Mike Brey Notebook | Duke
Notre Dame basketball coach Mike Brey spoke following the loss to Duke on Monday night.
On the loss:
"Not so big of a Monday. If you would have told me they would score 57 in our building, I would have figured we would have escaped or close to it. You have to give credit to their defense. We missed a bunch of layups early that would have made you believe and then we're digging out of a hole early.
"They were hard to play against. They really took our shooters away and they have the shot blocker back there when you turn the corner.
"Defensively, 57 against an explosive Duke team offensively, I was thinking we would be alright. They swarmed us. I thought we took some bad shots and the moment maybe had us playing fast and excited.
"I told them at the last media timeout, I was going to give the flush it speech no matter what because we have to get on a plane to Miami tomorrow."
On the team not adapting to the big moment:
"The moment got us a little bit. We've been so good at home. You're playing a little fast early and playing to the crowd. That's happened before. I've had teams that I've felt that way the first ten minutes. I know they're disappointed."
On Duke's run at the end of the first half:
"We did the job from the arc. They didn't light us up there. They had 27 at halftime and I know we were really ugly on the offensive end, but Duke had 27? I'm thinking we're going to get going in the second half and we never really could.
"The stuff you miss around the basket and we missed a bunch is very deflating. They physically guard you and they got guys back there looking for it. You could tell your guys to finish strong and go in there, but they have guys with 7'3 wingspans and it's tricky.”
On Duke shutting down Dane Goodwin and Blake Wesley:
"I thought they really took away the arc. We got a couple rolls to the bucket because they were hugging our shooters - just making us play around the basket. That's the first team that's really taken away the arc for 40 minutes.
"People have done that, but we've eventually done that and we've been able to get loose in the second half. No shot tonight."
On not having an answer for Duke's size and athleticism:
"I'm glad we don't repeat them and the only time we'll see them is in Brooklyn. If we see them in Brooklyn, we probably advanced.
"You could look at the physical matchups tonight - Griffin, Banchero - the bodies on young guys, it was a little bit of mismatch at times. We've had Kentucky and North Carolina come through here with bodies. They don't have bodies like these guys.
"How do we combat them? We make threes and we outscore them. You may dunk on us a little bit, but we couldn't do it.
"I think I have to give them a lot of credit. They were just on us."
On Duke true freshman Paolo Banchero:
"It was two-point shots. I'm thinking he's really gifted and hard to deal with one-on-one, but they count as two. Those are two and that's how we try to play people. You can score two on us because we feel we'll get on a run and make a couple threes. We never could do that.
"That's the first time I've seen him physically. He's the whole package. How can there be a pick higher than him in the Draft? His footwork, demeanor - he's really gifted. He had 21 and they had 57 and you're thinking, God, that was an ugly game.
“Grffin, Keels and Banchero. Those are the three young guys. Are they 18? My strength coach is sitting there going. We could have Nate Laszewski bench press for five years, but that's OK. That's who we are. Some nights we get you, but not tonight."
On if he has to play more guys in Miami with such a quick turnaround:
"I don't think so. One of the reasons I wanted JR (Konieczny) to play a little bit with our main guys is he has been very good in practice. He's come a long way and you just never know.
"I think those seven guys have to get rested and be ready to play. A gifted offensive team in Miami, but it's coming at us fast. It's disappointing we didn't play better. Our crowd was so great. I feel bad because our crowd was waiting on us. We had The Bus leading cheers. I think they'll be back."