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Duke lost 3 freshmen to the 1st round of the NBA draft last June (Tyus Jones/Jahlil Okafor/Justise Winslow), but Coach K has brought in 3 McDonald’s All-Americans to help replace them (Brandon Ingram/Chase Jeter/Luke Kennard). 1 of the 3 captains who will be providing leadership to the new guys is Matt Jones, who knows all about being a McDonald’s All-American. Not only did he receive the award himself in 2013, his sister Jordan earned her own such recognition in 2012. After only starting 1 of his 1st 26 games as a sophomore, he started each of his final 13 games to great effect: he was named to the NCAA South Regional All-Tournament Team and ended up beating Wisconsin in the title game. HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with Matt about playing for Coach K and trying to win another title.
You and your older sister Jordan became the 3rd brother-sister duo to both be named McDonald’s All-Americans: who is the best athlete in the family? It depends what time period you are looking at. When we were growing up I would have said that my sister was the best athlete…but now I think I have her beat!
You play for Coach K: what makes him such a great coach, and what is the most important thing that you ever learned from him? What makes him great is that he understands this era of basketball and he understands players. He knows how to position guys to be successful. 1 thing I have learned from him is to have a sense of urgency in whatever you do, whether it is practice, a game, or something that happens off the court. Whatever you are doing, do it to the best of your ability.
In the 2015 Elite 8 you had 16 PTS (4-7 3PM)/3 STL in a win over Gonzaga in Houston: how big a deal was it to be named to the South Region all-tournament team while playing just a few hours away from your home in DeSoto, TX? It was a great feeling. That was the closest I have played to home since I arrived at Duke. To be able to go back relatively close to home and play the way I did was a special moment and 1 that I will always remember.
You had 3 freshmen selected in the 1st round of the NBA draft (Tyus/Jahlil/Justise): how much pressure is there on you to help be a leader after losing so much talent from last year’s team? My role is to bring energy every day. I know that we have a lot of young guys, so being in my 3rd year and having been through the gauntlet I have to be that emotional leader and set the tone for what Coach K expects from the team.
Coach K has brought in another trio of fabulous freshmen this year (Brandon/Chase/Luke): how have they looked so far? It has been a challenge with 7 newcomers but all our young guys are willing to learn, which is 1 of their best collective attributes. The older guys see that and are willing to help them because ultimately we want them to succeed.
Your non-conference schedule includes games against Kentucky/VCU/Indiana/Utah: which of these game do you feel will present your biggest test? Our non-conference schedule really prepares us for our league. The ACC is definitely a gauntlet so we try to schedule a lot of great teams during non-conference play. For younger guys it is an opportunity to get that high-level experience we need to have when we play in hostile environments.
What are your goals for the upcoming season, and what are your expectations for the upcoming season? Our team goal is to get better every day and try to win another national championship. Everyone who comes to Duke has the goal of winning a title. My personal goal is just to become a better all-around player. I want to come in every day, work to get better, and become a leader on this team.