DUKE HEAD COACH JON SCHEYER
Opening Statement
“First of all, I’m proud of our team, especially with the response in the second half. Georgia Tech played a really good game in the first half, especially in the paint. They’re clearly not healthy. And that’s hurt them with their rotations and continuity. We understand that we played a team that isn’t at full strength. But still, you have to show up. Anything can happen. I thought for us, in the second half, we found a great thing – not that it was new – but Kon [Knueppel] and the decisions that he made, I think it’s such a great lesson for any freshman or young player. He’s played well, he just hasn’t hit shots he normally does. I think it drove him nuts a little bit. But he’s worked his butt off. He’s made others better, he’s tough, he rebounds, and at some point, the shooting is going to come with it. I thought he played a great overall game, not just the shooting. Collectively, I thought a lot of different guys stepped up and it was a great effort. Proud of our team. 20 assists, second highest we’ve had all year. I think our offense is coming along. We’ll take a few days to be with our families and celebrate the holidays and then get back to it.”
On the pick-and-roll action in the second half:
“It’s important that these guys flow and follow their instincts. We have to be a team that executes. Strategy and calling plays and all of that, is a huge part of what we do. A lot of it, for us, it’s matchups. It’s what we feel can work based on scouting and all of that. And sometimes you fall into something. We thought, in this game, with Khaman [Maluach], he’s a such a weapon in the pick-and-roll. I don’t know if we’ve exposed that at the level that we can. Whether it’s for him, the ball handler, or for shooters surrounding him. Kon [Knueppel] made some great reads to start the half and then it’s ‘don’t mess with a good thing. Let’s keep it going.’”
On what he liked about the offensive structure:
“I thought the shot quality was a lot better. It’s probably the best that we’ve flowed, just going from defense to offense. I thought we did a really good job. We’re finding each other’s strengths and understanding how to play together. Sometimes it takes a little bit of time. We also did a much better job of really executing in the half court. We got what we wanted. It was simple in the second half because we kept going middle pick-and-roll, but we have really good shooting as well. To get some more movement was a big thing for us. Understanding what we’re doing at a higher level.”
On the differences for the team compared to when they were in Atlanta last month to play Kentucky:
“I’ll take you back even to a year ago. What a difference a year can make. This has everything to do with the decisions you make and how you grow as a team and the offseason work you do. For our group, we also thought about how we were in the same hotel, like you mentioned, a month ago. And it brings back some of those feelings. But at the end of the day, I think we’re a completely different team than that time. We’ve grown so much. The togetherness, the toughness, and specifically, the thing that has grown the most is our defense. I look back on that game, our defense wasn’t close to what it is now. That’s going to be what drives us the whole year. This team has embraced it. We have to continue to grow.”
FRESHMAN GUARD/FORWARD KON KNUEPPEL
On how he’s worked through his shooting slump:
“Yeah, it was definitely the worst slump of my life. It was a rough couple of games. But I was trying to find ways to affect the game in other ways. I just felt like I was making a couple shots, here and there, but you can’t worry about them. I thought last game I was worrying about it a little too much. You’ve got to have a next play mentality and be tough that way. I tried to do that and have a bunch of fun today.”
On what work he’s put in during the shooting slump or if he’s done anything differently:
“It’s similar work every day before and after practice. Similar stuff, but trying to be a little more intentional with holding my follow through. I talked with somebody this week and they helped me with saying the guy’s name. That gets you locked in and ready to shoot the ball. I think it’s more about the mind than anything else.”
On whether he prefers being on or off the ball when playing on offense:
“I don’t really have a preference. But I do find it really fun to play in the pick-and-roll. It’s something I’ve really worked on this summer. I’ve gotten a lot better at it. I enjoy making the right reads. But I wouldn’t say I have too much of a preference.”
Team Notes
• With the win, Duke moved its all-time record against Georgia Tech to 79-25. The Blue Devils have picked up wins in 18 of the last 20 meetings against the Yellow Jackets.
• The fifth-ranked Blue Devils are now 299-92 (.765) in conference games when ranked as a top-five team in the country.
• Duke is now 17-8 when playing on Dec. 21, and has won 14 of its last 15 games on that date, including four straight victories.
• Saturday’s contest marked Jon Scheyer’s 400th game as a coach for Duke. After joining the staff as a special assistant for the 2013-14 season, the Blue Devils have a record of 309-91 (.773) in that time.
• Saturday was Duke’s third true road game before Christmas, the first time a Duke team has played three road games before the holiday since the 1990-91 season.
• In those three road games, Duke posted an unblemished 3-0 record, winning all three by at least 11 points.
• Duke’s defensive unit limited Georgia Tech to a season-low 56 points, marking the fifth different opponent this season that has been held to a season-low output when playing the Blue Devils.
• Duke shot a season-best 56.4% from the field, connecting on 31-of-55 field goals. The Blue Devils also shot 40.0% from three-point range (10-of-25).
• All nine Blue Devils that played more than eight minutes scored at least two points.
• The Blue Devils won the rebounding battle, 36-25, and have out-rebounded nine of their 12 opponents so far this season.
• After allowing 36 first-half points, Duke’s defense held Georgia Tech to just 20 points in the second half – the lowest point total in a second half this season for Georgia Tech and the fewest points scored by a Duke opponent after intermission this season.
• On the offensive end, Duke ended the game with 20 assists, reaching the 20-dime threshold for the second time this season. The Blue Devils’ season-high is 24 dimes, set against Wofford on Nov. 16, 2024.
• A stretch of seven straight made field goals in the first half, spanning from 15:41 to 11:11 on the clock, helped Duke go on an extended 19-5 scoring run, seizing control of the contest.
• The Blue Devils shot 15-of-24 (.625) in the first half, their best shooting percentage in a first half so far this season.
• Duke has now connected on at least one 3-pointer in 1,237 straight games, tied for the longest streak nationally.
• The triumph over Georgia Tech is Duke’s 1,000th win against current ACC members (1000-512).
Player Notes
• Kon Knueppel turned in an all-around performance, scoring a game-high 18 points, while also dishing five assists, reeling in four rebounds, and tallying one block and one steal, all without committing a turnover.
• Knueppel shot 7-of-11 (.636) overall, highlighted by a 4-of-8 (.500) effort from beyond the arc. The four made three-pointers matched the freshman’s season high for made three-pointers in a game.
• Khaman Maluach scored 15 points, shooting a perfect 5-for-5 from the field and adding a 5-of-6 (.833) showing at the charity stripe. Maluach also grabbed a game-high eight rebounds – including six offensive boards.
• The six offensive rebounds by the freshman matched his performance against Army West Point on Nov. 8, and is tied for the most offensive rebounds by any Duke player in a game this season.
• On his 18th birthday, Cooper Flagg scored 13 points, while adding four rebounds and two assists.
• Tyrese Proctor rounded out the double-digit scoring with 10 points, shooting 4-of-7 (.571) from the field.
