DUKE HEAD COACH JON SCHEYER
Opening Statement
“Happy New Year to everybody. 2024 has been quite a year. For this game, you’re always concerned about rust and for [Virginia Tech] too probably. Both teams have been off for 10 days. I thought we did some really good things. I thought it was a great step forward. When you know you’re going to play Virginia Tech, they’re going to make you really guard. You’re going to face great physicality on defense, and I thought we just did a great job of consistently trying to wear them down, even though they’re deep. I thought we had some good sequences of going defense to offense that helped us. And we have a lot to improve on, a lot to do, but it’s great to take this first step forward, coming back from break.”
On the structure of the offense after shooting better than 50% for the second consecutive game:
“I thought it was another step forward for us. A lot of it, for me, I think we’ve refined our offense, where some of the actions we run, I think it really fits our personnel. So that’s one thing. But then two, a lot of it is making the reads and adjusting to how people are playing you. Even the way that we drive. I thought Tyrese [Proctor] had some great drives and finishes today. That was a big step for us. I thought the way Cooper [Flagg] played … for me, a little bit, I feel like I’m taking crazy pills somewhat when we talk about Cooper. Look, he reclassified. How many different times can you point to a reclassification, where a guy’s doing this, and he’s the number one guy in a scouting report, and has played every game up until now, at 17 years old. He’s been incredible. Over break, I told him, I think he’s still got way more in him. And I thought he unleashed even more what he can do today. We should all cherish the fact that Cooper came a year early. Khaman [Maluach] came a year early, and they’re playing at this level. To me, it doesn’t get necessarily mentioned enough. I know we praise Cooper, he deserves it, but what he does for our team is incredible. I think that’s a big part of our offense too. The fact that you have a guy that gets 24 [points] and six [assists] and doesn’t force anything. He was on a two-on-one break and not thinking about numbers, he’s going to dump it off to Tyrese for a dunk. That’s unique.”
On Maliq Brown:
“Maliq, he does so much for our team without necessarily putting up numbers in the box score. And to have him and Khaman as this one-two punch defensively – they’re so different, but they’re both still so impactful. [Maliq] is still not 100% necessarily, like he’s working through his toe injury still, and he’s really tough, and I don’t think he’s quite himself yet, but his passing, his defense, is just such a big weapon for us.”
On improved ball movement:
“Well, I think it’s just the fact of having a brand new team and then also having a young group that’s not necessarily used to not playing without the ball. We’ve had to have more structure in some sequences, where maybe we wouldn’t have as much in the past. I think it’s helped them feel really confident with what they’re looking for on offense and what their reads are. Instead of saying ‘you can do whatever’, not that we’ve said that, but we’ve simplified it more for them. Give them credit. End of the day, they need to make the right plays. They need to be unselfish. And I also want us to be aggressive and be ready to shoot. I still didn’t think we had as good of a shooting night as we can have. I think there’s going to be a game here where we can really break out. For Tyrese [Proctor] and Kon [Knueppel] to go 3-of-12, I thought they had good looks. I think they’re too good of shooters. They’re going to hit some of those.”
GRADUATE GUARD SION JAMES
“I feel like we looked ok today. We looked pretty good in flashes. We weren’t as sharp defensively as we wanted to be. We have really high standards at that end of the floor, but we showed that we can score the ball in a lot of ways, we can get stops in a lot of ways, and we can win games in a lot of ways.”
On his rebounding performance tonight:
“It’s just doing what I feel like I can do. I always say that my job is to get these other guys involved, and rebounding is a good way to do that a lot of times. I just do my job and it’s the same thing we tell everybody to do – do their job. Whatever you’re best at – do that. We’ve got dudes who can shoot the ball, we’ve got dudes who can do everything, and whatever you do, just do that at a high level.”
When asked if he feels like this Duke team has unlimited potential: “I always feel that way. The amount of talent in this room, the amount of selflessness in this room, it makes us feel like we can truly do anything. We’ve been gelling very well. That’s one of the things that I love about this team. It’s fun to play on this team because we know we have talent, but, more than anything, we know we play together and we play for each other – and that’s what makes a special team. But we understand that we’re really just getting started. League play’s barely gotten going. We’ve got 17 more league games. It’s a long season, so we’re just trying to stay together, stay focused, stay positive.”
FRESHMAN GUARD/FORWARD COOPER FLAGG
On his hot start tonight and carrying Duke early in the first half: “I think it’s just the way the ball was rolling. Some guys missed some open shots, and that’s going to happen periodically. I came out with a hot hand tonight, which is always a good thing, but I would say it was more of just the way the ball was rolling tonight.”
When asked if there was anything that he thinks has contributed to Duke shooting better than 50 percent from the floor in the past two games: “That comes down to getting the shots that we want. I think, in some of the earlier games, we were taking some rushed shots and shots we didn’t want to take. I think just having cleaned up the offense a little bit and just getting the right shots, the shots that we want to take, has helped with that.”
On the play of Sion James tonight and his a double-double: “It’s huge. Sion is such a well-rounded player, whether he’s dunking on people, hitting spot-up three’s, getting downhill, finding teammates. He does so much on the court. For him to have a double-double is huge and it just shows how well-rounded of a player he is.”
When asked to talk about Duke’s obvious unselfishness: “That’s something that we’ve stressed and made a big part of our team – just playing the right way. When you have so much talent like we do, it’s a disservice to your team and everybody on it if you don’t play the right way.” “I feel like we’re in a pretty good spot, but we’re just excited about how much potential we think we have to just keep getting better every single game, keep pushing and pushing.”
VIRGINIA TECH HEAD COACH MIKE YOUNG
Opening Statement:
“I’ve seen them play for a long, long time, in the league and out of the league. Jon [Scheyer] would probably shudder at me saying this, I think this is the best Duke team I’ve seen in a bit, in my humble opinion. I think the best defensive team I’ve seen in my six years in this league. They can really disrupt you with their length and with the ability to switch everything with [Maliq] Brown. And I think [Khaman Maluach] will be able to do it. He’s a wonderful player. They’re very disruptive. There’s a reason they’re number one in the country defensively, I think four offensively. It’s a pretty good outfit.”
On Cooper Flagg’s performance:
“Well, he’s going to be here about three more months and he’s going to go on and he’s going to do very well for himself. He’s terrific. He’s a really good basketball player. Great skills, floor it, pass it, makes the right basketball plays. Admired him, watching him on film and saw him a lot, after competing against him, I admire even more so. He’s a dandy. He’s a great basketball player.”
On Cooper Flagg’s kickout to Isaiah Evans for a three-pointer after an offensive rebound:
“Yeah, [that’s] how the game is supposed to play out. The lesser player would shoot that because it was there. The great player makes the right basketball play. I give that thing to [Isaiah Evans] as often as I could too. I watched that kid play against Auburn. To be a rookie and make six three’s against the War Eagles in here in a high-level game, but that was a big play. I can remember it vividly. I should, it was right in front of me. He’s a great player.”
On being neck-and-neck and then Duke finding rhythm:
“They did find a rhythm defensively. We had some new things installed that they had had some problems with, but good teams and good players, and well-coached teams, are going to sniff that out and make some subtle adjustments and combat what you’re trying to do. And they did that. [Maliq] Brown, his ability to switch onto things – he’s like my nemesis in this league. His ability to get hands on balls and deflect balls is uncanny. Admired him greatly at Syracuse and here he is at Duke.”
