NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: REGIONAL SEMIFINAL - TEXAS TECH VS DUKE

March 24, 2022

Mike Krzyzewski

Paolo Banchero

Jeremy Roach

Mark Willliams

Chase Center

Duke Blue Devils

Sweet 16 Postgame Media Conference

Duke 78, Texas Tech 73

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI: You all were there. What a game. What a tremendous game. They're so good and strong. Obviously, in that first four minutes we weren't ready for that level of expertise on defense and their strength, but then after that I thought we played really well.

The end of half was critical. We had a seven-point lead, and we were able to score and then not let them score. All of a sudden you're looking at a four-point, and we had the ball. Then it went back and forth, and one team scored and the other team. I thought when we went zone that helped us. These guys with a few minutes left said, Coach, we want to go back man. So they were playing so well, I figured I would listen to them.

And the resolve of Jeremy Roach was incredible. His drives against that defense were so strong, so determined. If Paolo -- Paolo did a couple of things tonight that he has never done in his life, and he did it instinctually. He just wanted to win so badly, and it was so beautiful to see. And Mark with the rebounds. Boy, my guys are really doing a great job. They're really doing a great job, and we beat guys who were doing a great job on the other team.

So, anyway, that's my opening statement.

Q. Mike, how much did you practice zone before yesterday and coming into this, and did you feel like it was going to be something you needed to use?

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI: We did. Actually, in our scouting report number 12 defense, if necessary, and actually if you looked at our thing, it says if necessary, and it was necessary.

And, you know, we practiced it a little bit during the year where our guys just know to keep the wings high and whatever. Today during our walk-through we just mentioned it, like, look, there's a chance we'll use it, but you really couldn't practice it in the walk-through, and these guys are smart players. They were able to do it.

It kept out the amount of physicality because they were wearing us down, so the zone gave us a chance to kind of dance around the ring a little bit instead of being in a corner.

Q. Paolo, congrats on the win. Against Michigan State you guys made your last five field goals, tonight eight. Is it a new clutch gene, or what's going on with you guys in the last few minutes of these games?

PAOLO BANCHERO: I wouldn't say it's a new clutch gene at all. I would say all year in the biggest moments we've always stepped up, and there's no bigger moment than this. I don't know about these guys, but I've never played in a basketball game like that, so.

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI: You were terrific.

PAOLO BANCHERO: When you are out there, you don't even -- it's not like you're even thinking. You're just playing to win, and you're playing extremely hard. So when you are doing that and you are not afraid of the moment as a team, you're going to do stuff like that.

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI: I have to say one thing. I've been around so many good players, and when they just go into their own thing, where it's stuff you can't teach them and they just do it, that's what he did. For that little bit of time, and it gave us such a verve. He knew I was going to say that. Had to get it in. It's like a double bonus thing.

Q. Question for Paolo and for Mark. Coach mentioned Jeremy's resolve. We've seen him the last two games sort of emerge into the point guard you guys have needed. How important was he tonight, and especially down the stretch being able to make some of those drives against the defense of that caliber?

PAOLO BANCHERO: Well, first off, he has been the point guard all year. I wouldn't say we were in need. He has always been able to step up in big moments, and so we trust him 100%. We've trusted him the whole year. Gonzaga, he made big plays down the stretch. Every game he has stepped up in the clutch, so we trust Jeremy 100%.

We know that's what he does. He is comfortable out there all the time, and so when the ball is in his hands, we're comfortable, and we know it's -- have you ever seen it get taken from him? Exactly. That's all that needs to be said.

Q. Jeremy, why did you guys want to go back to man-to-man there at the end? What was that conversation like, and why was that important to you guys?

JEREMY ROACH: It was kind of going back and forth a little bit. I think we had -- I think it was A one-point or two-point lead or something like that. We just wanted to give them a different look. We kind of were in man -- or zone for probably about seven-minute stretch or something like that, so just give them a different look, and it worked.

Q. Hey, Jeremy. I was wondering if you could talk through your mindset in those final minutes to get those clutch baskets.

JEREMY ROACH: Just trust in your work. These guys -- like Paolo just said, these guys trust me, and the coaching staff trusts me. Trust in your work and being instinctive was the biggest key out there.

Q. This is for Mike.

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI: Can I do that after -- I'll do you first after we do the players so they can get going.

Q. I'll ask Paolo --

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI: You can ask me -- don't just -- I'm now going to cry. (Laughing).

Q. You referenced Paolo doing some things that he has never done before. Could you be more specific about that?

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI: You can watch the tape during that 60 seconds where -- it's like when great players just go. They just go, and the moment and the need take them to a place that a great player would love to be in, and that's where he was. I feel -- I'm just so happy that I was there for that moment with him because it's his. It's his, but it benefited all of us.

Q. Mark, I wanted to ask you about that dunk you had. You guys were -- you were emotive after that. What were you thinking in that moment? And you guys shot 71% in the second half. That's the highest shooting percentage any team has had against Texas Tech in a half all season long.

MARK WILLIAMS: As far as that dunk, I mean, it felt like it gave the team some life, obviously. Made a great pass, and I just finished the play. I was really amped up. I think it got the team going, and I think that translated to the defensive end as well.

PAOLO BANCHERO: We had, like, three straight stops after that dunk.

Q. Mike, just given your defensive history, did you ever think you would coach long enough to have a group of players convince you so switch from zone to man?

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI: Every once in a while Wojo -- we never played someone with Wojo. With this team they're so young and they're still growing. Whenever they can own something, they're going to do it better than if we just run it. When they said that, I felt they're going to own it. They'll make it work, and that's probably more important than strategy during that time. So that's the way I looked at it.

I'm not sure I've been in that many situations like that before, but again, the ownership of doing something I think is key.

Q. I never do this, so I hope you'll indulge. I wanted to ask you about when you guys came into the zone, you had maybe two, three trips in a row where they scored, and not very -- with not much effort.

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI: They were cutting.

Q. So you didn't come out. I wanted to ask you why you stuck with it, and also at the last minute you reached down and slapped the floor. You wanted the players to have that. Can you talk about why you chose to do that that moment?

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI: I was three years old again, and I was -- what was the first part? I'm 75, and I only know the second part. What was the --

Q. About staying in the zone.

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI: I thought they were wearing us down. Not to -- I didn't think that; they were. And just to try to give them a different look. What happened was with the zone was too far out, and so at the timeout Jon Scheyer and Chris Carrawell said they're beating us on cuts, not on threes, so we made that adjustment.

I really think if we kept going like that, we wouldn't have won the game because they -- they're such a good basketball team, and they keep coming with players. I mean, I didn't realize Shannon was that big. He is a stud athlete. I mean, these guys are good, and, obviously, very well-coached.

The slapping the floor, what the hell? Why not? Our guys really wanted that because it's kind of like a cross the bridge to the brotherhood. They can now say they did that. Hopefully they can say that again at least on Saturday.

Q. I don't know if you can answer this specifically, but I'm just wondering who actually said to you, we want to go man, Coach? Who was the brave soul that or was it collective?

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI: It was like a Catholic boys' choir. It was a chorus. They all said it. They all said it, and they said it with enthusiasm. "We want to do this. We want to go man." God bless them. What a great group these kids. They've grown up so much in the last 12 days. It's such a joy. It's an amazing thing.

We good? Thanks.