Q & A with the Plumlees

A few days after Duke’s exhibition win over Pfeiffer Oct. 24, forwards Miles and Mason Plumlee—Miles is the older one—sat down with The Chronicle’s Scott Rich to discuss the upcoming season and their role as Blue Devil big men.

The Chronicle: One of the biggest stories of the offseason was [head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s] announcement that you both would be starting. Did that surprise you at all?

Mason: We kind of had an idea because we had been practicing for a couple weeks, we’re allowed two hours a week during the offseason. So I wouldn’t say surprised, but we kind of expected it. Not in an arrogant way, we just had known.

TC: What is the dynamic like between you and veterans like Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek, especially since the two of you are starting over them?

Mason: A lot of the reason we’re starting is because they’ve helped us and they’ve taught us a lot and they know what to do. So being here all summer and all fall with them, they’ve helped us. And we’re all on the same team, so of course people look at it like you’re playing ahead of somebody, but at the end of the day all four are going to play so its not like it’s a win lose thing.

Miles: We’re all on the same team. We wouldn’t be where we are if it wasn’t for them, so we may be ahead of them now, but in the end it’s all about making the team better.

TC: Coach K keeps emphasizing how this is one of the biggest teams he has ever coached. How good can this frontcourt be this year?

Mason: I think we’re going to be the best.

Miles: Two.

Mason: Oh, damn.

Miles: Two state championships.

Mason: I was thinking my little brother. Two state championships.

Miles: Thanks man.

Mason: We had a lot of fun.  (Laughter)  I was thinking about Marshall. I’m so used to saying three.

TC: Miles, how much of a draw was Mason’s commitment to Duke when you were released from your commitment to Stanford after the coaching change there?

Miles: It was kind of an unforeseen opportunity. I had never thought we would get to play together in college, especially after he decided to go to Duke. I just knew we were going to two different colleges.  But when the opportunity presented itself I realized it was something I would really want to take advantage of, and now I’ve had that opportunity. It was a huge thing, and it was one of the biggest parts of my decision.

TC: Mason, how involved were you in your brother’s decision?

Mason: I wanted him to come more than anybody, really. It just all works out.   [Krzyzewski] called me and asked me if I wanted Miles to come, and I was like, “What do you think?” I didn’t say that, but of course that was one of the biggest things, because I had thought about going to Stanford to play with him, but then I decided to come here. But things worked out really well.

TC: Your little brother Marshall is going through the recruiting process now. How involved are you two?

Mason: How do we talk to Marshall about basketball?  (Laughter) I don’t know.

Miles: Marshall’s a different guy, so we talk about a lot of stuff, but I don’t think we try to steer him too much. We both just want to have his best interests… when he does want to talk to us we just, let him know, we give him our honest opinions. Obviously we think very highly of Duke, or else we wouldn’t be playing here, so we give him our opinion about that, but we give him our honest opinion about everything— what we like or don’t like about different programs.

TC: Mason, how much did having your older brother here help has you transitioned to college life over the summer?

Mason: It helped a ton. I mean, I can’t really explain it, just I probably wouldn’t be starting or anything like that if he wasn’t here. It just helped me getting ready over the summer and in the fall. It’s just huge, really.

TC: Miles, a lot of people in the program have raved about your improvement over the summer, which obviously correlates with Mason coming to campus. Is there any sort of brotherly rivalry that has led to your improvement?

Miles: Yeah. I really think that did play a big part in it. I know I improved a lot, but a lot of it was just realizing that, you know, Mason comes in, he’s playing well, and I’ve played with him my whole life and I know I’m good too, so it’s kind of like a wake-up call. I think it was good for both of us. Him playing will give me confidence, and me playing will give him confidence, so we are just starting each other off on the right foot.

TC: With you guys playing together, with your athleticism and inside-outside game, how is this Duke team going to be different from Duke teams in the past?

Miles: I don’t think they’ve had a team where they’ve had two guys that can do that and have the same backcourt that is as strong as it is with us. We’ve got Nolan, Jon and Kyle which is as good as any backcourt in my mind…. You know we can run the motion together, we’re interchangeable, so you’ll see our flexibility.

TC: Finally, do the two of you ever get annoyed with all the attention put on you being brothers?

Mason: I guess its better than no talk.  (Laughter) I don’t know, I guess it could get annoying, but I’m fine with it.

Miles: I don’t know, I kind of like it.