on what it’s been like to lead the Duke program

“Well, first of all, I thought it was as high of a level of game as we've played. Miami, they're a really good team. They have a high-powered offense. They're experienced. I thought for us, we actually came out and threw some haymakers at them and gave them a great shot. For them, they're just so steady. They keep coming at you…really proud of our team. I think it shows our growth to be in a big-time battle like this where there's not that separation. We weren't going to be able to pull away.”

- Coach Scheyer after the win against Miami

“One, just want to say, Virginia is a great team. We've had two big-time battles against them this year. Really every time we play them usually it's that way. Proud for our team. We've just grown and grown throughout the whole season, and what's special for me in this tournament, we played three really good teams but also three different styles. Pitt is a great three-point shooting team, so they spread you and you have to really defend the three. Miami is one of the most athletic teams in our league but also the country. They really pressure the ball. Obviously Virginia is tough as can be, slower paced, they grind you. And to prepare for them in 24 hours and to defend them the way that we did, it's a credit to these guys and their focus and their fight on the defensive end. So really proud of them.”

- Coach Scheyer on winning the ACC Tournament

Stats

Duke really shared the ball well in Greensboro, including 27 assists against Pittsburgh, an ACC Tournament single-game record. Against Miami, I thought one key was Duke only committing four second half turnovers. Miami’s defense is so aggressive on ball screens and athletic in their full-court press. The Blue Devils turned it over eight times in the first half, so cutting that number down was important for the final 20 minutes. Duke continued to gain an advantage on the glass, totaling 29 second chance points for the three games and outrebounding their opponents in Greensboro by a combined total of 99-79.

Notes

It goes without saying, but congratulations to the Duke team, Coach Scheyer, and all the Duke staff on winning the 2023 ACC Tournament to cap off a terrific regular season. I’m so proud of the guys for their effort all year. The Blue Devils only trailed for a total of 4:32 while in Greensboro, on their way to capturing Duke’s 22nd ACC Tournament title and a 5-seed in the East Region of the NCAA Tournament. Duke will play Oral Roberts Thursday evening in Orlando.

Jim Boeheim had a fantastic 47 year career as the head coach at Syracuse before his retirement last week. While I have mixed feelings about conference realignment, from a basketball standpoint, Syracuse has been a great addition to the ACC. I love Coach Boeheim’s 2-3 zone, especially the way his bottom defenders help on passes to the wing until the ball side guard can recover. I remember watching the Orange win the 2003 National Championship with my buddies in the dorm as a freshman and my dad happened to be at the 1987 Final Four in New Orleans, which was Coach Boeheim’s first. In total, Jim Boeheim took Syracuse to five Final Fours and won 15 Big East Championships - 10 regular seasons and 5 tournaments. And, of course, Boeheim was an assistant for Mike Krzyzewski and USA Basketball from 2006 to 2016, helping Team USA win Olympic Gold Medals in 2008, 2012, and 2016. Most of all, it was awesome to see him coach his two sons, Buddy and Jimmy, and I wish the Boeheim family all the best.

It’s time for another Duke Athletics update. The Duke women earned a 3-seed in the NCAA Tournament and will host first and second rounds games in Cameron, starting with 14-seed Iona on Saturday. Celeste Taylor won ACC Defensive Player of the Year and Coach Lawson has done a fantastic job. The Duke baseball team is off to a 10-6 start, with a win over #9 East Carolina before opening ACC play with two 2-run losses and a win in their three-game series vs. #5 Wake Forest. Men’s lacrosse is currently ranked in the top five nationally and coming off three straight wins over ranked opponents, including a 14-13 win at #20 Syracuse in overtime and a 17-9 victory over #7 Loyola Maryland in Durham. And finally, I wanted to mention the former Duke players coaching their teams to an NCAA Tournament bid.