DeMarcus’ expectations entering Duke… It was different from what I expected, definitely. But all for the good I think. As a player you always have high expectations for yourself and you think everything is going to run smooth and its not. You have to prove yourself at every level and that was a learning experience for me. As a student, that was good. It was pretty easy for me with the help of Kenny King (Student Life and Campus Relations Director). He stayed on top of me and we just got the work done.
Why he chose Duke… What brought me here was the confidence that I had that Duke and this area was the best place for me to develop as a person, as a student, and as a player. With the help of the coaching staff, playing under Coach and having the resources here at Duke, I developed a lot as a player and as a student. So, I think our decision was a great decision because I’ve never been someone who thought of themselves just as a basketball player. I tried to make sure that I cover all aspects of life. That’s how my parents raised me. So that was our decision.
DeMarcus’ thoughts on leaving school early for the NBA Draft… Looking back at it now, I’m glad I didn’t because I think the things that I had to accomplish and to get through here have made me better — A better person, a tougher person. A tougher player, a better player. It’s made me a man. I’m a man now instead of being 18-19, and trying to make a jump to the NBA and playing against men. I wasn’t ready for that. You see your peers who did the same thing you were thinking about and you see them doing well and you question whether you should have did it or not, but I think I made the right decision. Everyone runs their own race.
What other Blue Devils have shared about becoming a pro… I talked to Nate, Coach, Grant Hill, Chris Carrawell. Those guys have definitely been talking to me. From the day we lost in the tournament, I have to think of myself as a pro. I have to consider myself as a pro from that day on. For me, I really didn’t have the time to be sad or to sulk because this transition period between our season and the time I have to be ready is quick. I have no rest time. I have to get back on the horse so to speak. I have to get back on and stay in shape and work out. They’re just telling me to make sure I stay in great shape, make sure I’m healthy and have no nagging injuries, and then just be confident. All I have to do is have one team like me. I don’t need a bunch of teams liking me. I just need one team that likes me a lot and wants to invest in me. That’s all I need.
DeMarcus’ best on-court memories… There’s so many of them. I would just say the passion for competition, the grueling workouts we had in the summer time, all the hard days, the two-a-days that we had, all of the preparation for a big-time game. All that stuff, there’s just something about when you invest that much into a season, into a game, and then you go out there in front of the world and you play a big-time game. That’s just a special feeling. Every time we step out on the court in Cameron, the Clemson game, the UNC game, no matter what game it is, our fans make each game special.
DeMarcus’ favorite memories from this past season… I would say for this year, the way we prepared going into Maui, we prepared extremely hard for it. Coach made sure our bodies were great. We had a great week of practice — Very upbeat, very energetic and everyone was together. We went out there and played like we practiced. Everyone was together, it was great. Going over to Carolina, we had the same type of feeling going into that game. We prepared extremely hard for that game. We knew our goals going into that game and we knew all odds were against us, and we were fine with that. That moment where we all have to be together and unite, its almost like an us-against-the-world type of feeling. Everywhere we go, it’s like that. There’s a lot of people who love us but there’s a lot of people who hate us too, and so that feeling really makes us play better. It really drives us to be better every time we play.
DeMarcus’ favorite memories off the court… Off the court, just the friendships, and being around your teammates. It’s a brotherhood. You spend almost every day, all day with these guys working out, eating, relaxing, going to class together. Then around campus you meet different friends and develop friendships here. This is a special place.
What DeMarcus hopes Duke fans and teammates remember about him… I would just hope it’s a legacy of strength and toughness as a player who’s going to go out there and give his heart leading his team to wins by any means necessary. That’s what I tried to do for our team. I had the ability to do multiple things on the court, so I was able to contribute in different games and some games dominate in different ways. If it was defense, scoring, rebounding, stopping someone, assists, whatever I had to do, I did it. Some games we put it all together. So hopefully, I’m remembered as somebody who embraced doing whatever it takes to win.
On playing for Coach K… It was just a great experience for me. Coach is a very smart coach. He knows exactly what he’s doing and he really pushes you to get the best out of you. He’s pushed me extremely hard to get the best out of me and he has. He’s made me a much better player. I’ve learned so much playing under Coach. He prepares. I’m impressed by Coach’s preparation and passion even though he’s already made a name for himself and been so successful. He doesn’t have to do it, but he’s probably still the most passionate guy in our locker room every day. He’s staying up watching films getting us prepared, getting game plans ready. He pours his heart and soul into every day and it rubs off on the team. He’s one of the greatest coaches, college or pro, to ever coach the game.
The impact of his sophomore year ankle injury… It was a very tough time. It was the 5th , 6th game of the season, Madison Square Garden, and it was a freak play. I hurt my ankle and I went down. I got back to the hotel and found out that it was broken. It was late, 2-3:00 AM, and my parents went back to their hotel across town to get their luggage and come back to my room. Coach was up in my room with me while they were gone to make sure I was okay. It was definitely a tough time for me because I prepared very hard for my sophomore season to be the x-factor for our team. I thought our team had a good chance of winning it and I was going to be a part of that. To have that setback, it was hard for me to take. What was so good, the positive thing about that time, was Coach being in there with me. He was trying to stay positive, but looking in his eyes, he was very hurt just like I was. We were both trying to keep from crying or breaking down, and I saw how much he cared. I think that moment that we shared that night really pulled us closer, and it sparked a better relationship and friendship between the two of us.
Coach K’s coaching style… He’s straight to the point, and it’s great because he’s going to tell you the truth. You can rely on him to tell you the truth. If it’s good, he’s going to tell you. And if it’s bad, he’s going to tell you. You still need to hear it and that’s something as a player that you want. You don’t want anyone around you telling you lies or telling you what you want to hear because you’re not going to get better. You’ll get a false sense of security, a false sense of who you are. The way we are here at Duke and the way Coach is, we’re going to tell each other the truth, look each other in the eyes, good or bad, and trust our friendship and relationship that no one is going to take it personally. That’s the type of relationship that I’ve had with my teammates and Coach.
Coach K off the court… He’s a good friend. There hasn’t been a time when I’ve needed him, small or big, that he wasn’t available. He always lends himself to you no matter how busy he is. If he’s out of town and getting off a plane and you need to speak to him, he makes himself available. In some respects, he’s very similar to how my father is. Both of them were very blunt and very honest and once you earned their trust, they would do anything in the world for you.
On his Duke teammates… I say all the teammates I have had have been great guys. No matter what background they came from, they’ve been great guys and great players. One thing about Duke players, no matter where you’re from or how you were raised, you respect other good players and you mesh. Our personalities and our talents meshed together. Coming from a tougher, more inner-city, urban environment, my background is probably a lot different than some of my teammates. But I think Duke was a great decision for me because I got outside of that environment, and tried to expand my life. And Duke is about expanding your potential as a player and expanding your potential as a student. I think it was a great decision.
Earning a Duke degree… It’s going to be a great moment that I’m graduating. My family was talking about that today. It probably hasn’t hit me yet to the level of how big of an accomplishment that is. A lot of people can’t say that they graduated from Duke. A lot of people can’t say that they graduated from college, period. For me to be able to graduate from a place like Duke is a tremendous accomplishment and I’m very proud of that. Very proud of that.
What DeMarcus tells high-schoolers considering Duke… I tell them if you want to become a better player and a better student making new friends while doing it, then this is the place. It’s not going to be given to you. You have to earn it. If you want something just to be given to you or everything just to be laid out, then this isn’t the place for you. As a player, you shouldn’t want to be given something that you haven’t deserved and you haven’t fought for because then it’s not yours. You’re not going to appreciate it as much. That’s the type of environment that has been created here at Duke in the classroom and in basketball — Everything is earned. Your grades are earned. Everything that you do on the court, everything with basketball, is earned too.
On the Duke experience… You become a man here — A well-rounded man who’s ready to deal with life instead of going to a place that’s going to cater to you, tell you you’re great, and give you everything that you want. Everyone that comes here is a great talent from all over the country — And a couple guys, Marty and Olek, come from around the world. The competition level here is great, so you work against the best every day in practice and you’re going to get better. Having that competition, you continue to develop, and it pushes your limits. And like I said, what you do out there is earned and you appreciate it more once you accomplish something. You get the best coaches, playing under Coach, you get the best facilities, the best resources, and then you get the best academics that you can get.
DeMarcus’ closing message to friends and family… I thank my family for sticking with me and giving me the type of support needed to better myself as a player and to make the decision to come here. And I thank my whole Duke family. We’re all a family here now from Coach to the rest of the coaches, to the people behind the scenes that do things around here. Being at Duke has been a blessing and everyone who has been here that I’ve encountered or come across has been a blessing in some type of way. This is home for me. This is a place where I’m going to come back to.
How DeMarcus will remember Duke… I would just say this is home. The fans are great. I love all my coaches here. There’s just so many special moments and memories here that I’m going to cherish — The fans, the people, the teachers. I’ve gotten everything that I could want in a college decision that I could bargain for and more. Everyone’s exceeded what they were supposed to do. And I’m grateful for that.
