CHARLOTTE—Coaches and players from around the ACC gathered at the Charlotte Marriott City Center Tuesday for the conference's men's basketball media day, including Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski and Blue Devil captains Jack White and Javin DeLaurier. The group touched on a variety of topics, from California's "Fair Pay to Play" Act to White's try at an American accent. Check out some of the highlights:
DeLaurier on how Duke will function without a top-three recruit on its roster for the first time since 2012:
“We’re just going to have to rely on each other a little bit more in order to function as a team, score the ball...it’ll help bring us closer together, knowing one guy’s not going to be able to do it by himself.”
White, when asked if he could try talking in an American accent:
“Can I get a double cheeseburger meal with fries and a shake,” White said in his best attempt at an American accent. “But I’ll tell you what, when they try to do an Australian accent, it’s even better—because they suck. They sound British. I’m not British.”
White on the Blue Devils' defense this season:
“I think we can be the best defensive team in the country if we keep working at it...we could go small, we can play two bigs, we can play [Jordan Goldwire] and [Tre Jones] in the backcourt and pressure the hell out of people full court. It all just depends on the situation.”
DeLaurier on how the team maintains a culture with so many moving parts each season:
“Culture is built every day. It’s not the big games that we play in, when we win, that’s not it. It’s every day coming in and working your butt off day after day after day. It’s a grind, and it’s not always fun, I’m not going to lie to you. But it’s so rewarding when you do see it pay off in those big moments.”
Krzyzewski on Matthew Hurt:
“He has a feel for the music of the game. He can kind of dance to whatever. He feels it naturally. I think he’s totally immersed in the game. He can make multiple plays—he can pass, he can shoot, he can dribble, rebound. The ball doesn’t stick in his hands, so he’s an easy guy to play with.”
Krzyzewski on the leadership of White and DeLaurier:
“The two kids that are right there are very, very important for us, because they’re good players, and they’re seniors. This freshman class is talented but it needs them...I want them to know how important they are.”
Krzyzewski on the challenges of a young roster:
“Although it hasn’t happened, a kid that knows that he’s going pro can start looking ahead...so there are a couple things there that with a veteran team that wouldn’t happen, because they’ve invested maybe three years or four years. Again my guys have been really good, but it is tougher for a young group. How old can you get in nine months? Hopefully real old. Hopefully you wear shoes that don’t break—trying to make sure that doesn’t happen this time.”
Krzyzewski on the G-League and players going pro at a younger age:
“If and when high school players are brought in right away the G-League has to improve...and they are investing [in it]. You can see them having more rounds in the draft, because if I’m an owner of an NBA team and I have a G-League affiliate I don’t want to just protect two guys, I want to protect everybody...don’t be shocked four or five years from now where there’s G-League on TV, and maybe our collegiate product is being challenged.”
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