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Quotes: Notre Dame 95, Duke 91
1/16/2016 5:32:00 PM | Men's Basketball
Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski
Opening Statement:
“Nobody should be complaining about points per possession today. Both teams were very difficult to stop. Mike [Brey]'s team really made some big time plays. [Bonzi] Colson was magnificent. I think the biggest thing about the game was second chance points. It was tough to get stops for either team, and when you get a stop you have to rebound the ball. When you give the ball back to a confident offensive team, they are probably going to score. I think [Demetrius] Jackson is as good a guard as there is in the country. He is so poised and strong and they are a really good team. Mike's done, and has done, a really good job with his program. But our inability to rebound defensively was, I think, the biggest factor. Our kids scored the ball and their kid [Rex Pflueger] hit the three to go up by six right at the end of the shot clock, a lot of teams would have folded then. Instead, we had the lead and under a minute and then we didn't defend them on that play the way we should. It is a tough loss. I have said this since Amile [Jefferson] got out, the margin between us winning and losing is narrow and we are a good team, but we are not that good. We are called Duke and we are coached by me, and we need to realize who we are in our attention to detail at little things, we have to get better. We have no margin, and it showed up today in defensive rebounding. We could've hit a few more free throws too, in both of these losses. Our free throw shooting, it's got to be about 75%. We get to the line (obviously against Clemson we didn't get to the line) and we have to convert. Tough loss, but again they are good and I congratulate them and Jackson's control of the game. You saw today a guard, not many people can do what he did. He can control the game and he is poised and strong and just a terrific guard and terrific player and leader for them.”
On Notre Dame's Offense:
“I think you credit it to good players. You have a lot of really good offensive players on the court and there's more room to drive because you can't leave people as much. We both have the same type of philosophy. They can put out four shooters and so can we. That's why guys were making those moves; you leave a guy and then someone's got a three. Good players, really good on the bounce. That's why any stop is a big stop. When that ball is missed, get it because there's a good chance they'll score if they get it. They had, I think, 18 second chance points and we had 4. To me, that's the game right there. Some of those balls were right in our hands. Frustrating for our guys, it's frustrating to us to see that and not close that possession. But that's the story of the game, really.”
On Bonzi Colson's Performance:
“Well he's a good player and he can be a matchup problem when he's at the five because he can shoot. They really get spread out with him. At the four position, they can post when we start four perimeter guys and he has a chance to do that. He has played well during the season and he is a good player, but he had a terrific game tonight. They hit some long shots at the end of the shot clocks that were huge.”
On Recent Close Losses:
“Both (of the previous two) games ended up being a one possession game. That's the difference between being 5-0 or 3-2. That's the league, though. In Clemson's games, they've won those possessions. And that's great for them, but overall there's not much difference. Even in our Utah game, that's one possession, but that's still a loss and a tough loss. I thought our kids fought and they tried their best. The defensive rebounding killed us.”
On the point guard position:
“There are not many teams that have point guards and there are a lot of teams that have committees. They just have offenses that are geared toward a number of different people handling the ball. When you have someone like him [Jackson], he should handle the ball, he is a pro. He is a big time player. Him on the court gives you a chance to beat anybody because he understands his weaponry and he doesn't get tired. He is an old, strong guy and he is perfect mentally, he is just really poised. For me, I think he is a terrific player. For us, if we get a defensive rebound, anybody can bring it up, not Marshall [Plumlee], Sean [Obi], or Chase [Jeter], but then you go. If not, Matt [Jones] or Derryck [Thornton] would be out there, but I wouldn't call him a point guard, that's just where we start our offense.”
On Brandon Ingram's Performance:
“That was a tough fourth foul for him today. You just got to keep learning, because obviously when he's in the game, we're better and we have more of a chance than when he is on the bench. Luke [Kennard] was spectacular today, and those three kids can really score, Brandon [Ingram], Chase [Jeter], and Luke [Kennard], and they did a good job of it. They have to play heavy minutes and we have a quick turnaround, we have these Saturday and then Monday things and for us that's more of a challenge then for some other teams because of youth and number of players. But we have no excuse and we have to be ready and we are playing a really good Syracuse team.”
On value of experienced leadership:
“There's no question that Matt can play through tired better than Brandon or Luke can, although Luke played really well. Good talent is what everyone wants, but good, experienced talent is even better for a lot of reasons. They can play through tired better and they been in a lot of situations. Notre Dame should've been a Final Four team last year. They have three guys who started on that team, so those guys know how to win. [Zach] Auguste was a starter, Jackson and [Jerian] Grant were all on that team. They have a good team and we had a chance to beat them, but we didn't.”
Duke Freshman Luke Kennard
On the tough loss:
“We have to forget about this. It hurts right now, but our preparation starts now, so we have to forget about it, move on, and go get a win on Monday. Defensive rebounds definitely hurt us tonight, and that is what won them the game. Those second chance points really hurt us tonight. Even when we had a minute left, we just needed one stop, but they scored. I can't preach defense enough about the game tonight that is just what hurt us the most.”
Duke Junior Matt Jones
On the second straight loss:
“We just have to find a way to win. We have to fight, and we have to take every possession for what it is worth. We cannot take any plays off. From last year, we have been in this situation before. We must make sure that our younger guys know that we cannot really just soak on this, no matter how mad we are about this game. We have a very good Syracuse team on Monday, so we have to keep pushing because anything can happen.”
On the problems Notre Dame caused with their pick and roll:
“They were just executing, and we were not talking enough. They kind of wanted it more than us tonight. They got layups whenever they wanted to, so their confidence was up.”
Duke Freshman Brandon Ingram
On what it means to hear being called the best basketball player in the ACC:
“It is a pretty good feeling to know that you have eyes on you, it helps you to want to do everything right.”
On a quick turnaround with a game on Monday:
“I think that is will help us. We just have to get back to the drawing board, come out, and play even harder on both the defense and offensive end.”
Duke Sophomore Grayson Allen
On the tough games since the losing Amile Jefferson:
“I think collectively as a team we have been surprised. Our coaches have been telling us, and telling us, that we are going to be in tough games every night. We are shorthanded, and we are going to have to fight, nothing is going to be easy. We cannot just come out expecting, 'Ok we lost a tough one, but the next one is going to be easy,' that is not how it works in the ACC. We have to come out ready to fight, each and every night. We have to know that we are shorthanded and we need everyone, every single person to be ready.”
Duke Freshman Derryck Thornton
On what he is going to do most to improve his game for Syracuse:
“Anything that will help our team win is what I am focused on right now.”
Notre Dame Head Coach Mike Brey
Opening Statement:
“I'm really proud of our group. We didn't handle the atmosphere in here last year very well at all. I thought the nucleus of guys that experienced last year were better this year. They were really poised. I thought [Demetrius] Jackson and [Steve] Vasturia controlled the tempo, gave us confidence and kept us poised. They're really hard to guard. We got just enough stops because they're really hard to guard; both teams are hard to guard. I'm thrilled to be 3-2 in this league and to get a win like this; obviously it'll be a resume win. Maybe it can jump start us a little bit on our run in the league.”
On their one-possession game in the second half:
“I think Demetrius and Steve were fabulous, but mainly Demetrius. I thought he just called a great game. We discussed different things we wanted to do and I thought he was just fabulous with it the whole way. He's grown so much as a quarterback and a guard and a leader.”
On Bonzie Colson's play against Duke:
“I don't know he gets pretty fired up when he does play them. Bonzie's a big game guy. He loves a big game and I thought he helped his teammates get confident. Bonzie's such a warrior and that's why I wanted to start him in the second half. I didn't want to mess around and maybe they have a run. I figured, 'Let's get him on the floor. He's rolling and giving us some toughness.' We started posting him a bunch and they had a guard on him or [Brandon] Ingram a couple of times. He's made the three a little bit in practice but today was off the charts and maybe that jumpstarts him to be a little more of a threat out there. The one thing about Zach [Auguste] and Bonzie today is that they played really hard and were physical against that frontline and banged away.”
On their second half success:
“When we have one in and the floor is really spaced, that gives Vasturia and Jackson great driving areas and we want to keep driving the ball. It was a driving game. I don't think anyone could really guard the driver, and with the new rules, if you get close and put a hand on him, it's a foul. That's the one thing about the floor being open when one big is in there and that's why we started that way, to try to get Demetrius and Steve in a driving frame of mind to start the game and not settle for jump shots.”
On Rex Pflueger's performance:
“It was huge. He's been trending our way. He guards, he's physical, I may choke him on some of the shots he takes but we'll work on that. He's a fearless kid and he believes. I think right now with him and Matt Ryan, we have two freshmen who are really tough and compete their backsides off. He choked on some three's but not that one. That was a big bucket, and Rex believes he should be out there during a big game. I thought he stayed in front of Grayson Allen on some drives and Grayson Allen is not easy to stay in front of. Rex is fearless. He and Matt Ryan are fearless. They're part of our rotation and you find a lot about Rex Pflueger on a day like this. Hopefully he grows from it.”
On their overall statistics for the game:
“Both teams were tired because neither one of us aspired to a lot of depth. We were playing seven and he was probably playing six and a half. I think in both groups there was a lot of fatigue. With Bonzie and Zach we have guys that can score in the paint, and with Demetrius and Steve we have drivers that can get to the paint. We want to keep doing that, something we want to keep building on. But again, I think both groups were exhausted. Steve and Demetrius didn't come out of the game. It was a game where depth wasn't a factor today. You're going to wear everyone down. Both groups were tired. Maybe we had a little more juice at the end but we're a little older. When you're a little older you learn how to play a tired better than maybe a young player.”
Opening Statement:
“Nobody should be complaining about points per possession today. Both teams were very difficult to stop. Mike [Brey]'s team really made some big time plays. [Bonzi] Colson was magnificent. I think the biggest thing about the game was second chance points. It was tough to get stops for either team, and when you get a stop you have to rebound the ball. When you give the ball back to a confident offensive team, they are probably going to score. I think [Demetrius] Jackson is as good a guard as there is in the country. He is so poised and strong and they are a really good team. Mike's done, and has done, a really good job with his program. But our inability to rebound defensively was, I think, the biggest factor. Our kids scored the ball and their kid [Rex Pflueger] hit the three to go up by six right at the end of the shot clock, a lot of teams would have folded then. Instead, we had the lead and under a minute and then we didn't defend them on that play the way we should. It is a tough loss. I have said this since Amile [Jefferson] got out, the margin between us winning and losing is narrow and we are a good team, but we are not that good. We are called Duke and we are coached by me, and we need to realize who we are in our attention to detail at little things, we have to get better. We have no margin, and it showed up today in defensive rebounding. We could've hit a few more free throws too, in both of these losses. Our free throw shooting, it's got to be about 75%. We get to the line (obviously against Clemson we didn't get to the line) and we have to convert. Tough loss, but again they are good and I congratulate them and Jackson's control of the game. You saw today a guard, not many people can do what he did. He can control the game and he is poised and strong and just a terrific guard and terrific player and leader for them.”
On Notre Dame's Offense:
“I think you credit it to good players. You have a lot of really good offensive players on the court and there's more room to drive because you can't leave people as much. We both have the same type of philosophy. They can put out four shooters and so can we. That's why guys were making those moves; you leave a guy and then someone's got a three. Good players, really good on the bounce. That's why any stop is a big stop. When that ball is missed, get it because there's a good chance they'll score if they get it. They had, I think, 18 second chance points and we had 4. To me, that's the game right there. Some of those balls were right in our hands. Frustrating for our guys, it's frustrating to us to see that and not close that possession. But that's the story of the game, really.”
On Bonzi Colson's Performance:
“Well he's a good player and he can be a matchup problem when he's at the five because he can shoot. They really get spread out with him. At the four position, they can post when we start four perimeter guys and he has a chance to do that. He has played well during the season and he is a good player, but he had a terrific game tonight. They hit some long shots at the end of the shot clocks that were huge.”
On Recent Close Losses:
“Both (of the previous two) games ended up being a one possession game. That's the difference between being 5-0 or 3-2. That's the league, though. In Clemson's games, they've won those possessions. And that's great for them, but overall there's not much difference. Even in our Utah game, that's one possession, but that's still a loss and a tough loss. I thought our kids fought and they tried their best. The defensive rebounding killed us.”
On the point guard position:
“There are not many teams that have point guards and there are a lot of teams that have committees. They just have offenses that are geared toward a number of different people handling the ball. When you have someone like him [Jackson], he should handle the ball, he is a pro. He is a big time player. Him on the court gives you a chance to beat anybody because he understands his weaponry and he doesn't get tired. He is an old, strong guy and he is perfect mentally, he is just really poised. For me, I think he is a terrific player. For us, if we get a defensive rebound, anybody can bring it up, not Marshall [Plumlee], Sean [Obi], or Chase [Jeter], but then you go. If not, Matt [Jones] or Derryck [Thornton] would be out there, but I wouldn't call him a point guard, that's just where we start our offense.”
On Brandon Ingram's Performance:
“That was a tough fourth foul for him today. You just got to keep learning, because obviously when he's in the game, we're better and we have more of a chance than when he is on the bench. Luke [Kennard] was spectacular today, and those three kids can really score, Brandon [Ingram], Chase [Jeter], and Luke [Kennard], and they did a good job of it. They have to play heavy minutes and we have a quick turnaround, we have these Saturday and then Monday things and for us that's more of a challenge then for some other teams because of youth and number of players. But we have no excuse and we have to be ready and we are playing a really good Syracuse team.”
On value of experienced leadership:
“There's no question that Matt can play through tired better than Brandon or Luke can, although Luke played really well. Good talent is what everyone wants, but good, experienced talent is even better for a lot of reasons. They can play through tired better and they been in a lot of situations. Notre Dame should've been a Final Four team last year. They have three guys who started on that team, so those guys know how to win. [Zach] Auguste was a starter, Jackson and [Jerian] Grant were all on that team. They have a good team and we had a chance to beat them, but we didn't.”
Duke Freshman Luke Kennard
On the tough loss:
“We have to forget about this. It hurts right now, but our preparation starts now, so we have to forget about it, move on, and go get a win on Monday. Defensive rebounds definitely hurt us tonight, and that is what won them the game. Those second chance points really hurt us tonight. Even when we had a minute left, we just needed one stop, but they scored. I can't preach defense enough about the game tonight that is just what hurt us the most.”
Duke Junior Matt Jones
On the second straight loss:
“We just have to find a way to win. We have to fight, and we have to take every possession for what it is worth. We cannot take any plays off. From last year, we have been in this situation before. We must make sure that our younger guys know that we cannot really just soak on this, no matter how mad we are about this game. We have a very good Syracuse team on Monday, so we have to keep pushing because anything can happen.”
On the problems Notre Dame caused with their pick and roll:
“They were just executing, and we were not talking enough. They kind of wanted it more than us tonight. They got layups whenever they wanted to, so their confidence was up.”
Duke Freshman Brandon Ingram
On what it means to hear being called the best basketball player in the ACC:
“It is a pretty good feeling to know that you have eyes on you, it helps you to want to do everything right.”
On a quick turnaround with a game on Monday:
“I think that is will help us. We just have to get back to the drawing board, come out, and play even harder on both the defense and offensive end.”
Duke Sophomore Grayson Allen
On the tough games since the losing Amile Jefferson:
“I think collectively as a team we have been surprised. Our coaches have been telling us, and telling us, that we are going to be in tough games every night. We are shorthanded, and we are going to have to fight, nothing is going to be easy. We cannot just come out expecting, 'Ok we lost a tough one, but the next one is going to be easy,' that is not how it works in the ACC. We have to come out ready to fight, each and every night. We have to know that we are shorthanded and we need everyone, every single person to be ready.”
Duke Freshman Derryck Thornton
On what he is going to do most to improve his game for Syracuse:
“Anything that will help our team win is what I am focused on right now.”
Notre Dame Head Coach Mike Brey
Opening Statement:
“I'm really proud of our group. We didn't handle the atmosphere in here last year very well at all. I thought the nucleus of guys that experienced last year were better this year. They were really poised. I thought [Demetrius] Jackson and [Steve] Vasturia controlled the tempo, gave us confidence and kept us poised. They're really hard to guard. We got just enough stops because they're really hard to guard; both teams are hard to guard. I'm thrilled to be 3-2 in this league and to get a win like this; obviously it'll be a resume win. Maybe it can jump start us a little bit on our run in the league.”
On their one-possession game in the second half:
“I think Demetrius and Steve were fabulous, but mainly Demetrius. I thought he just called a great game. We discussed different things we wanted to do and I thought he was just fabulous with it the whole way. He's grown so much as a quarterback and a guard and a leader.”
On Bonzie Colson's play against Duke:
“I don't know he gets pretty fired up when he does play them. Bonzie's a big game guy. He loves a big game and I thought he helped his teammates get confident. Bonzie's such a warrior and that's why I wanted to start him in the second half. I didn't want to mess around and maybe they have a run. I figured, 'Let's get him on the floor. He's rolling and giving us some toughness.' We started posting him a bunch and they had a guard on him or [Brandon] Ingram a couple of times. He's made the three a little bit in practice but today was off the charts and maybe that jumpstarts him to be a little more of a threat out there. The one thing about Zach [Auguste] and Bonzie today is that they played really hard and were physical against that frontline and banged away.”
On their second half success:
“When we have one in and the floor is really spaced, that gives Vasturia and Jackson great driving areas and we want to keep driving the ball. It was a driving game. I don't think anyone could really guard the driver, and with the new rules, if you get close and put a hand on him, it's a foul. That's the one thing about the floor being open when one big is in there and that's why we started that way, to try to get Demetrius and Steve in a driving frame of mind to start the game and not settle for jump shots.”
On Rex Pflueger's performance:
“It was huge. He's been trending our way. He guards, he's physical, I may choke him on some of the shots he takes but we'll work on that. He's a fearless kid and he believes. I think right now with him and Matt Ryan, we have two freshmen who are really tough and compete their backsides off. He choked on some three's but not that one. That was a big bucket, and Rex believes he should be out there during a big game. I thought he stayed in front of Grayson Allen on some drives and Grayson Allen is not easy to stay in front of. Rex is fearless. He and Matt Ryan are fearless. They're part of our rotation and you find a lot about Rex Pflueger on a day like this. Hopefully he grows from it.”
On their overall statistics for the game:
“Both teams were tired because neither one of us aspired to a lot of depth. We were playing seven and he was probably playing six and a half. I think in both groups there was a lot of fatigue. With Bonzie and Zach we have guys that can score in the paint, and with Demetrius and Steve we have drivers that can get to the paint. We want to keep doing that, something we want to keep building on. But again, I think both groups were exhausted. Steve and Demetrius didn't come out of the game. It was a game where depth wasn't a factor today. You're going to wear everyone down. Both groups were tired. Maybe we had a little more juice at the end but we're a little older. When you're a little older you learn how to play a tired better than maybe a young player.”
Players Mentioned
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