Duke Blue Planet BLOG

How is this team different from the 2007-08 Blue Devils squad?
This team has grown a lot, especially with the type of season we had last year.  We really learned a lot from two years ago.  We’ve made some improvements and this year we’re going to do the same.  We’re going to keep getting better.  We’ve gained so much experience.  

Which of your Duke seasons has taught you the most?
My freshman year, you see two guys get their jerseys retired, you finish the year 32-4 and you go to the Sweet 16, you learn something totally and completely different individually and collectively about college, Duke, being away from home.  My whole sophomore year, we had a lot of new guys and last year we were still proving ourselves, still learning about ourselves, still trying to find ourselves.  And it took time.  There are different things you learn about each guy and each experience.  For me, I’ve learned so much in the past three years about Duke and myself, about what I would want to do this year.  And that’s what makes it so exciting, to have another opportunity to use the type of learning experience you have had to try to change those experiences. 

What is the difference between Greg Paulus as a junior and GP as a senior?
This summer, I’ve tried to work on my game, tried to watch as much film as possible, learn about reads, keep learning the game.  I feel like you can never learn enough about the game.  I have taken experiences from the last couple of years and evaluated what I need to improve on.  I’ve hit the weight room, gotten in shape for the season, and worked specifically on conditioning and agility to help build a better foundation defensively as well. 

There seems to be an even greater sense of urgency already with this team than we have seen the past few years.  As senior captain, what have you seen?
I think there is more purpose.  I think guys understand the importance of the little things that we need to be successful.  We need to do it now.  There’s not another 2-3 years that we get to be together.  We want to do it and we want to do it now.  

Has the Duke coaching staff’s Olympic experience impacted this team?
I think our coaching staff has done a great job trying to convey lessons and share stories from Team USA.  I definitely think that the Olympic experience has helped, it’s definitely made them even better coaches, and they definitely did a great job representing the USA.  

We saw a different side of Coach K this summer at the Olympics than maybe what ESPN and Fox Sports show during the Duke season.  How would you describe Coach K now that you have been around him for four years?
Having the type of relationship that I have with Coach K, I’ve been really blessed and fortunate.  As you spend more time here, you really learn that he’s a family man, he wants us to do well off the court, in the classroom.  He stresses all the little things, not just basketball, basketball, basketball.  He’s always teaching us different life lessons.  I’ve always said that he’s a better person than he is coach and he’s a pretty damn good coach.  All of his players are very lucky to have the opportunity to play for him.  You dream of the opportunity to be a part of a program like this.   

How do you compare Coach K as the person you expected him to be to the person that he actually is? 
I knew he was very demanding.  I knew he had a lot of expectations and standards that are so high.  To get a feel and to be a part of that every day, my habits just weren’t the way they are coming out of high school.  When I was a freshman, I’d play one good game and I’d feel very good about myself.  One of the things that I learned very quickly was that Coach brings it every day… the older guys bring it every day.  Watching guys like J.J. and Shelden my freshman year, they brought it every day here to practice and that’s what makes them so successful.

In Nate and C-Well, you have two guys who have won championships at Duke fairly recently.  What does it mean to the team to have those guys around on a daily basis?

Talk in general about Coach K’s coaching style — What is your take on it now that you have three seasons under your belt?
Coach gives you a lot of freedom.  He gives you a lot of freedom to make plays, to make reads.  Over the last couple of years with the different guys, he has really played on our strengths and showcased what you can do, as well as improve on what you’re not so good at.  The confidence that Coach demonstrates empowers you when you have that freedom.   He loves to push the ball, shoot threes, be aggressive offensively and defensively, and really challenge people.

What has that system taught you?
Playing for Coach and being given the chance to play in this type of system, you get a chance to get up and down the floor and you really learn the game.  It not only prepares you for professional basketball and makes you a better player, but also the culture here can help you throughout your life.

What do you hope to gain from Duke University in your last year on campus?
With one year to go I’m just trying to grasp it all and be a sponge and just try to take it all in.  I know I’m really going to miss this place.  It means a lot to me, I take a great deal of pride in trying to represent Duke the way it should be represented.  This place is special.  When I walked on this campus for the first time and visited, it felt like home.  This place has a warm feeling to it.  It’s got magic, it’s got great people around it.  I just feel like I’m lucky to have the opportunity to experience everything that comes with Duke.  With the professors, the resources, the classmates, the facilities, with everything that comes with basketball, it’s more than I could imagine.