Coach K on Falling Below .500: This Will Pay Off at Some Point
Duke lost its third straight game, second straight at Cameron and fell below .500 for the first time since 1999 when Notre Dame defeated the Blue Devils 93-89.
Duke shot 52 percent and 45 percent from three, but the Blue Devils couldn’t stop the Irish.
“Mike’s [Brey] team is on such a roll offensively the last couple of weeks,” Mike Krzyzewski said. “They’re really tough to defend. [Cormac] Ryan had a sensational first half and in saying that, I thought it was one of the best offensive games we’ve played. We cared for the ball a lot better and moved it. In these losses, it’s one or two possessions. We haven’t won those possessions. In the last couple of minutes today, we got it to a two-point deficit and we got the ball twice where we had a run-out. We didn’t get a shot. To me, that’s the experience factor. They played hard on the defensive end to get the stop and then to have the poise and get the score. We haven’t been able to make those plays. We’ve been in so many close games and ... the other team made the play because it's a one or two possession game all the time. We just have to keep working. Our kids came ready to play ... they’ve been working. This will pay off at some point if you stay with it. It did in ’82, ’83, ’95, ’96 and in 2006-07. There are times in our program where you learn to appreciate the winning that has come at such a high level and how tough losing is. We as a program need to keep learning that and keep appreciating what it takes to win. You don’t do that by not working hard.”
