Upcoming Event: Men's Tennis at #42 Miami on April 5, 2026 at 3 p.m.
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3 p.m.
Men's Tennis
at #42 Miami
Quotes: Duke Basketball Media Availability
Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski
Opening Statement:
“So we’re excited about the week. Obviously this game?that’s why you’re here and that’s why I’m here but we still have to look at this as a two-game week. We try to give the same preparation for each opponent so we can be as consistent as we can be. The only difference in this game is the attention that is focused on this game so you try not to have your team get out of character for this particular game. We’re in good health?a few more stitches, we have more stitches this year than we’ve ever had. Brian [Zoubek] will not play on Wednesday. His next x-ray is on Wednesday. He’s limited practice right now?that means about a third of a practice. You have to do some activity. We’re hoping by Saturday but that may not be.”
On the matchup between Duke’s smaller team and North Carolina’s bigger team:
“It’s a little bit like Maryland and not as much Clemson because [James] Mays’ hand?the kid’s been valiant but it’s still affected him. We got hurt at Maryland?those two guys [James Gist and Bambale Osby] I think they scored about 50 points or so and had an impact. We have played against a team like that that pushes it and looks for their bigs. We got hurt so we’ve got to try to figure out how not to get hurt on Wednesday night. We also were in foul trouble against Maryland and that’s part of getting hurt because you can get into foul trouble. With Tyler [Hansbrough], Tyler gets fouled more than anybody in the country. You notice how hard he plays and how well they get him the ball so he not only can put guys on the bench, he gets their whole team into bonuses by the way he plays. His value to his team is not just in his stats, it’s what else he does especially with how tough he has and how he gets fouled.”
On Lance Thomas not picking up not-so-good fouls and the importance of fouling in a good situation in the UNC game:
“It’s not so much Lance, I mean Kyle [Singler] has had more of those. Kyle has gotten three fouls diving for balls. He had a foul against Miami?he dove for a loose ball and got called for a foul.
Is that a good thing or a bad thing?:
“I thought it was a bad call. A kid dove for a loose ball and got a foul but what’s happening is somebody gets beat and he tries to step in and get a block?it’s a block-charge call?he fouls there. We’ve put him in those situations. Sometimes away from the basket he’ll get these?the loose ball thing was not a foul?but the others are fouls. He has to understand his value just like any of the big men that that reduces our effectiveness and his effectiveness to guard inside and the amount of minutes he plays. You get a veteran?I think [Tyler] Hansbrough is the best college player as far as his value, what he brings, his toughness?I means he’s a very unique player. He’s a veteran and he knows how to play without fouling?that doesn’t mean he doesn’t foul?he doesn’t put himself in those situations. Our guys are still learning to do that. That’s the thing that’s tough to just say we’re going to do something new or whatever. Part of it is just we’ve got to grow so when we play Maryland hopefully we’ve grown from that. We play in this game, we need to grow from this game. Now hopefully we win the game too because they’re going to be more games and that’s what the conference affords us an opportunity to do?you better keep growing or you’re going to lose. By the end of the year, look what I’ve grown into because it’s still about what happens there.”
Sophomore Jon Scheyer
On staying focused on games preceding the North Carolina game:
“I think it’s pretty easy for us. We haven’t started worrying about North Carolina; we’re starting to prepare for them today. They’re a great team and people are excited for the game. You hear a lot about them and about the rivalry. For us, we’re in here [at Cameron Indoor Stadium] a lot and whenever we are outside, fans are just supportive.”
On when he understood the Duke-North Carolina rivalry:
“I always knew it was pretty big. Growing up I always watched Duke and North Carolina play, but last year playing at Cameron and seeing the line go down the street and seeing how big the rivalry was, I think that’s when I understood.”
On North Carolina:
“Obviously Tyler Hansbrough is a great player and a huge force inside. For us, we’ve played a lot of big guys who’ve been tough this year, but he’s probably the best one. They have a great perimeter and great inside. They’re obviously a great team and playing in their home stadium is a tough challenge, but we’re going to go in there and play loose and put it all out there.”
Sophomore Lance Thomas
On preparing for Tyler Hansbrough:
“We just have to watch film on him and look at tendencies and things of that nature and just prepare for it. He’s a really good player so I just have to do my job. We have guys that shoot the ball incredibly and our front court is very versatile. We don’t have a big, bulky center that can bully his way down there so we have to use what we have.”
Junior Greg Paulus
On rebounding by the guards:
“That’s something we’ve been trying to build on from the beginning of the year. We realized through film that the guards had to rebound. It’s something that we’ve focused on since we started getting up and down. We’re a little bit smaller this year, but I think it is a big part in keeping the big guys out of foul trouble and in transition.”
On confidence for the North Carolina game:
“I think both teams are pretty confident. It’s a great time and both teams are having OK years. It’s Duke and North Carolina. You kind of throw out the records and it’s kind of like one of those backyard games.
On Ty Lawson:
“He’s obviously one of the quickest guys in the country. The way he pushes the ball up the floor creates easy offense for them and transition and he makes a lot of plays for other people. They have a couple of guys that can do that so we have to be ready to go.”
Sophomore Gerald Henderson
On looking forward to games versus North Carolina:
“I wouldn’t say that I look forward to it more than any other game, but I do look forward to it. It’s a huge rivalry between both of our teams. I’m sure it’s hard to understand but we play so many games that you’re at a disadvantage if you’re looking ahead to other games. All the ACC games count the same; you lose to Virginia Tech or you lose to North Carolina, it’s the same thing in terms of the standings. You have to focus in on every game and prepare for every game the same way.”
On using the guards to rebound to offset North Carolina’s size:
“That’s big for every game we play. We don’t think that any team should out-rebound us no matter what kind of size they have. We feel like rebounding has a lot to do with toughness and just will.”
On bench production:
“Our bench will be huge just like it has been all season. Guys come in and play with great intensity and it’s been like that all season. We’re going to do the same things and try to play the same way that we have all year.”
Freshman Kyle Singler
On what he expects on Wednesday:
“I’m very excited and I’m looking forward to it, but, as of right now, we know that it’s a two-game week and right now it’s North Carolina. I’m very excited but we have to keep it in perspective and realize that this isn’t the last game of the season and we just have to take one game at a time.”
On the Duke-North Carolina rivalry:
“I remember watching them play but not much. All I know is that it’s a great match-up with two great teams going at it and that’s the main part that I’m looking forward to. Tyler Hansbrough is a great player and I’m looking forward to matching up against him. It’s going to be a great game. I’m looking forward to playing against a great player like Tyler.”
On trying to offset North Carolina’s size:
“It’s definitely going to be a team effort. We’re going to have to put together a game plan. We’re going to watch some tape and put together a game plan and we’ll have to execute it to the best of our abilities.”
