Wake Forest vs. Duke - Postgame Quotes
1/22/2011 12:00:00 AM | Men's Basketball
Jan. 22, 2011
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Wake Forest Head Coach Jeff Bzdelik
Opening statement...
"I got through talking to my team about four things. Number one, to be optimistic because if you're not optimistic then you don't have hope. Without hope, you can't have success. So I told them to keep their heads up and to keep their spirits up. The second thing is, we need to be stronger and that will come. When we were stuck on 19 points, we missed about four lay-ups. We need to finish around the rim. We were able to get the ball to the rim but we need to finish. We would not have had those two dry spells. In the second half, we pulled to within four and we missed a couple of more lay-ups. That all will come when we get stronger. We need to be more mature. That was the third thing. Paying attention during timeouts and knowing where to go. We fouled three times when there was three seconds on the shot clock. Finally, we need to be tougher. Setting screens on inbounds situations or in our offense. Executing under duress when people are hanging on you. Our young players will get stronger. No question. I've seen it before. We'll get more mature as we continue to grow and watch film and go through these experiences."
On what happened during the second half drought...
"I can't remember how many lay-ups we missed. We had our opportunities. All we've been working on with our players is playing off two feet. Teams like this (Duke) give early help. We wanted to spread them and drive them because they are so tight with their man. We got in there but now they have to make a play off two feet. It's hard for young players because the game is quicker, faster and stronger. I'm not making excuses. This is what we're working on. Playing off two feet so we don't have those long droughts."
On why Nikita Mescheriakov didn't play tonight...
"I'll be honest with you, it was a coaching decision. He's been giving a great effort but we kind of have a log jam at that spot. Melvin (Tabb) has had a couple of good practices and I think he's starting to come out of his shell a little bit. The light is starting to come on and I think he's earned the right to play. Instead of giving him limited minutes, I decided to let him go out there and play through mistakes. That's all. It was nothing Nikita didn't do."
On whether the team put forth a better effort today than the past couple of games...
"Yes. I was seeing progress. It was a six-point game in the second half at NC State and the Maryland game and Gonzaga games here, they were single digit games. But the last two games, I think we started feeling sorry for ourselves. So we had a few discussions before the game today."
Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski
Opening Statement...
"I'm really happy with my team, and how they responded to Wake's great preparation. I thought Jeff (Bzdelik) had his team very well prepared. They have come off some substantial losses, and you would never notice in their demeanor. They had great energy, togetherness, hit shots right away, and had a well-conceived offense. I think they knocked us back a little bit. They had a really good game plan, and took away our drives. We weren't hitting some shots, but a lot of that is we weren't getting some of the shots we normally get. I thought (Tyler) Thornton and Miles Plumlee really turned the game around for us. Their energy was unbelievable, and Tyler's pressure on the ball really helped. Ryan Kelly had 20 points on six shots, which is pretty effective. Miles Plumlee has had two really good games in a row, and Singler was a warrior throughout."
On the play of Ryan Kelly throughout the season...
"He's just been good the whole season. Since ACC play, he's gotten better every game. He's a very reliable player, and he doesn't get flustered. He knows where he's supposed to be all the time, and I think he's become more aggressive and ready to take his shot. He's a really good shooter, and I think now you will see shot fakes and moves to the hole too, because he does have really good balance. He's just a really good player, and he was big for us today."
On Duke's level of focus entering the game...
"We have ultimate respect for every ACC team. I've been in this league a long time, and Wake Forest is one of the best teams with their program, their school, and their fans. They're a young team, but the tradition is so strong here. We were up for the game, but I just thought that they were better than us early. We prepare for this as hard as any game because we felt that we would get that surge. (C.J.) Harris really played well for them. For us, the toughest thing to teach anybody is to try to be at your best the entire time. Overall, we did a good job today, but to have two road games and two road wins in the league is good because road wins in this league are hard to come by."
On Nolan Smith's play...
"I didn't think he had the spark or the athleticism that he normally has. I thought he gained it more in the second half, but sometimes the veteran players don't tell you anything. I thought he was just a little off his game early, but he was still really good, especially down the stretch. But, I'm sure he'll be fine."
On the play of Miles Plumlee...
"That's two really good games in a row for him. When he talks, he's just better because then he's reacting. He's such a good athlete that if he's thinking about what he's supposed to do, instead of talking and reacting, he loses that athleticism. Tonight, he and Tyler (Thornton) really turned the game around for us, big time."
