The Story of the 2010 National Champions "When you put so much of yourself into something, it’s really hard when
you’re not doing as well as you thought you would or not succeeding at it," recalls Zoubek. "We learned the hard way," Thomas said. "Losing tough games, losing
three or four in a row and having to figure it out on our own... Our coaches had our backs, but as players you also look to your hero on the floor and we didn’t have that, and it was kind of depressing. We were just in there work- ing as hard as we possibly could and still coming up short." Life as a Duke freshman presents unique challenges.
It takes time to grasp the expectations placed upon a man who wears that blue-and-white uniform, to un- derstand why other fans would celebrate your losses more than their wins, and to adapt to the national spotlight that documents both the wins and the bumps in the road. The Blue Devils had seven more nationally-televised
regular-season games than any school in 2006-07 and four more than any NBA team. People get to know Duke Basketball players, and many fans were expect- ing immediate greatness from a group that needed time to run its own race. The headlines directed at the team in March were at best negative and unpleasant. For Coach K, the Duke hate wasn't new. After you win hundreds of games and dozens of championships, op- posing fans don't rush to send you fruit baskets around the holidays. However, the vitriol was new to most of the 2006-07 Blue Devils, and Coach K was not going to back down or let his group waver. The only punting would be done at Wallace Wade Stadium.
NO PUNTING Coach K, during a four-game losing streak in 2006-07:
“I’ll do whatever I can. I’m not going to punt, let’s put it that way. One thing you have to do when you’re a coach or a player is keep a positive attitude, prepare, fight and attempt to win the next time no matter what. The one thing you can’t do is feel sorry for yourself... We look in their eyes and tell them the truth, which is where we're at right now. Cry. Shed a few tears. Get an IV, and let's go. No excuses and let's go. That's what our program is founded on. That's the only way you can have sustained excellence."
In the late stages of Duke's loss to VCU in the
tournament, Scheyer took an elbow to the face that opened a bloody gash just under his eye. Moments later, Jon and his Devils would be seated in the locker room wanting to fight someone or cry or access that invisibility cloak the world-class scientists at Duke have been working on. But even with the season over, when the prevailing sentiment was to pack quickly and exit the arena ASAP, Coach K and his team dealt with the draining moment constructively, providing support and motivation. "When we lost to VCU my freshman year, in the
locker room we were all crying and pissed off," recalls Lance. "Coach looked at us and told me, Jon, Gerald, and Brian, 'You’re going to win a national champion- ship.' He told us that. And we looked at each other like, 'Come on, we just lost in the first round.'" Jon and several teammates had to stick around for NCAA-mandated drug
testing, a process that can delay teams from leaving by an hour or more. Looking like he had just been roughed up in a featherweight boxing match, the freshman guard was still bleeding and in need of stitches. "I had to get drug tested and stitches around my eye so I ended up being
there for a couple hours," Jon recalls. "The one thing I remember is Coach K and Mrs. K sticking with me there. It was a tough time. I tried to gain strength from that moment. I never wanted to look like that again. It's something that became a driving force for me." The next day, a picture of the bloodied, gaunt, exhausted Scheyer ran in the newspaper and on the Internet, and Associate Head Coach Chris Collins gave Jon a copy. “I wanted him to remember what that felt like,” said Collins. “To see him on the cover of Sports Illustrated with two hands in the air three years later was really cool. That’s what the journey is all about.”
143 WORTHY CHAMPS
TELL THE TRUTH Coach K, shortly after the 2006-07 season:
“You want to say, 'Here are your stats. Here's what you believe. This is the truth. In order to get better, we have to analyze the truth. I'm not against you; I'm for you.' We all have to be on the same page as we move forward. If these are your goals, this is the road map that I think you need to follow. Most people don't get to their destinations not because of a lack of talent, but because they lack a road map and the discipline to stay on the road. So if you want to do that, we'll be Rand McNally.”
On April 10th, 2007, the 2006-07 Blue Devils gathered
for a final time together in Cameron for the annual banquet. Unlike this year's packed banquet, plenty of seats were available in the storied gym. Coach K Court was decorated exquisitely, with tables and chairs covering the floor and video boards surrounding a stage positioned where the scorers’ table usually sits. Flanking the video boards were banners with words -- “integrity,” “account- ability,” “commitment,” and “respect” among them -- rep- resenting some of the team's values from the season. The Duke Basketball squad did not hang any championship banners that year, but did scratch and claw to live up to the program's values. Speaking to the crowd, Coach K insisted that future championships "will be hollow if the pursuit of them is only the championship." He continued, pointing to the words behind him, "The pursuit has to include our values and goals." Coach K spoke to the crowd and his players about the process of becoming a champion, explaining that the majority of the program's most meaningful victo- ries had occurred in the wake of adversity. He thanked the fans in attendance for sticking with the team and guaran- teed that the great times ahead would be more rewarding for those who stayed on board the "Duke train.”
RUN YOUR OWN RACE Coach K, at the 2007 Duke Basketball Banquet:
"The word ‘believe’ is very important to this year's team... For us, we believe in winning championships. The pur- suits of those championships are not easy. The kids who wore our uniform and are in tuxes tonight, their journey hasn't stopped. They're on a continuous journey. Their success will come as a result of this year and everything they learned. We're not off the road. We're right on the road... We are steadfast in our pursuit of our goals and as a result we will be tough, we will be together and we will fight. Just like these kids have done this year. This has been a tough, great year for Duke Basketball... We have kids who don't quit. Our kids don't quit. And I not only believe in the kids that I coach, but I also have faith in them. And faith conquers everything. You have to see your destination. We're on the train with the right people and we're headed in the right direction."
Later that August during an excessively hot and humid
first day of freshman orientation at Duke, the train added a pair of passengers who would play an integral role in reaching the championship destinations Coach K envisioned. About 300 yards from the basketball offices
in the Schwartz-Butters Center, a tall figure approached riding a bike built for a rider about half his size. With legs tucked in like an accordion, Kyle Singler was making his way over to begin the freshman move-in process. As he arrived, a huge grin emerged on his face, sending sweat beads in all directions. Turns out he had purchased the bike at a discount store halfway across town and pedaled the pint-sized two-wheeler all the way back to Duke. It was classic Kyle -- unassuming, adventurous, and daring on a day that is generally nerve-wracking for freshmen and their parents and guard- ians. Moments later, Nolan Smith would pull up in an SUV also flashing his trademark smile. Nolan's gregarious, engaging, thoughtful personality is tailor-made for friend-making (and keeping a locker room at ease), so it was no surprise he had assembled a team to help him with the move into Bassett Dorm on Duke’s all-freshman East Campus. From day one, Kyle and Nolan were ideal additions to the group, bringing a spirit and zest for winning that would help their team triumph in those close
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