Reflecting on 10 Years Since the 2010 Title

DURHAM, N.C. -- Duke's Director of Broadcasting David Shumate sits down with Nolan Smith and Jon Scheyer to reflect on the 10-year anniversary of the Blue Devils' 2010 National Championship.

2010 Capsule
35-5 record (13-3 ACC)
ACC Champion, d. Georgia Tech in tourney final
NCAA Houston Regional Champion, d. Baylor in region final
NCAA Champion, d. West Virginia & Butler at Final Four
Starting Lineup: Kyle Singler, Lance Thomas, Brian Zoubek, Nolan Smith, Jon Scheyer

DS: Was there a moment during the regular season where you thought, this team can win it all?
NS: I guess I would say it started early. For me it started in the summertime, as soon as we got back together and myself, Jon, Kyle, Lance, and Zoubs got together for our first team conversation. We knew that it was going to start with us. We all went out to eat and just discussed us and discussed what we had been through and what we wanted to do. We were all on the same page and at that moment I knew we could be special.
JS: I think there were two big turning points for that team. One was after we played Georgetown. We played at Georgetown, President Obama was there at the time, the crowd was amazing — and we ended up playing a lot of one-on-one. Nobody was selfish, but we ended up playing a lot of one-on-one in that game. We ended up losing and after that game we had a huge meeting and basically we decided, we knew we had to change the way we were playing. You know, it was less one-on-one, less ball screens, more motion offense, cutting, screening, making reads and really the ball never stopped moving. I think that was a huge game that year, and then our defense went to another level as well.
After that we didn't lose the rest of the year until we played at Maryland. At Maryland we were ready to play, but it was Greivis Vasquez's Senior Night, they were ready to play and we lost a tough one at the very end of the game. I've never seen a locker room so upset about losing — because we knew we were that good, where we could not lose. I think after that game we all looked at each other and said that's the last time we're losing. I remember having that feeling and sure enough we go and win the next game vs. Carolina at home, and then of course the ACC Tournament and NCAA Tournament.
But I think those two moments were, those two were defining moments for us.

DS: I wanted to talk about your Senior Day. Jon, you guys dominated North Carolina 82-50. What were those emotions like when you hit the floor for the last time?
JS: I just remember the day, waking up that day and telling myself to just take it slow. I wanted the day to go by slow because I knew as soon as the game was over that's my last time playing in Cameron. And it did the exact opposite, the day flew by. I just remember that game so vividly. Beating them by 32 points was special, but it was just the way we did it and how we did it that I'll remember. We shared the ball, we played the way a Duke team should. I was just proud to go out that way and end it the right way at home in Cameron. It's something I'll never forget, I can tell you that much.

DS: The ACC Championship game that you guys won in Greensboro against Georgia Tech, similar in terms of a little bit lower scoring, obviously you had to hit some big shots down the stretch — how much do you think that game prepared you for the eventual national championship game you'd play in?
JS: Huge, huge. You know we were a team that felt we could play any kind of style. We were a very physical, defensive, solid team, and offensively we really made you work. So we felt like we could play in games where we would really grind you down, and we could also play in some high scoring games. For example, you look at the Elite Eight game against Baylor, that was more of two high-powered scoring teams — with great defenses. But then you look at the Butler game, it was really in the halfcourt, really an every-possession-counts kind of game. Just our experience, our defense, and then really the way we played offense allowed us to be ready for really any team that we saw.
NS: We knew we were a team that was explosive and could score the ball, but also we were a team that could be defended, and could be defended tough if you guarded us the right way. We weren't really an iso team, that did iso plays or anything like that. We were a team that played together, so we knew that teams were going to be locking in on us to try and make it hard for us to score. That game definitely set us up for the tournament, like hey, we're going to have to muck out some games and figure out how to win. Really, we did that with our defense, our defense and the ability to stop teams made us the team that we were and that was our identity — our defensive toughness.

DS: Let's talk about that national championship run. The Elite Eight at that time was a personal best 29 points for you Nolan in the win over Baylor. We're sitting here in the media room of Cameron Indoor Stadium, I can't help but look at this iconic photo of you guys watching "One Shining Moment" with Coach K in between the two of you. What do you remember about that run, what sort of things popped and stood out for you?
NS: Jon and I can go back and forth on this because it's fun when you get to talk about this…
JS: By the way, we were just talking about this — it's crazy the fact that it's already been 10 years, it's hard to believe we're that old…
NS: We are that old (laughing), we're definitely that old now…but the best part about that 2010 team was the fact that — and I've been thinking about it more because of the fact that we are in the 10-year anniversary and had a bunch of the guys back in town for the Louisville game — everybody on that team was about winning. That's the one thing I loved about our 2010 team and like, we all wanted to go to the NBA, we all had the same dreams and aspirations, but for some reason I didn't know it. I didn't know what Jon was thinking about in regard to the NBA. It was his senior year, but I never could tell that he was thinking about life after Duke. Not one day. That was the beautiful thing about our team and it was genuine. It was real and that's why we were able to accomplish what we accomplished.
JS: That's what I think too. You know, everybody wants to win. But the sacrifice that goes into winning is something that a lot of teams get and we were fortunate that every guy on that team, it was about the team, the sacrifice, the toughness. It wasn't about points, it wasn't about individual awards — it was literally doing anything we could to win. You know, people like to look at talent, people like to look at how many draft picks did that team have or NBA players or this and that, but the heart that that team had and sacrifice we made for each other, every day in practice you would see it and then I think it showed in the games as well. To me that's what I'll always remember about that team and what's so unique about our 2010 group.
NS: Absolutely, and just to go more off of that, it was his senior year, Jon's senior year and if he wanted to he could have averaged 23, 24 points per game in his senior year. But because he was so unselfish and selfless we all averaged about 17 points per game. That was winning basketball, but he could have averaged 23 if he wanted to. He could have been ACC Player of the Year if he wanted it. Greivis Vasquez got it — he wouldn't have had my vote (laughing), just saying, love you G-V. Jon did whatever it took to win and we won the ACC regular season and the ACC Tournament that year and became national champions. I don't think you regret anything about that year….
JS: I wouldn't trade it for anything…even though I have to listen to Carrawell and Nolan rub it in my face all the time about being ACC Player of the Year (laughing). For me, the unselfishness and the passing, like when you go back and watch our 2010 team, it's some incredibly unselfish and fun basketball on the offensive end, and then incredibly tough hard-nosed defense on the other end. That was really special to be a part of.

DS: You talk about hard-nosed defense. Do you guys remember what was going through your minds as that halfcourt shot by Butler was in the air?
JS: Yeah…I remember that play like it was yesterday. Nolan was the closest one to (Gordon) Hayward and I was in front of the play. I was closer to the end where Hayward took the shot. There was a shooter in the right corner so I couldn't leave and I just remember seeing the ball going in the air and I knew it was right on line. As I turned I thought in the last second it was right off line, I did not think it was going in. But obviously when he missed I just started jumping for joy and the rest was history.
NS: I would say obviously the shot was close but I didn't think it had a chance only because I thought the game was already over. You know we got the stop before when Kyle played the great defense on Hayward to force that tough shot…
JS: That was the shot…that was the one…
NS: Zoubek coming over, that was the one. We got that stop, Zoubs got the rebound, he gets fouled, and at that point I'm like, it's over, no matter what they get up it's over. He makes the first free throw, Coach yells "Zoubs miss it," Zoubs misses it and obviously Kyle gets hammered, but it's still a halfcourt shot. So I was already jumping around waiting for the buzzer to sound…
JS: I was not (laughing)…
NS: I was there, I was ready, so if it would have gone in…
JS: I've never heard this before…
NS: If it would have gone in, I would have been crushed, probably more than anybody because I was already like let's celebrate.

DS: You knew…
NS: I knew, I felt good as it was going up, but it did look good.
JS: So you know, I don't know if I'm allowed to go off topic here, but you asked about moments we remember and for me it was playing against Baylor, and they were an incredibly talented team. We were down four with a few minutes to go, and to me those were the most crucial stops of the season. Everyone obviously remembers the final shot of the title game, but getting those stops down the stretch against Baylor, and Nolan hitting some clutch threes, and then high fiving Coach on the way back, which I'll never forget. Then Lance Thomas had the tip dunk to kind of put it away, but I think that moment was…once we got past Baylor and made it to the Final Four, I think we all felt like we were going to win this thing, that it was meant to be.
NS: Absolutely.

#GoDuke

Reflecting on 10 Years Since the 2010 Title

Related News

Related Videos

Duke information