It's been just a week and a half since the Blue Devils and Fighting Irish met in South Bend, Ind., but No. 4 Duke and No. 10 Notre Dame are set to do battle once again Saturday at 1 p.m. at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Ahead of the important conference tilt, Quinn Cook, Amile Jefferson and Justise Winslow met with the media to discuss a potent Fighting Irish offense, the case for Jahlil Okafor as ACC Player of the Year and more. Here are the highlights from Friday's player availability:
On the oddity of playing a team twice in 11 days:
Jefferson: "I think it's going to be a really good game. They're a really good team, really, really good on offense, and they have a lot of good players, one really, really good player in Grant. Playing them in such a short span, they know what we do and vice versa, we know the things that they like to do. We have our gameplan, we know what to do, how we need to play. When you play in such a short span like that, the biggest thing is going to be having a high level of intensity and a high level of heart. That's really what's going to determine how the game will end."
On what has to be different between the 77-73 loss Jan. 28 and Saturday:
Jefferson: "One of the biggest things we need to do is finish. That just speaks for itself. That last game, we missed a ton of free-throws, we missed a ton of shots that we normally make. And then we have to defend, defend their main actions, defend their best players and a lot of talk. Talking's going to be a key for us in this game. I think we're going to have an amazing crowd, it's going to be very loud in there, and in the game tomorrow but it's up to us to bring that energy and that hunger and that's going to be achieved through a lot of talking."
Cook: "Free throws were a big thing. I think we missed a lot of things at the basket that we usualyl make. I think we left a lot of points on the board. Those guys made plays at the end of the game—hit some big shots, made some big plays—Grant, Vasturia. I think if we finish and just hit our free throws, we’ll be fine.... It’s a mindset. It’s an attitude that you have. If you go up soft, I don’t think you’ll finish. But if you go up hard, like we usually do. We practice hard. We just have to finish like we’ve doing the past couple games."
Winslow: "I think we played very well the first time around against Notre Dame. In the final minutes we just didn’t close well. I think we missed a lot of shots around the basket and free throws towards the end of the game, so if we do those two things we have a good chance of beating a good team."
On containing Jerian Grant, who had 23 points, 12 assists and six rebounds in the first matchup:
Jefferson: "Just keeping him in front. He got in our paint a lot in that last game and he's a really good player. He hit a lot of tough shots that last game. Just keeping him in front and not letting him get into our paint and get easy baskets, because a player like that, once he sees a couple go in the rim just gets big. He's going to score at times—he's just that good of a player—but we just have to fight him and play him tough, make sure that he's working for everything he gets."
Cook: "We did some great things on him, I think he hit some tough, tough shots. Hit a half-court 3-pointer basically, step-back falling away. Those are the kind of shots we want him to take, and he’s good enough to make them. I think we did a good job. I think we can do a better job on ball screens and in transition. I think he does a great job in transition. Just trying to make him work all 40 minutes. He’ll still get his points and his assists because he always has the ball and he’s a good player, but we want to make him work a lot."
Winslow: "We have to do a better job of defending the ball screen, not letting him get to the ball. Keeping him on one side of the floor, and that’s really it. He made a lot of plays for them—23 points, 12 assists— so that’s about 45 points right there. If we can do a better job of containing him, that will make the outcome a lot easier for us."
On the play and leadership of Cook:
Jefferson: "Quinn is a senior captain. This is his last year and he takes pride in being a captain and a leader.... He put in the work this summer. Playing off the ball, with Tyus as the point, gives him a chance to really shoot it, and he's an amazing shooter. Tyus and all our guards, when they penetrate, they do a great job of finding him, and then when guys double Jah, Quinn's always getting to the right spot or moving without the ball. He's an excellent shooter and he has an excellent heart and excellent motor, and he's been playing with a lot of fight, and we need that from him."
Winslow: "Quinn’s meant a lot to us. He’s a captain, the only senior, one of the few guys who’s been through all this before. Quinn’s hungrier than ever. He’s done a great job here but he doesn’t really have any banners—no ACC conference championships, no Final Fours. It’s his last chance so he’s very hungry. He integrates the younger guys on and off the court, showing us things. He knows what Coach K wants better than anyone on the team, so just helping the younger guys out whenever we need it."
On the case for Jahlil Okafor as ACC Player of the Year:
Jefferson: "Every game, teams change what they do in particular to stop him. He handles that amazingly, whether its three guys, two guys doubling, they put a small on and double off a big, it just goes on. He makes the open pass when he needs to and he's scoring when he needs to. He knows how to read the double and then he's just a dominant force on both ends of the floor. On defense he's stopping the lane, protecting our paint and rebounding the basketball, and also offensively he does more than just score—he finds the open guy. He draws so much attention, he makes shots easier for other people. Even if he doesn't make the shot, there's three guys worried about him [so] someone's going to get the offensive rebound, or he's finding cutting guys for easy lay-ups. He contributes to a lot of our scoring and a lot of what we do, because he's that good."
Cook: "I just think our success as a team, that would be the determining factor. I think we’ve had some big-time wins this year and I think the best player on the best team should get it. I guess tomorrow will be a big game for that award, and I know Jah is ready. But I know he’s not focused on that, he just wants to beat Notre Dame because they beat us and they’re ahead of us in the conference. It’ll a big game for us, and I think we’re all ready."
On winning the matchup with Notre Dame's versatile forwards:
Jefferson: "For me, it's about making sure that they're not killing us from the 3-point line. They're an amazing offense, efficient team. Their stretch-fours, their wings hit a lot of threes on the penetration from their guards because they're really good. Playing against Connaughton, he's a really aggressive player. He rebounds, he scores for them and he's not even big, but he has a great motor. For me it's just about fighting and making sure I'm helping Jah and then on the perimeter helping our guards, whether it's switching or whatever we decide to do."
Ryan Hoerger and Brian Pollack contributed reporting.
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