The NCAA tournament is about basketball but also so much more: the parents, fans, bands, cheerleaders, etc. The Sweet 16/Elite 8 are taking place in 4 cities around the country and we could not be more excited to be there in person! HoopsHD is covering all the angles so you can look forward to an abundance of access in the days ahead. Jon Teitel continues our coverage from DC with some Duke breakout room interviews.
SR F Maliq Brown
You won 4 high school state titles: what is the key to winning championships? Sticking to your game plan: you must stay present and cannot get too high or too low.
You began your college career at Syracuse: why did you decide to transfer to Duke? Duke was my dream school, so when they called me I could not pass it up. They have taught me how to be better both on and off the court.
Earlier this month you were named ACC defensive POY: what is the secret to playing great defense? UConn has a great big man in Tarris Reed Jr. so we cannot give him any easy catches/touches. I just try to be a pest and make things difficult for my opponent.
Caleb Foster returned from a foot fracture on Friday night to score 11 PTS in 19 minutes off the bench against St. John’s: how did he do it? He told us earlier this month that if we made it to DC then he would give it a shot. He will do anything to help our team win.
Bobby Hurley won back-to-back titles as a player at Duke…but is the brother of your next opponent’s coach: who do you think he will be cheering for on Sunday? He should cheer for his alma mater…but I know that family comes 1st so I am sure that he will have some mixed emotions.
Cameron Boozer had yet another double-double with 22 PTS/10 REB: I know that I should be impressed but he seems to do that every single time he steps onto the court? He is a very smart player who can score/facilitate. Even as a freshman it is crazy to see what he has accomplished this year, and I cannot wait to see what he will do in the future.
What makes Jon Scheyer such a great coach? He has done everything that he said he would do since the time he 1st recruited me out of the transfer portal. Freshmen can have a lot of emotions when they start college, but he is a great role model for young players.
What do you know about UConn, and what will it take to beat them? It is a good matchup: they won back-to-back titles in 2023/2024 so it will be a good challenge for us. If we play our best basketball then we can compete with anybody.
Check back for a lot more access all weekend long!
