Q: When you first took the Duke job, Duke was a program with good tradition that was a little bit down with a huge national power that was your rival just 10 minutes away. Could you talk about, with respect to the rivalry with North Carolina, what you did? Did you just concentrate on what you had to do? Did you make the rivalry a focal point?
A: "We've never made the rivalry a focal point because I followed the advice that Vic Bubas gave me when I got the job. He said treat every game in the ACC equally. That's the only way that you're going to be able to develop a program; because if you just look at one game or two games as being bigger than others, it's going to hurt the game before and after and the record will still show. You don't get one and a half games for winning the rivalry game or two games. You get one victory or one loss, and that's the way that I have approached it. Now, because the two teams have been so good and there is such tension, we recognize that it's a big game, but you know, hey we had a big game Saturday at Georgia Tech. Every game is a big game and this is the next one. We respect North Carolina this year as we have always respected them. They have a sensational program that was built by one of the best coaches ever, Dean [Smith]."
Q: Can you talk a little bit about what Roy Williams' return to North Carolina means to the rivalry or is it bigger than any cast of characters?
A: "First of all, Roy is a good friend and a great coach. Obviously, Roy being in the league and at Carolina is good for everybody. Over the years, it doesn't matter who is coaching or who is playing. When these two schools play basketball, the attention perks up everywhere. Again, as one of those schools and one of those coaches, you have to make sure that it is kept in perspective because the season goes on. This is not a championship game. It's a big game and then we have another one right after so you have to keep it in perspective."
Q: You mentioned that it doesn't matter who is coaching or who is playing when Duke and North Carolina meet, everyone does perk up. When you bring a number one ranking into the mix, what does that do to the intensity of this rivalry?
A: "Nothing. It's going to be intense whether we're ranked or not. They have played against us when we've been number one, and we've played against them when they've been number one and in between. For me, it doesn't bring anything because both of these programs have been number one a lot. Somebody can certainly have a different perspective on it, but for me, it doesn't mean that much."
Q: In the past, has it been harder for you to get the team focused on the game after the Carolina game? Or is it just that one's done let's move onto the next one?
A: "Well, we have to do that. Look, we just had a big game against Georgia Tech. Many of you probably didn't watch it; it may not have received the national attention. Our game against North Carolina is not going to be any more intense. It may be as intense and so we have to get on to the next thing all the time. Every place we play in, there is a lot of attention or whatever in that particular place. When Duke and North Carolina play, that place gets more national attention, but from our perspective it's the same. It's because we have such a good league and you respect everybody in your league. Some other leagues that's not the case, but in our league you better pay attention to everybody you play."
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