Tre Jones: We’re in March Now. I Think We Know What March is About

Blue Devils are hungry as tournament season arrives

Tre Jones knows that, at this time of year, a team needs to be hungry, and Duke is starting to feel the pangs.

“I think it’s at a high for us,” he said. “I think that we know what’s at stake now – obviously not just (Saturday) night – but at this point in the year, we’re in March now. I think we know what March is about, what this time of year is about and we’re ready every single game now.”

Jones said the team knows the importance of the rivalry as it prepares for the game.

“I wouldn’t say you would necessarily prepare differently,” he said, “but as far as the team goes, we know that we’re all going to be playing extremely hard [and] the other team will be playing extremely hard, so it’s just one of those games where you’ve got to take it up a notch. Because of the rivalry, there is a little more at stake.”

The team got some time off this week, which helped the Blue Devils recharge.

“I think through the month of February, that’s where last year, I started feeling the season getting longer, just because you’ve never been through a season like that,” he said. “It goes by quick, but at the same time, it’s a long season. So I think through the month of February, that’s when you start maybe not going as hard in practice, maybe going through the motions a little bit. We showed how we loosened up a little bit, but it’s good for us, good for the freshmen for sure to get everyone tightened up and get back on their game.”