Upcoming Event: Men's Basketball versus Howard on November 23, 2025 at 4 p.m.
Men's Basketball
vs Howard
.png&width=24&height=24&type=webp)
Quotes: Duke 80, St. John?s 71
12/5/2009 6:00:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski
Opening Statement:
“I'm proud of my team. It has been a rigorous stretch for us these last four games. The NIT, at Wisconsin …we got back at four in the morning on Thursday. We played against as athletic a team that we have faced all year. They have seven kids who are juniors, who know how to play. [Dele] Coker is the only one who can't put it on the floor well, but he is a big guy. The other guys can all put it on the floor. Actually, they have eight guys like that. As a result, they test your defense. [Sean] Evans is really a good player. They have a lot of shooters, too. [D.J.] Kennedy is one of the better players we will go against all year. He had no points at halftime and he gets 18 in the second half. He is capable of 20 or 25 points in any ballgame. Bootsy Thornton…remember him? I remember him well. They just know how to score. In saying that, in the first half, our defense was magnificent. I thought we had a chance to be up more. We missed some opportunities in execution. I think we are a little bit mentally and physically tired right now. They [St. John's] make you that way, too, by the way. We would play great, then there would be a stop in play with a timeout called or a television timeout, then we didn't execute it as well. To me, that shows that we are a little mentally tired. And again, they are going to make you mentally tired. Jon [Scheyer] to have six assists and no turnovers in this game is remarkable. Our two guards Nolan [Smith] and Jon [Scheyer] had nine assists and no turnovers against the best ball pressure we have faced so far. Their team [St. John's] plays really good man-to-man defense. They have good character. I think they are a very good basketball team. Obviously, they were undefeated coming in here. Besides caring for the ball, because we only had eight turnovers, the story was also Lance [Thomas] and Brian [Zoubek]. To get 22 points and 15 rebounds … they have been in a fight before. This was like a big conference game. It's a fight early in December. I thought they did extremely well. So I'm pleased with the win and to come back with that type of vigor after a really tough loss at Wisconsin and getting back so late. It was a really good performance by our team.”
On using size and attacking the basket down low:
“I think we just took our time. All of the sudden that [inside play] was there. A little bit of it was Kyle [Singler] going to the floor. He ends up inside. Our perimeter hasn't hit its groove yet offensively as far as shooting. We are really shooting poorly from the perimeter, but they have played well. In pressure situations, they have hit [shots] well. Kyle [Singler] may have been around 3-of-15 when he made all those buckets. To me, that is a hell of a thing. That is like when a guy strikes out three times and in the bottom of the eighth, second and third, he gets a double and you still win games. Jon [Scheyer] and Nolan [Smith] do that also. I think it will just come …we have a lot of development to do as a basketball team. I think the fact that they stuck up in tough situations …and they hit their free throws, too.”
On Nolan Smith's level of play and high confidence:
“He got banged up at Wisconsin. He hasn't been able to practice as well and I think that hurt his conditioning. He came through with like five points there, when they [St. John's} cut it [the score] down. That three-point play on the drive …Nolan [Smith], Jon [Scheyer] and Kyle [Singler] have to be really good for us to be really good. Right now, they are very good. When the offensive stuff starts flowing a little bit … part of that is just getting comfortable with the other guys. We have a lot of development to do, but I am please where we are at. They showed some really good things today.”
On coming out fired up, interaction with fans:
“I wanted my team to see it. Our fans are great … they expect us to win. They don't understand the development into being a winning team. This is still very much a developing team. We had a really tough loss against Wisconsin. Our perimeter, over three games, was shooting 30 percent. This isn't like a walk in the park. In other words, that is where our team is. I don't know if we, as a community, are sensitized to that. I am. This is one of the biggest games we have played in a couple years, today. None of our fans would feel that way, although they respect St. John's. I'm not blaming them [the fans], I am just trying to include them. Maybe they see on my face, 'Hey, he is pretty concerned today.' That was it. I thought the fans were very good. I'm not complaining about the fans, I'm just saying … we will scrutinize a loss or criticize some things, but we don't take a good look at development. Every team has to be given an opportunity to develop. This one has a chance to be a very good team and has been thus far.”
On Mason Plumlee getting back into the lineup:
“The rest of this month, before conference play … he has to get completely healthy. He didn't get thrown into games where we won by 25 points. Right away, he was thrown into Wisconsin and St. John's. That is a big difference. There is a big difference from high school to doing that. He will be a really good player, but he has to get that experience.”
Senior Jon Scheyer
On bouncing back from the Wisconsin loss:
“It was key, especially from the standpoint that our defense wasn't what it should be last game. Defensive rebounding is going to win us games. I think today, we just wanted to come out and really play great defense and we did a good job for most of the game.”
“We didn't extend ourselves as much today, and our main key for the game was to keep them out of our paint. That was something we wanted to do as a team, and I thought we did a pretty good job of really helping each other and playing team defense. That's what we wanted to do.”
Junior Nolan Smith
On the contributions from Duke's post players:
“We've definitely started to count on our bigs more, and they're ready to play. We've concentrated on that in practice and the film sessions. So whether it's a penetrate and kick or an inside out, it will just make our offense a lot easier. It's just a mentality. Our perimeter, with Jon [Scheyer], Kyle [Singler] and me, we know we're going to take shots and be aggressive, but we know we'll get better shots if we use [our big men]. We've been communicating with them and they've been responsive. We're going to start hitting them. They all can score. Lance [Thomas] played a great game – he's hitting the mid-range shot. Everybody has been a presence. We have to use those guys.”
On the importance of this game following the Wisconsin loss:
“It's very important because now we'll go to film and see what we did differently that we didn't do against Wisconsin. We'll just continue to get better.”
“It's still early in the year and we're all pretty much learning about each other. We're a new team this year with a new perimeter and every game we're going to learn something new. Definitely before the ACC [conference play starts], we'll know everybody's habits and what they do well.”
Junior Kyle Singler
On the lineup in the game at the end of the game (four perimeter players and Lance Thomas):
“It does work well when you're playing a team like St. John's that's athletic and creates mismatches, where they have four guards and a big guy and they're driving the lane and kicking. You can't have two big guys out there. With whoever is out there, we're able to guard them a little bit better. We didn't do a great job of it, but it's a better matchup and I think that's the lineup that we're going to have in most games where it's close.”
On what Duke improved on as compared to the Wisconsin game:
“I would just say getting people more involved. That was the main focus of tonight. I think we kicked the ball well, and we used each other. And when it did get tough, not that we folded against Wisconsin, but guys got tough and we got stops and we made tough buckets. Those things we did better than we did against Wisconsin.”
St. John's Head Coach Norm Roberts
On the play of junior Sean Evans:
“He's been playing good for us all year. He played with a ton of energy, really rebounded the ball, finished plays with his size and did a great job for us.”
On Duke's run late in the first half:
“Well, I thought we had some good shots and we didn't put them down. We had some good shots and then, you know, D.J. [Kennedy] was in foul trouble and that stuff, so we had to play some different line-ups. But they can score quickly, there's no doubt. I thought we kind of had some bad defense at that time.”
On the play of junior Paris Horne:
“I thought he played terrific. I thought he did a good job defensively. He made some shots tonight and got us going in the second half. He really did get us going, him and D.J. [Kennedy]. D.J. had some foul trouble and those things. Really where they got us was on the glass; they're so big. They're so big, they got so many 50/50 balls. You know when they had that run, there were 50/50 balls that we kind of had them and then didn't have them. They [Duke] did a good job of getting them.”
On the atmosphere:
“I think our guys enjoyed it. I told them it was a great opportunity. Every kid grows up watching Duke on television and seeing what they do and seeing the atmosphere. So I said enjoy it, enjoy the atmosphere.”
On the play of junior Dwight Hardy:
“I thought they did a good job of guarding him and staying on him. And Duke does that, they don't' leave the shooters and that's why Mailk [Boothe] was able to get in there a couple times and make some plays. They do a good job of staying with shooters.”
On taking care of the ball:
“We had some ill-advised passes late in the first half. But in the second half, I thought we did a better job. And even when we did turn it over, it was really trying to be a little too unselfish, where Hardy had a layup and tried to give it to Evans.”
On his team's defense:
“I thought we guarded as hard as we could. We knew they would make big shots. Scheyer and Singler made some big shots, and then Nolan [Smith] got going and made some plays for them. You're playing against good players and that's going to happen.”
On losing junior Justin Burrell for the game:
“It's big because he's one of our better low-post defenders, but I thought Dele Coker was awesome. I thought he played great; he played big. I thought he rebounded. I thought he blocked shots; he was a presence in there. I was really happy with what he gave us.”
Opening Statement:
“I'm proud of my team. It has been a rigorous stretch for us these last four games. The NIT, at Wisconsin …we got back at four in the morning on Thursday. We played against as athletic a team that we have faced all year. They have seven kids who are juniors, who know how to play. [Dele] Coker is the only one who can't put it on the floor well, but he is a big guy. The other guys can all put it on the floor. Actually, they have eight guys like that. As a result, they test your defense. [Sean] Evans is really a good player. They have a lot of shooters, too. [D.J.] Kennedy is one of the better players we will go against all year. He had no points at halftime and he gets 18 in the second half. He is capable of 20 or 25 points in any ballgame. Bootsy Thornton…remember him? I remember him well. They just know how to score. In saying that, in the first half, our defense was magnificent. I thought we had a chance to be up more. We missed some opportunities in execution. I think we are a little bit mentally and physically tired right now. They [St. John's] make you that way, too, by the way. We would play great, then there would be a stop in play with a timeout called or a television timeout, then we didn't execute it as well. To me, that shows that we are a little mentally tired. And again, they are going to make you mentally tired. Jon [Scheyer] to have six assists and no turnovers in this game is remarkable. Our two guards Nolan [Smith] and Jon [Scheyer] had nine assists and no turnovers against the best ball pressure we have faced so far. Their team [St. John's] plays really good man-to-man defense. They have good character. I think they are a very good basketball team. Obviously, they were undefeated coming in here. Besides caring for the ball, because we only had eight turnovers, the story was also Lance [Thomas] and Brian [Zoubek]. To get 22 points and 15 rebounds … they have been in a fight before. This was like a big conference game. It's a fight early in December. I thought they did extremely well. So I'm pleased with the win and to come back with that type of vigor after a really tough loss at Wisconsin and getting back so late. It was a really good performance by our team.”
On using size and attacking the basket down low:
“I think we just took our time. All of the sudden that [inside play] was there. A little bit of it was Kyle [Singler] going to the floor. He ends up inside. Our perimeter hasn't hit its groove yet offensively as far as shooting. We are really shooting poorly from the perimeter, but they have played well. In pressure situations, they have hit [shots] well. Kyle [Singler] may have been around 3-of-15 when he made all those buckets. To me, that is a hell of a thing. That is like when a guy strikes out three times and in the bottom of the eighth, second and third, he gets a double and you still win games. Jon [Scheyer] and Nolan [Smith] do that also. I think it will just come …we have a lot of development to do as a basketball team. I think the fact that they stuck up in tough situations …and they hit their free throws, too.”
On Nolan Smith's level of play and high confidence:
“He got banged up at Wisconsin. He hasn't been able to practice as well and I think that hurt his conditioning. He came through with like five points there, when they [St. John's} cut it [the score] down. That three-point play on the drive …Nolan [Smith], Jon [Scheyer] and Kyle [Singler] have to be really good for us to be really good. Right now, they are very good. When the offensive stuff starts flowing a little bit … part of that is just getting comfortable with the other guys. We have a lot of development to do, but I am please where we are at. They showed some really good things today.”
On coming out fired up, interaction with fans:
“I wanted my team to see it. Our fans are great … they expect us to win. They don't understand the development into being a winning team. This is still very much a developing team. We had a really tough loss against Wisconsin. Our perimeter, over three games, was shooting 30 percent. This isn't like a walk in the park. In other words, that is where our team is. I don't know if we, as a community, are sensitized to that. I am. This is one of the biggest games we have played in a couple years, today. None of our fans would feel that way, although they respect St. John's. I'm not blaming them [the fans], I am just trying to include them. Maybe they see on my face, 'Hey, he is pretty concerned today.' That was it. I thought the fans were very good. I'm not complaining about the fans, I'm just saying … we will scrutinize a loss or criticize some things, but we don't take a good look at development. Every team has to be given an opportunity to develop. This one has a chance to be a very good team and has been thus far.”
On Mason Plumlee getting back into the lineup:
“The rest of this month, before conference play … he has to get completely healthy. He didn't get thrown into games where we won by 25 points. Right away, he was thrown into Wisconsin and St. John's. That is a big difference. There is a big difference from high school to doing that. He will be a really good player, but he has to get that experience.”
Senior Jon Scheyer
On bouncing back from the Wisconsin loss:
“It was key, especially from the standpoint that our defense wasn't what it should be last game. Defensive rebounding is going to win us games. I think today, we just wanted to come out and really play great defense and we did a good job for most of the game.”
“We didn't extend ourselves as much today, and our main key for the game was to keep them out of our paint. That was something we wanted to do as a team, and I thought we did a pretty good job of really helping each other and playing team defense. That's what we wanted to do.”
Junior Nolan Smith
On the contributions from Duke's post players:
“We've definitely started to count on our bigs more, and they're ready to play. We've concentrated on that in practice and the film sessions. So whether it's a penetrate and kick or an inside out, it will just make our offense a lot easier. It's just a mentality. Our perimeter, with Jon [Scheyer], Kyle [Singler] and me, we know we're going to take shots and be aggressive, but we know we'll get better shots if we use [our big men]. We've been communicating with them and they've been responsive. We're going to start hitting them. They all can score. Lance [Thomas] played a great game – he's hitting the mid-range shot. Everybody has been a presence. We have to use those guys.”
On the importance of this game following the Wisconsin loss:
“It's very important because now we'll go to film and see what we did differently that we didn't do against Wisconsin. We'll just continue to get better.”
“It's still early in the year and we're all pretty much learning about each other. We're a new team this year with a new perimeter and every game we're going to learn something new. Definitely before the ACC [conference play starts], we'll know everybody's habits and what they do well.”
Junior Kyle Singler
On the lineup in the game at the end of the game (four perimeter players and Lance Thomas):
“It does work well when you're playing a team like St. John's that's athletic and creates mismatches, where they have four guards and a big guy and they're driving the lane and kicking. You can't have two big guys out there. With whoever is out there, we're able to guard them a little bit better. We didn't do a great job of it, but it's a better matchup and I think that's the lineup that we're going to have in most games where it's close.”
On what Duke improved on as compared to the Wisconsin game:
“I would just say getting people more involved. That was the main focus of tonight. I think we kicked the ball well, and we used each other. And when it did get tough, not that we folded against Wisconsin, but guys got tough and we got stops and we made tough buckets. Those things we did better than we did against Wisconsin.”
St. John's Head Coach Norm Roberts
On the play of junior Sean Evans:
“He's been playing good for us all year. He played with a ton of energy, really rebounded the ball, finished plays with his size and did a great job for us.”
On Duke's run late in the first half:
“Well, I thought we had some good shots and we didn't put them down. We had some good shots and then, you know, D.J. [Kennedy] was in foul trouble and that stuff, so we had to play some different line-ups. But they can score quickly, there's no doubt. I thought we kind of had some bad defense at that time.”
On the play of junior Paris Horne:
“I thought he played terrific. I thought he did a good job defensively. He made some shots tonight and got us going in the second half. He really did get us going, him and D.J. [Kennedy]. D.J. had some foul trouble and those things. Really where they got us was on the glass; they're so big. They're so big, they got so many 50/50 balls. You know when they had that run, there were 50/50 balls that we kind of had them and then didn't have them. They [Duke] did a good job of getting them.”
On the atmosphere:
“I think our guys enjoyed it. I told them it was a great opportunity. Every kid grows up watching Duke on television and seeing what they do and seeing the atmosphere. So I said enjoy it, enjoy the atmosphere.”
On the play of junior Dwight Hardy:
“I thought they did a good job of guarding him and staying on him. And Duke does that, they don't' leave the shooters and that's why Mailk [Boothe] was able to get in there a couple times and make some plays. They do a good job of staying with shooters.”
On taking care of the ball:
“We had some ill-advised passes late in the first half. But in the second half, I thought we did a better job. And even when we did turn it over, it was really trying to be a little too unselfish, where Hardy had a layup and tried to give it to Evans.”
On his team's defense:
“I thought we guarded as hard as we could. We knew they would make big shots. Scheyer and Singler made some big shots, and then Nolan [Smith] got going and made some plays for them. You're playing against good players and that's going to happen.”
On losing junior Justin Burrell for the game:
“It's big because he's one of our better low-post defenders, but I thought Dele Coker was awesome. I thought he played great; he played big. I thought he rebounded. I thought he blocked shots; he was a presence in there. I was really happy with what he gave us.”
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballCoach Scheyer Media Availability
Wednesday, September 24
Jon Scheyer Press Conference: Summer 2025
Tuesday, July 08
Duke vs Houston: Press Conference
Sunday, April 06
Duke vs Alabama: East Region Champions Press Conference
Wednesday, April 02
