ATLANTIC COAST CONFERENCE BASKETBALL TIPOFF MEDIA DAY

October 12, 2022

Jon Scheyer

Jacob Grandison

Jeremy Roach

Duke Blue Devils

Press Conference

Q. Coming off you guys' Final Four run last year and the chemistry you guys exuded in that run, Jeremy, can you talk about being a team captain this year, what it will take to get back there and capitalize on that success from last year?

JEREMY ROACH: Yeah, just that whole Final Four loss, we're going to use -- at least me personally, are going to use that as motivation coming into this year.

I know we've got a new group of guys who haven't been through the Duke season, so being me that leader, me being that experienced guy, that third year guy has to the go tell guys what to do, what not to do, and just set that example.

Q. Coach Scheyer, you guys have a tradition of bringing in these top recruits, these top recruiting classes year in and year out and you've played a huge role in that, but this one seems a little bit different, like you have four five-stars, four four-stars. I'm not sure I've seen you bring in a class like this since you've gotten here. What is different about this class outside of the massive amount of talent you're bringing in?

JON SCHEYER: It started with how many guys we lost last year. I think that's what makes it unique. You lose eight of our ten scholarship players, right, and so we brought in eleven new faces. Seven happened to be freshmen.

Brought in four transfers, Jacob was one of them, and the balance I think when you look at the guys we've brought in, the way they complement one another, the fact that everybody we've brought in, they're about the team first.

Of course they have individual aspirations that they want to play beyond just at Duke, but I think that's pushed -- that's allowed them to push each other in practice. I think you look at the versatility of this group. We have a lot of guys that can defend multiple positions, really are positionless on offense. That's how we've played and that's how we'll continue to play.

But I'm just -- at the end of the day I'm proud of all these guys, and I'm excited that they believed in the vision that we had.

Of course what Duke basketball stands for and what Duke University is all about, but at the end of the day I couldn't show who I am as a basketball coach, so a lot it comes down to the relationships we've built and the trust that we've developed.

I'm proud of the new guys we have. Of course doesn't mean I'm not proud of the guys coming back, but we're excited about this group and the way it's blended together.

Q. Coach Scheyer, back at Duke's media day, you mentioned the first two weeks you wanted to focus strictly on defense. What have you seen since those practices as far as cohesion and just playing together?

JON SCHEYER: Yeah, well, it's coming along. Made some really good strides. They've shown up every single day. They've come to work. I think our group is hungry. They've been on a mission. Really at this point of the year you're trying to develop habits, trying to develop the mindsets you need to have every single day to have a successful winning team. And we're not there yet, of course, but we're on our way there.

The first couple of days was -- they were longer days than they normally are, but we have a lot to do in terms of knowing positioning, where to be, knowing that if Jacob comes over to help, then Jeremy has to be here to have his back.

A lot of it has just been drilling positioning and rotations, and we've got a long way to go, but love the start that we've gotten off to.

Q. Jacob, you being the older guy, what are you bringing to the table through this transfer process?

JACOB GRANDISON: Yeah, as an older guy, it automatically brings experience. I've been through high major seasons, mid-major seasons, and that's the mix of our team.

Besides that, I bring me, and with that I only have one agenda when I'm playing basketball, and that is to win. Then in choosing to come here, I knew that we were on the same accord, and we all have one vision, to win.

Like I said, bringing myself and just bringing my best version of myself every day and ready to be coached and win basketball games.

Q. Jeremy, it is a little bit different this year, not only the faces of the players but also the faces of the coaching staff. How have you been dealing with the change, adjusting to the change?

JEREMY ROACH: I mean, the change has been very smooth. Me and Coach Scheyer have built that relationship since high school, and to get to this point now, our relationship is at its peak.

I think just this whole transition has been very smooth. I know I have the utmost confidence in Coach Scheyer. I know he has the utmost confidence in me. If your leader and your coach are on the same page, I think we're going to have a successful season.

Q. Coach, I'm asking you to give away your game plan a little bit here, but how do you want the style of play to differ from years past, if you want it to differ at all, or do you want it to look the same?

JON SCHEYER: Yeah, I don't think it's about looking different just to look different. It's about who do we have on this year's team, what are our strengths, and then how do we play to those strengths.

You look at the guys we've brought in, you look at these two guys right here, we want to play fast, and we want to push the ball.

If you look at our championship teams in the past, it starts with defense, and that's why it's the first thing we hit on this fall. That's continued to be a priority for us.

We can be an elite defensive team. We have guys when you're on the floor that's an expectation, but also we have the capability of doing that.

And then on offense it's about sharing the ball. To me it's less about how does it look different as opposed to what's the best offense, what's the best defense, what's the best strategy for this particular team.

It's a different group, so that's what our focus has been on, and we'll let you decide in that's different or the same or whatever that is. Hopefully there are some similarities. That would be a good thing.

Q. Jacob, just curious to some of the notable differences you've seen coming from the Big Ten and Illinois and coming over here to ACC country and playing at Duke.

JACOB GRANDISON: To be fair to both schools, I'm not going to sit up here and just compare them like that. But I've been coached by a bunch of notable coaches. I've kind of absorbed what they've had to say.

Coming here, it's a little different with a young guy, a younger coach. But seriously -- I'll get into the ACC, but coming here has been very seamless. Like a lot of respect and openness and genuineness has been the vibe in terms of transition, which is very wholesome and puts a lot of what's going to happen kind of thoughts at ease.

Then in terms of comparing the Big Ten to the ACC, we'll have to see. We're pretty focused on what we have to do in practice every day rather than the spectrum of the ACC, but every day we're working on ourselves to be our best selves, to go into ACC play and win as many games as we can.

Q. Jacob, this is your sixth season of playing college basketball. What's the journey been like going from Holy Cross to Illinois and now Duke?

JACOB GRANDISON: It's been a whole lot for sure. It's been a blur. It's happened fast. But I don't have time right now to look at that part of my journey that I've been on, because there's a whole lot left to write, and I'm super excited to have my last season here.

Q. You've got four seven-footers this year. That's a lot of height on a Duke roster. Play fast, play big?

JON SCHEYER: Well, I think the thing is you look at our roster, you look at our team, I go back to the versatility. We can play big, we can play smaller. When you have Jacob, Mark Mitchell, Dariq Whitehead, where you have Kyle Filipowski, you have Dreck Lively, who really to us is as unique of a big as there is in the country. He's not really a big.

We've talked about how to maximize what he can do on the defensive end especially, but that versatility for us is something that we can really use throughout the course of the season.

Q. You mentioned Dariq. He's about six weeks into the healing process from his foot injury. How is his progress going?

JON SCHEYER: Yeah, Dariq is doing great. He's entering the next phase of his treatment and his rehab of what he's doing. He's able to get on the floor a little bit more. We're not at a point yet to say exactly when he'll be back, but he's progressing in a great way and he's working hard, and I know he's anxious to be out here with these guys practicing every day.

Q. Jeremy, with so many new faces, and especially as you're a returning player, what have been kind of the focus to build some of that chemistry and camaraderie with the new guys? What's the go-to activity for you guys?

JEREMY ROACH: It starts early in the summer when we get there, so just hanging out at the suite that we have, going out to movies, Top Golf, whatever --

JON SCHEYER: Playing defense.

JEREMY ROACH: Playing defense. We're around each other so much that that bond is just going to build, and then we go off after practice, hang out, maybe get some dinner or something like that. That's just what builds a great team and great brotherhood.

Q. Could you talk about Coach K's involvement or conversations that you've had to this point? How involved will he be?

JON SCHEYER: Well, Coach K and I, we're as close as can be. He's been -- the relationship you build, I started when I was 16 years old, and of course this past year, over half my life he's been my go-to guy. That's not going to change. What has changed is he's not coaching.

Our relationship is as strong as ever. I go to him, talk about many things beyond basketball. I don't see that changing any time. We're locked in, and he's entering a new phase of his life, and obviously I'm doing the same in mine.

But the relationship that we've built is not going to change ever.

Q. Jeremy, you are the lone captain this year. What does that responsibility mean?

JEREMY ROACH: It's a big responsibility, but a big responsibility that I'm ready for. I know my coaches and my teammates have the utmost confidence in me, but I'm not doing it alone. I have guys like Coach Scheyer, C-Well, Jai Lucas, Amile Jefferson, just guys in my year always helping me out. Even the older guys, Max, Kale, Ryan, Jake, so it's not just me being a captain alone. I've got guys in my corner helping me out, too.

Q. Since you've obviously returned from the team, what have you noticed different about Coach Scheyer since he's moved over a seat from being the assistant to the head coach? I don't know if he's playing more of the bad cop role.

JEREMY ROACH: I think it's been a smooth transition. Coach Scheyer is always going to give guys that confidence. That's the biggest thing about Coach Scheyer, he's going to make you feel comfortable, make you feel confident and just be who you are whenever you're out there. I think the transition has been very smooth, very welcoming.