- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 415,687
- Reaction score
- 43
SAN ANTONIO — Kon Knueppel calls them “victory scars.”
The bumps, bruises, cuts and scrapes have accumulated since the start of preseason practice for Knueppel and Duke basketball. The Blue Devils (35-3) will likely add a few more of those against Houston (34-4) on Saturday (8:49 p.m., CBS) at the Final Four.
“I’ve got all these scars and everything on my arms,” Knueppel said Friday afternoon inside Duke’s locker room at the Alamodome.
“Those are just victory scars of working hard in a college basketball season.”
ULTIMATE CONNECTOR: Why Sion James is underrated as 'ultimate connector' for Duke basketball vs Houston in Final Four
DUKE-HOUSTON PREDICTION: Duke basketball vs Houston prediction: Our pick for 2025 NCAA Tournament Final Four
Going back to the first practices for Duke, Knueppel said the Blue Devils would go through three “grueling” hours for some sessions, which he said “were always fun.” That’s why, even as a freshman, Knueppel is ready for the challenge of competing against the Cougars, who are known for their culture of consistent physicality and toughness.
“I think it’ll be an absolute battle. I think it’ll be really fun,” Knueppel said. “I like the games that get physical, where you have to muck it up. I think it’s gonna be a really fun game.”
Junior guard Tyrese Proctor is the only returner for Duke who played in the Blue Devils’ 54-51 win against Houston in the Sweet 16 of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. He had 9 points, 4 assists and a career-high 3 steals in 38 minutes in that matchup.
He’s also the only player on the team that scrimmaged Houston ahead of Jon Scheyer’s debut season as head coach.
“I think we got punched in the face many times that day,” Scheyer said of the closed scrimmage against the Cougars in 2022. “We punched back, though. I thought we had a great gauge for how our team was and how we could move forward.”
Fast-forwarding to the summer of 2024, Scheyer assembled a group that includes Cooper Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, as the headliner of another top-ranked recruiting class.
Scheyer surrounded that young talent, along with Proctor and returning guard Caleb Foster, with a trio of veterans — Sion James, Mason Gillis and Maliq Brown — via the transfer portal. Throughout the preseason, Proctor saw the latest group of Blue Devils produce the type of toughness and competitiveness required to compete for a sixth national championship.
“We’ve had some of the most physical practices I’ve been a part of since I’ve been here,” Proctor said.
“I feel like some of them have been harder than some of the games we’ve played. I feel like just setting the tone in practice is a big thing. … We just had no excuses.”
James saw it right away, recalling “how good everyone was” during those early scrimmages.
“The cool part is we didn’t have to do anything special,” James said. “It happened very naturally, kind of was who we were.”
As a 7-foot-2 freshman center, Khaman Maluach has often been a target for experienced players. Houston has one of the best in fifth-year center J’Wan Roberts.
“Since the first practice, I knew I had to stand my ground, be able to play hard and play tough. It was really different for me, because of the physicality and the bumping, running into each other or just running through screens,” Maluach said.
“I knew I had to stand my ground early in the season, especially playing against older, experienced bigs. Just being able to face them and take on the challenge … I just play through it and play through everything.”
Houston is No. 1 in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. Those preseason practices and the “victory scars” along the way have the Blue Devils prepared to handle what the Cougars will bring in the postseason.
“We know it’s gonna be a war on the glass, a war on everything else,” Maluach said. “. … We’re gonna match that energy, too.”
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke basketball carries ‘victory scars’ into Final Four game vs Houston
Continue reading...
The bumps, bruises, cuts and scrapes have accumulated since the start of preseason practice for Knueppel and Duke basketball. The Blue Devils (35-3) will likely add a few more of those against Houston (34-4) on Saturday (8:49 p.m., CBS) at the Final Four.
“I’ve got all these scars and everything on my arms,” Knueppel said Friday afternoon inside Duke’s locker room at the Alamodome.
“Those are just victory scars of working hard in a college basketball season.”
ULTIMATE CONNECTOR: Why Sion James is underrated as 'ultimate connector' for Duke basketball vs Houston in Final Four
DUKE-HOUSTON PREDICTION: Duke basketball vs Houston prediction: Our pick for 2025 NCAA Tournament Final Four
Going back to the first practices for Duke, Knueppel said the Blue Devils would go through three “grueling” hours for some sessions, which he said “were always fun.” That’s why, even as a freshman, Knueppel is ready for the challenge of competing against the Cougars, who are known for their culture of consistent physicality and toughness.
“I think it’ll be an absolute battle. I think it’ll be really fun,” Knueppel said. “I like the games that get physical, where you have to muck it up. I think it’s gonna be a really fun game.”
Junior guard Tyrese Proctor is the only returner for Duke who played in the Blue Devils’ 54-51 win against Houston in the Sweet 16 of the 2024 NCAA Tournament. He had 9 points, 4 assists and a career-high 3 steals in 38 minutes in that matchup.
He’s also the only player on the team that scrimmaged Houston ahead of Jon Scheyer’s debut season as head coach.
“I think we got punched in the face many times that day,” Scheyer said of the closed scrimmage against the Cougars in 2022. “We punched back, though. I thought we had a great gauge for how our team was and how we could move forward.”
Fast-forwarding to the summer of 2024, Scheyer assembled a group that includes Cooper Flagg, the projected No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft, as the headliner of another top-ranked recruiting class.
Scheyer surrounded that young talent, along with Proctor and returning guard Caleb Foster, with a trio of veterans — Sion James, Mason Gillis and Maliq Brown — via the transfer portal. Throughout the preseason, Proctor saw the latest group of Blue Devils produce the type of toughness and competitiveness required to compete for a sixth national championship.
“We’ve had some of the most physical practices I’ve been a part of since I’ve been here,” Proctor said.
“I feel like some of them have been harder than some of the games we’ve played. I feel like just setting the tone in practice is a big thing. … We just had no excuses.”
James saw it right away, recalling “how good everyone was” during those early scrimmages.
“The cool part is we didn’t have to do anything special,” James said. “It happened very naturally, kind of was who we were.”
As a 7-foot-2 freshman center, Khaman Maluach has often been a target for experienced players. Houston has one of the best in fifth-year center J’Wan Roberts.
“Since the first practice, I knew I had to stand my ground, be able to play hard and play tough. It was really different for me, because of the physicality and the bumping, running into each other or just running through screens,” Maluach said.
“I knew I had to stand my ground early in the season, especially playing against older, experienced bigs. Just being able to face them and take on the challenge … I just play through it and play through everything.”
Houston is No. 1 in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom. Those preseason practices and the “victory scars” along the way have the Blue Devils prepared to handle what the Cougars will bring in the postseason.
“We know it’s gonna be a war on the glass, a war on everything else,” Maluach said. “. … We’re gonna match that energy, too.”
Rodd Baxley covers Duke, North Carolina and N.C. State for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow his ACC coverage on X/Twitter or Bluesky: @RoddBaxley. Got questions regarding those teams? Send them to [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke basketball carries ‘victory scars’ into Final Four game vs Houston
Continue reading...
