Quotes & Notes - November 15
vs. Michigan State - Champions Classic
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, for me it was a hard fought game. It's what you expect when you play Michigan State. I have so much respect for Coach Izzo. I've known him since I was in high school, and he's one of the best in the game at what he does and you always know his teams are going to play hard, they're going to defend, and they're going to rebound. We came off of our first two games where we didn't rebound the ball well. So to outrebound a Michigan State team, that's a big deal for us. We're going to play the guys that you saw tonight. We're not as big as we have been, but we're tough, and five guys need to be on the boards, which I think you saw tonight. I just thought for our team, like, for our guys, we stepped up in a big way. We want to play this schedule. You play Arizona, Michigan State, two of your first three games. Let's see where we're at. I've learned more about this team in the first three games than maybe any team I've been with, as an assistant coach, as a head coach, obviously in the one year, and to respond that quickly in a couple days, I think says a lot about their character.”
- Coach Scheyer on playing Michigan State
“I mean I was definitely, you know, mad that we lost but, you know, one thing my dad always told me is to stay steady. You know there’s going to be ups and downs throughout the season so, you know, just keep your head up and keep working.”
- Caleb Foster on his response from the Arizona game
“They have it, I didn’t question that for a second because I’ve seen these guys do it before….The best way I can explain it is, even though we are returning a lot from last year, it’s still so new because everybody is in a different role. We’re playing differently because of the way our team is. And so, you’re having to adjust to what the team needs. But I thought the rebounding, the response, and just doing whatever it takes to win. That’s what it’s all about, doing whatever it takes to win, and these guys did that tonight.”
- Coach Scheyer on if he saw the toughness & togetherness needed from his team
Stats
After eight turnovers in the first ten minutes, Duke would only turn it over five times for the remainder of the game. With the turnovers under control, the Blue Devils really shared the ball well, assisting on 17 of 22 made field goals for the game (77.3%) as Tyrese Proctor led the way with six assists and zero turnovers.
Notes
In Case You Missed It: Shane Battier joined the Knuckleheads Podcast last week with QRich and DMiles. The Duke legend talked about his journey from Detroit Country Day to Duke, guarding the late Kobe Bean Bryant, and Ray Allen’s shot to keep the Heat alive in the 2013 NBA Finals. Battier made a few big shots himself that series, and his appearance on the pod was definitely worth a listen.
Next Play: Friday Nov 17 | 6:00 pm ACCN | Bucknell visits Cameron as Duke returns home from Chicago. With the travel, it will be a fairly quick turnaround and a good simulation, for example, of the Wednesday/Saturday or Saturday/Tuesday schedule the Blue Devils will often experience in conference play.
Thanks for reading, Go Duke!
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