No. 1 Duke head coach Jon Scheyer, alongside F Cameron Boozer and G Dame Sarr, met with the media to discuss their 93-64 win at NC State.
NOTE: Click the video player above to watch the full press conference!
Opening statement...
I'm really proud of this team. To win the ACC outright, 28 wins at this point of the year. And just their professionalism, their approach, they've been an absolute joy to coach. We talked about it after Saturday; it's great to get a share; that means a lot, but let's get this thing outright. And we knew NC State, Coach Wade, I mean, look, he's a really good coach, and we knew we could see some different things tonight.
They went zone, and I thought we did a really good job of just handling that, not right away, but our guys really worked through it. And we put nine guys on the floor that impact winning. And I'm proud to see the individual growth of everybody on the team, but also just how they've come together. And I think we're really connected, and what they're doing is incredible.
Proud of both these guys, proud of everybody in the locker room, our staff, our fans, everybody that's been on this journey with us. Obviously, we've got a long way to go here, but really proud of this team. And we'll open it up for any questions.
Coach, you've won seven in a row now since the loss at UNC. How much was that loss?
I don't know if it's a turning point. I think it's just another reference point and step in the season. I think any loss allows you to look a little bit differently at games, and I certainly did that as a coach. What I can do better for these guys, I'm sure all of these guys looked at each other in the mirror. And when you lose, I think you can splinter.
I think it's very easy to do, and we've chosen the two losses that we've had to become more connected, to really attack the areas where we can grow and stick together. And I think that's what it's all about.
Cam, can you tell us what happened, who got you, and what play it happened in?
BOOZER: It was some point in the second half, one of their big men. And the Wolfpack got me, you know? They have long claws, so. But yeah, I mean, I think it just goes to show our fight, the toughness we brought to this game, a part of our guys, as Coach said, we're going to see how it rises. So it's a big time for our team, for sure.
For both players back here in town, how much zone were you expecting to see tonight? And then what adjustments were made there in the first few minutes after?
BOOZER: I mean, we didn't expect to see zone the whole game. We knew they could come up with a bunch of different things. They switched their defense a lot throughout the year. But we prepared for them to throw out something random as they did.
So I thought, as Coach said, we started a little slower zone, but we started figuring out, we had 47 at half. So we found some things that were working, for sure.
SARR: Yeah, I mean, I feel like the coaching staff has done a great job, just to prepare us for everything we could see in the game. So every time we see something, we're recognizing that we're able to execute whatever we have planned. So I think we just have to keep rolling, just keep doing whatever we're doing, and just getting better.
On the challenge of guarding Quadir Copeland...
Well, he's a unique player from the standpoint that he has good size and really passes. And I thought that, one, Dame did a terrific job of just keeping him in the front and making him work for everything, but also, we switched.
And I thought some of that took away his passing, something he does so well. And really, I think for me, it's the collective awareness of this group to understand the scouting reports, understand what we're really not willing to give up. And also, in doing that, he had some finishes, but I thought he had some finishes over the top, and we made him work for it.
Cam, going back to your scar, you knew you were getting the toughest match-up night in and night out. What are you doing to mentally and physically prepare for that?
BOOZER: Yeah, I mean, I know I'm gonna have to play through physicality. They've shown that throughout the year, just going with the mindset to play through contact. When you do that, you're over fouls, you get to good angles, things like that.
So you can't shy away from the contact. You've got to really initiate it, to be honest, be the aggressor. So as you said, I get tough matches every night, double teams, but it's just about playing through physicality, making the right play, being aggressive when you can.
Jon, is there anything your team hasn’t seen on the court heading into the tournament?
I mean, we've scheduled where as much as you can see, we've seen. In this group, I think it's not necessarily that I haven't learned anything new each game, but I think they continue to grow.
So I think from that perspective, I'm learning every game, but just their approach, man, because I think as a coach, you're always thinking about what can go wrong and what if we're not ready with you guys, right?
I never do that, but just to me, their approach to show up as a young team every game with a competitive spirit, I just think is unique and high level, and that's been the most impressive part to me.
Coach, congrats on the win and clinching the ACC regular season title. You've been seeing a lot of different looks defensively recently. We saw the zone defense from NC State tonight, teams playing the gap differently. How does seeing these different looks help prepare your team for March?
Well, I think it helps a lot. Let's be honest, a lot of it's Kim, it just is. I mean, we've seen a lot of different game plans with him. And the IQ of this group to understand and figure out different ways to attack doubles, to attack the zone. We've seen switching; we've seen a lot. And I think that we have an advantage to attack any of them, as long as we continue to trust the pass, play together.
When that ball is moving, man, I think that's been a big difference. I mean, 21 assists tonight, I think 13 of our first 16 shots were assisted. And that's been a big strength. We have a really good passing team. And then understand how to exploit mismatches, how to exploit whatever coverage the team is in.
When it comes to teams switching up between zone and man, why are paint touches, no matter what the defense is throwing, so important to you guys to set up those outside shots?
Well, I think for us, we're a team that's built inside out. That's how it's been, I think, just in general in the game of basketball. You get cleaner looks from three, if you can do that. And then obviously, we got two guys in Pat and Cam when they touch it.
I mean, look, tonight, they're 12 of 16, 12 of 15 from the foul line. And 14 fouls drawn, it's unique. And yeah, they have 37 points. But I think also, I think Dame would say, or any of our guys, just playing off gives us open looks. And so that inside-out attack is key. And then these guys have really embraced it. And good things have happened from there.
BOOZER: Yeah, I appreciate that, coach.
Yeah, he also had two missed free throws. So to make sure that, but anyway, we'll let him slide on that.
On looking forward to the matchup this Saturday against North Carolina...
BOOZER: Yeah, we haven't talked about the game yet. Obviously, we're looking forward to it. As a game, we wish we could have that. But basketball, there's no do-overs. So we haven't talked about it yet, but we're definitely excited for that game.
SARR: Yeah, like I said, now the focus is on this game. Just learning from what we could have done better, just shifting into UNC. And just having our game plan and trying to execute our game plan.
On how the team has grown and what’s unique about how the team grew throughout the season...
I think a lot. I think the fact of how this team came together. We have five freshmen. You don't see that very often anymore. Five returners, you don't see that very often anymore. You put them together, you really don't see that. And so I think the fact of how we're built, built with size, really good versatility. And then I think for us as a coaching staff, we've had to adjust and continue to try to help them, as the fact that we have those guys in that position where they can grow like crazy during the year.
And like I'll just say about Dame, that's what he's done. I think it's incredibly difficult to do what he's done, coming in from never living over here, let alone playing over here, right? To go through, he had an injury earlier in the preseason. He's worked his butt off every single day, really played to his strengths, really attacking, growing his game.
And to see what he did tonight, eight rebounds. Eight rebounds, he wasn't doing that in September. No, but just the way that they're learning how to impact winning. So I think that's a big part of what makes us unique, is the way that it was formed, and how we've grown from there.
Coach, Dame's been on record, beginning of the season, saying just be patient with, like you just mentioned before, playing overseas, coming stateside. What does it just say about his perseverance, being coachable, and just being patient, nevertheless?
It says a lot. I mean, I'm lucky to, genuinely, I'm very lucky to coach these guys in the locker room. They all allow us to get on them, coach them, push them. And it always helps as a coach when they're just as hard on themselves, or if not harder, right? And so you're not trying to convince somebody of areas they have to improve.
And I've coached now several guys that have come from international, whether it's Tyrese, come on, now Dame. He would play at the highest level. It's still an adjustment, it's still an adjustment. And I think I've wanted him at times not to be patient. I think that's always good, where you're not patient, but you understand the process of how you have to impact winning and grow your game.
And that's where trust is formed along the way of just trying to figure that out, and you look at what he's done. He doesn't have to score 16 points to really impact winning. I mean, great with that if he does, I mean, shoot, that's awesome. But to me, it's his approach, his work ethic, all of our guys, their families, people around them, that makes a huge difference for me as a coach and for these guys.
