Jeremy Roach Reflects on Duke Journey
David Shumate, GoDuke The Magazine
In the February 2024 edition of GoDuke The Magazine, David Shumate, the Voice of the Blue Devils, presents an in-depth interview with senior Jeremy Roach. Their Q&A highlights Roach's reflections on his dynamic journey with Duke Basketball, his evolution as a player and leader and his insights on the team's aspirations and strengths.
David Shumate: Let’s start with a little bit of reflection. As we're starting to close down your senior season, when you look back, does it feel like you just got started with your four years here at Duke, or does it feel like it's flown by?
Jeremy Roach: It feels like it's flown by. I mean, it's just a lot of emotions, a lot of hard work, a lot of sacrifices that went into doing everything since I’ve been here. I'm just grateful for the journey. I’m glad my senior year is going the way we need it to, and we’ve just got to close it out strong. But like I said, just blessed to be in this position to be a senior and a senior captain, a two-year captain. I mean, you can't ask for anything better than to be here at Duke.
DS: You mentioned sacrifices. I know you’ve said multiple times that you've been through the wars. When you think about missing the NCAA Tournament, then going to the Final Four, winning an ACC title, how has that made you the kind of the player that you are now, everything that you've been through?
JR: Because I can just share my experiences with the rest of the guys. I mean, a lot of times when young guys come in, they have to go through that experience on their own. If I can tell you what's going happen because I've been through it, and I've been through literally everything that could possibly happen, that can increase their progress earlier. As freshmen, you go through your little lulls, and you’ve got to go through your own experiences and kind of figure stuff out. But if I can tell you earlier, and tell you how it's going be, then it can make the season for the freshmen or whoever I'm talking to when it comes to the young guys, hopefully it makes they're life that much easier.
DS: I wanted to ask you about your sophomore season, specifically that being Coach K's final year. What was it like going through that? You guys sometimes said it was surreal living in that moment, but looking back, what do you make of that season?
JR: That was a fun year, just being a part of that journey in his last year. Every game was exciting. It was his last game playing at Syracuse or his last game playing Tony Bennett — every game it was something. Like you said, it was surreal. It was a movie. I just feel blessed to have been a part of that journey, definitely one of the best teams that I've been a part of my whole life. I just cherish those moments all the time. I always talk to those guys, the guys I came in with and even the guys on that team… That team will always be special to me, just the memories that we share. It was great.
DS: Is there a game or a memory like you're just talking about that stands out from that year? I know you had 15 points in back-to-back games against Michigan State and Texas Tech in the tournament, but what stands out?
JR: I mean, definitely those two games stand out, but just the journey that we went through that year, just how we skyrocketed in the beginning. Started 7-0, beat Gonzaga and then lost at Ohio State. Then we had to get back on track a couple of different times. It was just the journey that that got us there. It wasn’t always perfect but we all just came together, and it was just like a brotherhood, we were playing for one another.
We weren’t even thinking in terms of each game we played could be Coach K's last game once we got into the NCAA Tournament. Like, no, this could be OUR last game that we're playing. It's our last game that we're going to play with these same exact guys. So, I mean, we really just came together as one and obviously it was Coach K's last year, so we wanted to do it for him too. I think that just made it so special, and we were all brothers. We just wanted to play for each other and do what's best for the team at that point.
DS: Now, obviously, Coach Scheyer has taken over as the head coach. I can't help but think about the fact that he was the primary recruiter for you. What's that like for you to see him grow into now being the head coach?
JR: I mean, it's big time. To see the guy who showed interest in me, the first one to call from Duke, it means a lot and to see him in this position as the next head coach, after Coach K, it's big time — and for him to trust me to be the captain, be the lead guard for them, be the leader. It says a lot about how much confidence he has in me. I’m just super excited for his journey, his next however many years he’s going to be here. I know it's going be a crazy ride. I mean, he's already building his legacy right now, so it's big time.
DS: We’re not that far away from senior night in Cameron. Have you thought about that moment and what that atmosphere, that feeling, is going be like?
JR: It's going to be crazy. I might shed a tear, maybe — nah, probably not (smiling). They might want me to give a speech or something, but I'm not giving any speeches (laughing). I'm just going to obviously enjoy my senior night, but it's going be a war that night so I'm going be locked in on just winning the game. It doesn't matter if it's my senior night, I just want to win that game and celebrate with my team.
DS: You mentioned celebrate your team. We talk about your team a lot, but we don't talk about your family a lot. Who’s going to be there that night on the family side of things and how much have they meant to you these last four years?
JR: They mean a lot to me, just always being there for me. Traveling on the road, every game, every game that they go to, just supporting me and always having that positive attitude for me, even when I'm not playing well. They'll give me constructive criticism, but obviously they're going to tell me that they still have my back even when it feels like everybody's turning on me. They’ve meant a lot to me in my journey, especially during the low points of my career. They always have my back, especially my brother and my sister. Obviously, my parents, my mom and my dad, are always going have my back, but my brother and sister are always there just to kind of give me some tips and advice, to kind of keep my head focused.
DS: You know what it takes to catch fire and get to the Final Four. What do you see in this team that makes you think, and know, that they can do that as well?
JR: Just the firepower that we have, I think a lot of teams don't have the firepower that we have. If we just match everybody's intensity, play as hard as we can for all 40 minutes, I don't think there's anybody in the country that can play with us, that has the firepower that we have if we're playing right. We just have to make sure every guy is on the right page, and that we're playing for each other, and everything will take care of itself.
This interview originally appeared in the 15.7 issue of GoDuke The Magazine – February 2024. Dedicated to sharing the stories of Duke student-athletes, present and past, GoDuke The Magazine is published for Duke Athletics by LEARFIELD with editorial offices at 3100 Tower Blvd., Suite 404, Durham, NC 27707. To subscribe, join the Iron Dukes or call 336-831-0767.