nated us in every facet of the game. We took a good long look at ourselves after that game, which Coach always does, and decided to make a lot of changes offensively. The main reason we wanted to do that was because we didn’t feel like we were utilizing Kyle to maximize the strengths that he has. From that point on, we were 18-1 with our only loss coming at Maryland. Kyle became that All-American guy, and he was as good as anybody out there down the stretch earning ACC Tournament MVP and Final Four MOP honors. Andre Dawkins… To me, you always see a big improve- ment from freshman to sophomore year in players. Andre helped us this year, and got a taste of what this level is all about and what it takes to be successful. He was primarily a three-point shooting specialist for us and filled that role well. This summer, he has to improve his ball-handling, playmak- ing skills, and defense to add to his sweet shooting stroke. Andre has shown that he has all the tools to be an outstand- ing player for us. He was a big reason we won the ACC Championship Game vs. Georgia Tech, and his two first-half three-pointers vs. Baylor in the Elite Eight were huge. At the end of the day, you can talk about the guys individu-
ally, but we had success because of our great strength as a group. We were a tough and together team, and that comes from the leadership. The culture on your team is created by the players. The coaches can do their best to create a mind- set with the details and the execution, but I’ve always said that the best teams are the ones where the coaches don’t have to worry about effort or enthusiasm. And everyday, our veterans -- Lance, Brian, Jon, Nolan, Kyle -- brought energy
“I just want to be known as a competitor and I want to be known as a winner. This year obviously we have a lot to do, but I want to go out winning and just be known for how I competed. That’s what I’d like to be known for.”
JON SCHEYER, before the start of the season, on how he hoped to be remembered as a Duke player
and enthusiasm in their own ways. If you’re a younger player and you see that, you stick out like a sore thumb if you don’t follow their lead. Because of their attitudes and the way those guys approached the game, the rest of the team just fell in line and that’s what created such an amazing chemistry. That’s why we were the toughest and most together team. We had talent too, and you saw that when you put those things together something amazing can happen. It’s as special a group as I’ve ever coached. I’ve been for-
tunate now to coach two years at Seton Hall and 10 years at Duke, and I’ve never had a team that has had fewer agen- das where all everybody wanted to do was win. I’ve never seen a team that has had such good senior leadership. I’ve never been a part of a team that has been so together, so tough-minded, and so close off the court. The connection between the staff and the players was as good as we’ve ever had. When the last game was over, we were excited as heck that we won the whole thing, but it was bittersweet because it was over. It was the last time that group was going to be together. I don’t know if we’ll ever be able to replicate a team like this with the intangibles that they had. They’ll always have a special place in my heart, that’s for sure.
167 WORTHY CHAMPS
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