Duke Players Press Conference | Sweet 16
Omaha, Nebraska
THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski as well as student-athletes Marvin Bagley and Grayson Allen. Questions for the student-athletes?
Q. Grayson, what's the biggest difference between their zone and your zone?
GRAYSON ALLEN: A lot of times you'll see when the ball goes into the middle against them their center steps up. A lot of times there's two (indiscernible) stepping up to take the ball in the middle, whereas we try to keep our big to protect the rim and have another guy come to contest the shot in the middle or challenge the ball, try to make them uncomfortable then.
Q. Does it help you offensively going up against the zone, the fact that you now play it?
MARVIN BAGLEY III: I mean, I don't think it really has anything to do with our offense. We've moved the ball pretty well lately. It's going around to everybody, everybody's touching it, everybody's involved in the game. So I think if we continue to do that then we can have great success throughout the rest of the tournament.
GRAYSON ALLEN: I think it might help a little bit, just because we know movements and positionings. But at the same time Syracuse's zone is different. For the majority of the year you go up to man-to-man teams. So you don't prepare; you don't have game preparation to go against the zone every day.
We have preparation to play a zone against everybody, obviously, but as far as trying to execute against the zone and the zone that's as long as Syracuse is, it's difficult to actually prepare for that.
Q. Grayson, you were the 2015 championship team, obviously had a great senior leadership back with Cook. You being a senior on this team with so many freshmen like Marvin, have you tried to take on a leadership role and be a leader for those freshman?
GRAYSON ALLEN: Yeah, I'm the leader of the team right now, and as the captain that's what I'm trying to do, trying to prepare them, trying to lead them in the right direction. And at this point in the season it's really cool how we've come together. And the guys are listening to me out there on the court and in huddles and everything. And they're starting to speak up, too. And we're all listening to each other out there. And we've really come together as a team here.
Q. Marvin, you and Wendell had a pretty good game against Syracuse back in February. How much adjustment do you expect to see Syracuse make against you guys?
MARVIN BAGLEY III: We're expecting to see a completely different team than we played last time. That's something that I've learned throughout the years -- teams that we watch on film, they play completely different when we actually get on the court. And it's kind of like we have to learn how to adjust. And we did a great job throughout the year.
But I think Syracuse is going to be a different team. Last game we both had pretty bad games as teams as a whole, but it should be a great game. And I'm excited to get out there and compete with my teammates and just try to continue to get wins.
Q. Grayson, can you slap the floor while playing zone, and do you miss it?
GRAYSON ALLEN: Yeah, you can definitely slap the floor playing zone. Slapping the floor is all about intensity and getting a stop. I don't know if anyone's seen it yet or seen it in a zone yet. Definitely can, though. It more symbolizes getting a stop than it does man-to-man defense.
Q. Grayson, there's been a lot of talk about just player compensation and the potential of college players getting paid. Where do you stand on the viability of that?
GRAYSON ALLEN: I'm here, so I've been pretty happy with my four years of college. It's been awesome. It would be really tough because you're changing something that's been in place for a long time. And so it sounds good. I'd love to receive some extra money. That would be awesome. But thankfully I'm not the one in charge trying to figure out exactly how to do that.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much.
THE MODERATOR: We're joined by Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski as well as student-athletes Marvin Bagley and Grayson Allen. Questions for the student-athletes?
Q. Grayson, what's the biggest difference between their zone and your zone?
GRAYSON ALLEN: A lot of times you'll see when the ball goes into the middle against them their center steps up. A lot of times there's two (indiscernible) stepping up to take the ball in the middle, whereas we try to keep our big to protect the rim and have another guy come to contest the shot in the middle or challenge the ball, try to make them uncomfortable then.
Q. Does it help you offensively going up against the zone, the fact that you now play it?
MARVIN BAGLEY III: I mean, I don't think it really has anything to do with our offense. We've moved the ball pretty well lately. It's going around to everybody, everybody's touching it, everybody's involved in the game. So I think if we continue to do that then we can have great success throughout the rest of the tournament.
GRAYSON ALLEN: I think it might help a little bit, just because we know movements and positionings. But at the same time Syracuse's zone is different. For the majority of the year you go up to man-to-man teams. So you don't prepare; you don't have game preparation to go against the zone every day.
We have preparation to play a zone against everybody, obviously, but as far as trying to execute against the zone and the zone that's as long as Syracuse is, it's difficult to actually prepare for that.
Q. Grayson, you were the 2015 championship team, obviously had a great senior leadership back with Cook. You being a senior on this team with so many freshmen like Marvin, have you tried to take on a leadership role and be a leader for those freshman?
GRAYSON ALLEN: Yeah, I'm the leader of the team right now, and as the captain that's what I'm trying to do, trying to prepare them, trying to lead them in the right direction. And at this point in the season it's really cool how we've come together. And the guys are listening to me out there on the court and in huddles and everything. And they're starting to speak up, too. And we're all listening to each other out there. And we've really come together as a team here.
Q. Marvin, you and Wendell had a pretty good game against Syracuse back in February. How much adjustment do you expect to see Syracuse make against you guys?
MARVIN BAGLEY III: We're expecting to see a completely different team than we played last time. That's something that I've learned throughout the years -- teams that we watch on film, they play completely different when we actually get on the court. And it's kind of like we have to learn how to adjust. And we did a great job throughout the year.
But I think Syracuse is going to be a different team. Last game we both had pretty bad games as teams as a whole, but it should be a great game. And I'm excited to get out there and compete with my teammates and just try to continue to get wins.
Q. Grayson, can you slap the floor while playing zone, and do you miss it?
GRAYSON ALLEN: Yeah, you can definitely slap the floor playing zone. Slapping the floor is all about intensity and getting a stop. I don't know if anyone's seen it yet or seen it in a zone yet. Definitely can, though. It more symbolizes getting a stop than it does man-to-man defense.
Q. Grayson, there's been a lot of talk about just player compensation and the potential of college players getting paid. Where do you stand on the viability of that?
GRAYSON ALLEN: I'm here, so I've been pretty happy with my four years of college. It's been awesome. It would be really tough because you're changing something that's been in place for a long time. And so it sounds good. I'd love to receive some extra money. That would be awesome. But thankfully I'm not the one in charge trying to figure out exactly how to do that.
THE MODERATOR: Thank you very much.
