NCAA MEN'S BASKETBALL CHAMPIONSHIP: REGIONAL FINAL - ARKANSAS VS DUKE

March 26, 2022

Mike Krzyzewski

Jeremy Roach

Paolo Banchero

Wendell Moore

Mark Williams

A.J. Griffin

Chase Center

Duke Blue Devils

Elite 8 Postgame Media Conference

Duke 78, Arkansas 69

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI: I just feel so good about my guys. In this NCAA Tournament my team has just played such good basketball, and in pressure situations. I mean, they were a close team before the NCAAs, but during these last four games they have been terrific. I'm so proud of you guys and happy for you. You crossed the bridge, man, and we beat an outstanding team.

Arkansas plays outstanding defense. At the start of the game they knocked us back. We responded pretty well. Then in the start of the second half I thought they just took control of the game, and we were not playing well, but they were making us not play well, and got it down to five. At that timeout our guys really got organized offensively. We scored on four or five straight. We hit on a set that gave us some good looks, got the ball to Paolo, and then reversed it after a couple to A.J. and changing the defense helped. From then on we just had control over the game.

For this group to do that in that half because we were not playing well, and we were getting ready to get knocked out, and they the last 12 minutes they didn't get knocked out. They played beautiful basketball. And congratulations to Arkansas on an outstanding game.

Let's go New Orleans.

Q. This is for Paolo. Out of that timeout it seemed like they really wanted to work you against Toney. What was it about that match-up that worked so well, and can you explain how you were able to draw two fouls on him fading back? What was it about what you were doing that got him that off balance?

PAOLO BANCHERO: I was just trying to take my shots and make strong moves. He was playing solid defense, and I drew two fouls up top on jump shots, but, yeah, I just wanted to be aggressive, and I wanted to get to the line and convert. We needed a boost. I think they cut the lead to five or six, so wanted make aggressive moves to the basket and either score or get fouled.

Q. Paolo, I don't know if you could draw up a cooler freshman season. You got Coach K's last year. You're going to the Final Four. Just tell me about this ride you've been on and how you feel about getting to New Orleans as a freshman for this opportunity.

PAOLO BANCHERO: It's just been a great year with the team, and as a team we've had highs and lows, and we've just stuck together through it all.

We knew we were capable of this, and that's what we've worked for since June. So to finally be able to get to New Orleans and have a chance to play for a national championship is a blessing. I'm just proud of the way we came together.

Q. Sort of a two-parter. One, I wanted to ask you about the Euro step in the first half, and also, in the second half you were able to stay down. Notae was really having trouble with your length. How essential was that for you guys and maintaining that lead down the second half?

MARK WILLIAMS: I think going zone helped. I think it gave them a different look, slowed them up a little bit. Obviously, he was trying to get downhill a lot, so I tried my best to protect the rim. I thought that was important for us. I just tried to do that.

And then as far as the Euro step, it just happened. Didn't really think too much. Just made a move and finished the jump.

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI: One thing with the zone, we've just put Mark right in front of the bucket, so he didn't have to defend the ball screen and then come back there. So it gave him even -- look, he was the player. I mean, all these guys played well, but Mark really was the difference maker for us today.

Q. Coach, congrats on a big win and a great career. Just keep it short. This team, obviously, a lot of chemistry coming on late. Where does it rank for you? You've had so many incredible ones. Can you put it up there amongst some of the best teams you've ever coached?

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI: I could and then get those teams mad at me. So just like I don't rate my daughters or my grandchildren, I'm not going to rate -- I'm not going to do that, but obviously, this is one of 13 that have gone to a Final Four, so they're right up there.

Q. This question is for Paolo. You talked a lot about having your family and friends here to watch you over the past few days. Is there a moment that stands out that was special to you? I saw you maybe looking at some people when you cut your part of the net. Is there anything that sticks out?

PAOLO BANCHERO: Yeah. I did that specifically because, just a little quick story. My mom won a state championship as a coach, and she got to go up on the ladder and cut the net, and I remember her swinging the net around and being I always wanted do that. Then I won state in high school, and they lowered the hoop to cut the net. They didn't bring the ladder, and so it kind of ruined the moment a little bit. So when I got the ladder, I made sure I looked up and there tell my mom, make sure you get this on video and get a picture. Yeah.

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI: That was good. That's really good.

Q. Wendell, what does it mean to you? What was the celebration like? What was going through your head, and just what does it mean to you to be still playing?

WENDELL MOORE JR: For me it means everything. I preach it all week, but for me it's been a three-year wait. You come to Duke looking to get to moments like this, and unfortunately for me those first two years that moment was taken away. So to be able to do it with these guys right here, I wouldn't want it any other way. This moment right here is definitely pretty special to me.

Q. It seems like throughout this tournament you guys have just been on this journey of growth. I wonder if there's been a specific moment where you felt like your confidence and your dreams can really just become a reality soon here?

A.J. GRIFFIN: You know, we never doubted as a team, a young team too. Just we knew what we were capable of, and we just wanted to show the world. We got hungry guys and like I said, we just want to show the world, and we knew what we were capable of.

Q. Jeremy, Wendell talked about his three-year wait. It's been a two-year wait for you, and last year was a tough year for everybody. Can you give your emotions on what you guys accomplished tonight after what you have been through?

JEREMY ROACH: Definitely high emotions. Obviously, last year didn't go as we planned it, but this year we came back hungry. I think just getting to this point, all the hard work has paid off since June, since obviously last year too, and it's just paid off. I'm very happy for that.

Q. Mark or Wendell maybe, obviously you saw Paolo's skill from the start, but I'm curious if there's any moment in this game, in this tournament, or all season where you sort of saw him come of age and show poise and leadership and maybe take that next step to where he is now?

MARK WILLIAMS: I mean, I've seen it all year. Obviously, he is a great player, and we've seen that since the beginning of the year. We all know what he is capable of doing every time he steps on the floor. He makes everybody better, and playing with a guy like that, it always makes it a little more fun, yeah, so ...

Q. For you guys other than Mark, what's it like having him back there defensively, and how does it impact your own defense and aggressiveness?

JEREMY ROACH: Talking about Big Mark right here? (Laughing) my fault. His presence back there is why we're one of the top defensive teams in the country. When guys go to the paint, you know he is there to either contest the shot or beat it off the glass.

He is a hell of a defensive player. Love having him on the court. Makes it so much easier for the guards to really try to pressure the ball. So they really don't have to worry if a guy gets past you, you know big fellow is always back there to back you up. He is a huge part of this team. We wouldn't be here without him.

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI: His defensive rebounding is one of the biggest one or two things in this game. He had nine defensive rebounds, and that's a possession time and if you score, a stop and a score, and we needed that. His defensive rebounding along with the blocks, huge.

Q. For Paolo, the other day you said that it's been the plan all along to send off coach as a champion. How confident are you that's going to happen, and do you feel any different after tonight?

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI: We've already been two champions, so they've fulfilled everything. Let's not talk about me --

PAOLO BANCHERO: One game at a time.

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI: -- talk about them. They've won a regular season championship and they've won the western regional championship. They did that. They did it for us, and enough about doing it for the old man here. We're not going to do it unless we all own it, and we all owned this. We all owned this moment together. That's what we're playing for.

Q. I hope this question doesn't get me in any trouble.

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI: You're close.

Q. I'm really putting my neck out on this one. You guys --

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI: You already asked just a mediocre one. Hopefully it's up. (Laughter).

Q. You guys are on the same side of the bracket as the team eight miles up the road. Is there any chance that you guys would silently root for them tomorrow, so that you can get another shot at them?

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI: You know what, it's going to be an honor for us to go against whoever is the regional champion of that region, and there's no greater day in college basketball than when those four regional champions, four champions, get under one in one arena and play. It's the greatest day for college basketball, and we're honored to be a part of it. We already know Villanova is there. Hopefully Moore is not hurt as bad as it looks like he is hurt, and then whoever wins tomorrow, it will be an honor if we ever get a chance to play them.

That's it for you. (Laughter). You lose your allowance, and you can't go out tomorrow night, all right?

Q. I'm going to try not to get in trouble here.

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI: I'm on a roll here.

Q. Wendell, you guys have talked about this all season. Has it sunk in yet? Are you guys dancing in the locker room? Has it sunk in yet that you're going to have a banner in Cameron?

WENDELL MOORE JR: For sure it's sunk in. The moment after we win the game, it started sinking in. For us that's our second banner we've hung, and the thing is we're not happy about it. For us the job is not finished. We want to hang one more banner. Two more if we get two games. I don't know. We for sure want to hang another banner in there.

We're going take this five-hour trip back to Durham and going to be happy about it, but once we get in to practice tomorrow or the day after, it's time to move on.

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI: Did you have a chance to see your families? Make sure you do that, all right? We've got plenty of time.

Q. I know you've made a concerted effort to make it about the players, and rightfully so, but you did just pass John Wooden 13-12 in Final Four appearances. What does that mean to you?

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI: Well, it's an honor. Coach Wooden, if he kept coaching would probably have 24. This game, I saw something that Bill Self said about the regional championship game, it really is the biggest game a college coach has to coach because it gets you into the promised land. For me to have that I guess it's 17 times now, that's a big-time thing for me. I'm so proud of that, that my teams have put us in that position and that we've won now 13 of them, and whatever happens afterwards happens.

But it's a heck of a thing. We've won a lot in the Tournament, and we've won a lot of games, but Final Fours are big, obviously, then national championships. Like Wendell said, that's what you put banners up for. You don't put a banner up for beating somebody. You put a banner up by beating somebodies, numerous things. That's what we've always tried to do.

Q. Do you think it's true that even with great athletes like these you can't really tell how they're going to respond until they're five down to Michigan State with five minutes to go and when that happened, you learned something significant about them that you didn't know?

MIKE KRZYZEWSKI: Yeah, no question about it. You can only train so much. It's like in the military you can train for combat, but you don't know -- again, I don't need to put it at the level, but you don't know. So along with whatever training you're doing X-and-O-wise, you're hopefully doing character training and hopefully you have recruited character so that you can help train it.

But you really find out about character in those situations. It's not luck. It's them. That's what I'm trying to tell you, it's on them because they're the ones. No matter what you do as a coach, they have to show that level of character, and in this tournament it's really lifted them. They've been beautiful. They've been sensational. And they were really good. I loved them before, but now I respect them so much, how much they've done.

A long time ago I was a player. I didn't do what they just did. And our staff even though they've done it, they did it more as seniors or juniors, and so my staff is so proud of them, you know, Chris, Jon, Nolan, and Amile, because these guys are young. They didn't have somebody who is already gone through a lot kind of leading them. They kind of led one another.

Your question is a great one, and it really smacks of what's happened over these last two weeks. Take notice, that was a good one. You've asked -- I'll say this, over the years you've been really good, but today just so-so. All right? Just so-so, but I still like you a lot. All right. From Cincinnati even, right?

Thank you.