Highlights from Duke men's basketball's media availability leading up to Duke-North Carolina

<p>Graduate student Amile Jefferson will take on North Carolina at home for the final time in his career Thursday.&nbsp;</p>

Graduate student Amile Jefferson will take on North Carolina at home for the final time in his career Thursday. 

Leading up to Thursday's Duke-North Carolina game, Blue Devil head coach Mike Krzyzewski and co-captains Amile Jefferson and Matt Jones met with the media. See below for some of their most noteworthy comments leading up to the contest.

Coach K

On the implications Thursday night

You have to be careful that it’s not an end all either way. For years, I tell my team that it’s not about beating somebody, it’s about winning something. That’s when you become a really good program. Now, you have to beat somebodies in order to win something, but you don’t want to hang your hat on beating somebody. We’ve always tried to approach it knowing the magnitude of the game and the popularity, the fact that we’re going to play one of the best teams in the country—and year in and year out, that’s what we’re doing in this game. It does serve as a chance to see if you win this game, that’s a really good confidence boost for these kids.

On UNC's strengths

They’re the best rebounding team, especially offensively, in the country. But when you say that, you really kind of take away a little bit from [Joel] Berry and [Justin] Jackson and the years that they’ve had. Jackson is really having a lights out year. He’s outstanding, how he moves without the ball is really beautiful to watch, and then Berry’s really been—I think he missed a couple of games, and you could see the difference in their team when he’s not in there. He’s one of the best guards in the country, and he’s a guy that wants the ball in pressure situations.

On Duke freshmen big men Harry Giles and Marques Bolden

The stuff that’s happening with Harry right now, if he didn’t have that setback in September, it would’ve been happening in October and November. I think he’s on his way to becoming who he will eventually be. In other words, his knees are good and it’s just a matter of it takes a while. I think people will tell you, and especially NBA people, that when you come off of an ACL, it’s probably a two-year thing. And then you’re coming back to a place that you were at. He was never at a place that he was at, he was trying to figure out where he was at. But I’m pleased how he’s come along. Obviously I wish he would be further along, but he isn’t. 

And Marques, I think that those five weeks really hurt him. He was starting for us in late October. We had a group together that was going pretty well, and that really knocked him back. We had to go in another direction just to try to win games with who you have. And so different things develop, Luke Kennard developed more, which made us go small. Still, small is better for us because those are the guys who have accomplished and done it game in and game out.

On freshmen understanding the rivalry

They understand. I think it’s a rivalry that’s not just nationwide, but in some respects worldwide. People watch this. This is not a regional game. It’s not a regional game, it’s a national game. For our sport, it’s kind of a treasure. It’s one of those treasured rivalries. The old Big East was starting to build up some of those that were starting to become national, and some became national, and when that changed that knocked away some of them that started to come close to this.

On his first Duke-North Carolina game

I think we lost by two and they were cheering for me. The Carolina people too. That hasn’t happened in a long time…. I did not understand, from outside, what it meant until you’re here and you’re in it. I don’t know how you could. But I do now, and we’ve coached in a lot, probably over 80 of them. That’s a lot.

Amile Jefferson

On the atmosphere and support from students

It’s really cool to come up to practice or to come in here for whatever we do as a team or for breakfast and to see 300 people camping out, not even tents—just laying out there on the street to watch the game. That’s amazing but it speaks volumes to how amazing this game is. 

It just makes us honored and proud to be able to play in this game and once we come into the gym, then it’s about business and the next game. But when we walk out—I’m always stunned and amazed every year—I get that feeling like, ‘Wow, our fans are amazing and our school is amazing to allow this to happen.’ To allow them to do this is unbelievable and it’s an extreme dedication that we’re really proud to be a part of.

On his health as he nurses a right-foot bone bruise

I’m getting there, I wouldn’t say I’m 100 percent but I’m getting healthy. I feel good and that’s the biggest thing. I feel like I can go out there and be myself. Playing through pain, that’s what athletes do, that’s what basketball players do so I’m just one of many that do that.

Matt Jones

On the difficulty of not having a full complement of players available for most of the year

It’s been very difficult. Obviously when we’re at full force, we can be a great team. It hasn’t happened as much as we’d like this year. It’s tough to adjust, but as the season goes along you just have to adjust as a team and we just had to do that earlier and know getting everybody back, it’s time to play together and make strides going forward.

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