Danowski on making it to championship weekend for an NCAA-record seventh straight year:

“You really don’t think about the other years. You just think abut this year and how it’s really exciting for this particular group of young men. When we were 2-4 in late February, this was not even a discussion in late. It was about showing up to work every day and living one day at a time, which is really not a bad way to live.”

Danowski on the evolution of his team:

“We weren’t really good early in the year. We were playing some dynamite opponents, so certainly they were better than us, but we practiced well. Even though we were losing, we were still practicing well giving. We gave some great effort and the hope was eventually that things would fall into place. And that’s the beauty of sports—you can never be sure.”

Danowski on Cornell attack Rob Pannell, a four-time All-American and finalist for the Tewaaraton Trophy:

“What happens is that sometimes everyone focuses on the star player, but you don’t get 53 assists if your teammates don’t catch the ball and put it in the back of the goal. It’s always a team effort. People have to get out of that star player’s way, they have to catch the ball from him and set him up and work with him, so [Cornell] is a lot more than just a star. And that’s the danger in playing teams who have big players is falling into that trap.”

Danowski on how Duke can reach the championship game, against either Denver or Syracuse:

“You have to be yourself.  At this time of year, you’ve been practicing since September so if you decide you have to change things that’s probably not going to be successful. You have to be you. You have to come out here and be relaxed. The hope is that during these last Final Fours the guys have gained some experience so they wont be overwhelmed. Last week we played in Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis so perhaps we won’t be overwhelmed [in Lincoln Financial Field] and just be ourselves.”

Junior faceoff specialist Brendan Fowler on being only 12 victories away from holding the NCAA single-season record for faceoff wins:

“The only thing on my mind this weekend is winning. It would be cool to get the record, but really our main focus is winning this game and getting to Monday.”

Fowler on reaching his third Final Four in as many years on the team:

“It’s pretty cool. I actually had a broken collarbone last year so I didn’t get a chance to play, but I’m really happy and excited to be back here and play again. [Cornell] has a really good faceoff team. It’ll be a scrappy game.”

Senior midfielder David Lawson on being named first-team All-America Thursday morning:

“It’s an honor and I’m really excited about it.  But our focus this weekend is winning and [the other six All-Americans and I] will enjoy all that in a couple of days.”

Lawson on his offensive approach after scoring a career-high five goals in the quarterfinals against Notre Dame:

“I’m going to take the confidence I got from scoring those goals and bring it to this game.  I’ll keep shooting and play confidently. I’m going to do whatever it takes. Whether they slide to me and I have to move the ball or whether I get a bunch of shots again, it really depends how they play me, but I’m going to do whatever it takes.”

Goaltender Dan Wigrizer on not being able to play during Final Four weekend to close out his senior season:

“There are two sides to it. It’s very tough not being able to participate in the actual game in front of everybody in Philadelphia, but this week I still got the feeling if being part of the team and still get the essence of being able to help out the goalies and help out [starting goaltender] Kyle [Turri]. This week I put in a ton of work to help scout Cornell and help Kyle out so I still feel very much a part of it. While I’d like to be out there, Kyle’s an unbelievable goalie.”

Wigrizer on being a Philadelphia native playing at home to end his lacrosse career:

“This is my fourth straight Final Four in the city where I grew up playing lacrosse—I could not ask for a better way to end my career. To be home and to potentially win a championship in front of the home crowd and the people that taught me to play lacrosse, the people who have been supportive of me since fifteen years ago when I started playing—being able to finish in front of them is the best experience I could possibly dream of.”

Sophomore goaltender Kyle Turri on his first Final Four as a starter:

“It’s pretty exciting. I’m really looking forward to it. It’s going to be an awesome game. Just the amount of work we’ve put in to get here a seventh time is incredible and hopefully this year we’ll have a better result. We’re just going to play our game defensively and be really aggressive.”

Freshman attack Case Matheis on Duke’s game plan:

“We just have to do what we do in practices, which is just making the right choices, getting involved with good passes, and listening to what our coach teaches us. If we do that, we should be fine.”

Freshman midfielder Myles Jones on his first Final Four:

“For previous Final Fours, I’ve been sitting on the couch watching the game. It’s cool to just be on the field and have the next generation of lacrosse players watching us play now.  It’s a great feeling.”

Jones on Duke’s offensive approach:

“Our game plan usually works every week in and week out so we stick to it. We need to execute well and execute the opportunities [Cornell] provides for us. If we capitalize, we’ll be in good shape.”

Cornell attack Rob Pannell on facing Duke’s defense:

“We don’t really have any specific approach for Duke. We’ve been successful these last couple of weeks in playing within our system and trusting the guys around us in the field. Duke’s very athletic defensively, but if we can maintain the offense we’ve been playing these last couple of weeks and create scoring opportunities we can find success.”

Pannell on being eight points away from breaking the NCAA all-time points record, which is currently held by Duke assistant coach Matt Danowski:

“The most important thing is getting the win, but everyone’s asking about the record so I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t on my mind. I think it’s pretty unique that Matt Danowski would be on the sideline coaching [if I were to break it against Duke]. Nobody wants their record broken. During the game it’s not going to be on my mind at all—the most important thing is to win the game—but it would be pretty special to break the record.”

Cornell goaltender A.J. Fiore on Duke’s offense:

“We’ve watched a lot of film on them—they’re probably one of the most athletic offenses we’ve faced all season. We just have to stick to our game plan. We have to play confidently and really communicate with each other and we’ll be fine.  I think Duke brings a lot to the table—they have a lot of midfield lines they can run consistently, but as long as we play our game we’ll be alright.”

Cornell faceoff specialist Doug Tesoriero on facing Fowler:

“I’ve never gone against Fowler before but he’s doing great. He’s a first-team All-American so congratulations to him, and he’s another Long Island boy so its good to see Long Island kids having success at the faceoff X. I’m excited to go against him, we matchup well and it’ll be an exciting game tomorrow.”

Kelly announced via Twitter Thursday evening that he and his long-time girlfriend, Lindsay Cowher, were engaged to be married, posting a picture of Cowher’s engagement ring.

The love of my life @lindsaycowhersaid yes! #sohappy #blessed twitter.com/RyanKelly34/st…

— Ryan Kelly (@RyanKelly34) May 23, 2013

Cowher, the daughter of former Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Bill Cowher, played one year of basketball at Wofford before transferring to Elon, where she did not play.

The White Raven has not set a wedding date as of yet, but a number of his Blue Devil teammates have tweeted out their congratulations in response to the big news.

Congrats to @ryankelly34 and @lindsaycowher!! Couldn’t be happier for the two of you!!!

— Todd A Zaf (@TdotZaf) May 23, 2013

My bro Ryan is engaged man! So happy for him!

— Josh Hairston (@jhairston15) May 23, 2013

@lindsaycowher congratulations , so happy for you guys , and wherever it is I’m coming!

— mason plumlee (@masonplumlee) May 23, 2013

Earlier this season, Krzyzewski raised the issue when examining the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

““For years, Duke and other ACC schools have benefited from scheduling strong national opponents. Certainly, college sports are based on tradition. We have to be careful not to lose that.””

After Duke’s loss to Maryland in College Park Feb. 16, Krzyzewski addressed his team’s relationship with the Terrapins, who had recently announced they would depart for the Big Ten for the 2014-15 academic year.

“”I have a great deal of respect for Maryland. If it was such a rivalry, they’d still be in the ACC. Obviously they don’t think it’s that important, or they wouldn’t be in the Big Ten. I respect their basketball program and the job their coaches have done and their players have done over the years. We’ve had some great games with them, but we have great games against a lot of people. A lot of people want to beat us, and they’re one of them.”

But at the end of his press conference Thursday morning to announce he would return as the head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team through the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Krzyzewski closed his press conference with an odd change of heart. The Hall of Fame coach expressed his excitement for the future of the ACC, despite its recent expansion and realignment.

“I love what’s happening with our conference. We’re going to be a 10-bid conference. We’re going to be the best conference in the history of the game. It’s exciting to be a part of that.”

Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame are all slated to join the ACC July 1. The Orange and Panthers will join as full members, and the Fighting Irish will become members in all sports except football.

Mike Krzyzewski will coach the US Men’s National Team through the 2016 Olympics (Photo by Elysia Su/The Chronicle)

This morning, USA Basketball Chairman Jerry Colangelo announced that Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski would return as the head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team through the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Here are some reactions from a number of NBA players on the Blue Devil head coach spending four more years at the helm of Team USA.

Miami Heat forward LeBron James, bronze medalist at the 2006 FIBA World Championship and gold medalist at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games:

“I think it’s great. What he means to USA Basketball is beyond just what we do on the court, it’s what we stand for as Americans in being proud to wear the Red, White and Blue every time we step on the bus, at practice, or talk to the media or whatever the case may be. So I think it’s great.

I have the utmost respect and trust in coach K. Whatever his decision was going to be, I think we would all support him.

It would be great [to play in 2016]. First I have to make sure I stay healthy. If I’m fortunate enough to stay healthy, I would love to represent my country again.”

Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant, gold medalist and MVP at the 2010 FIBA World Championship and gold medalist at the 2012 Olympic Games:

“Playing for Coach K in 2010 and 2012 was an amazing experience. he’s a great coach, and USA Basketball is blessed to have him. He coaches with great passion, but always keeps us calm, and makes sure we are prepared for our opponents. I greatly respect his leadership, and always want to go out and play hard for him.”

(Photo by Elysia Su/The Chronicle)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, gold medalist at the 2008 and 2012 Olympic Games:

“The news on Coach K with USA Basketball is great. He is an incredible coach who worked tirelessly to prepare us for different opponents. Even as a veteran, I learned a lot from his leadership. I appreciate all he’s done over the years for USA Basketball, and our country, in this position. I think Team USA is in great hands for the next four years.”

Miami Heat forward Chris Bosh, bronze medalist at the 2006 FIBA World Championship and gold medalist at the 2008 Olympic Games:

“He’s a great coach, one of the best to coach the game. I’m sure the USA Basketball community is very happy to have him back.”

Minnesota Timberwolves center Kevin Love, gold medalist at the 2010 FIBA World Championship and 2012 Olympic Games:

“I think Coach K is an excellent choice. I had a great time playing for him in 2010 and 2012. I have so much respect for him as a man and a coach, and I hope I get to play for him again in the future.”

Los Angeles Clippers guard Chauncey Billups, gold medalist at the 2010 FIBA World Championship and member of the USA Basketball Board of Directors:

“Playing for Coach K was one of the highlights of my career. I learned a great deal from him. We are lucky to have him lead us again.”

President Brodhead and Coach Krzyzewski shake hands during Thursday’s press conference. (Photo by Elysia Su/The Chronicle)

In a press conference this morning at Cameron Indoor Stadium, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski accepted an invitation to return as the head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team through the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Here are some soundbites from the press conference, of Krzyzewski, USA Basketball’s Jerry Colangelo and Duke’s Richard Brodhead.

Jerry Colangelo, USA Basketball Chairman

• “I couldn’t be happier to have Coach K back. I’m kind of old fashioned. I never really accepted the fact that he wasn’t coming back.”
• “I just think it is a perfect fit for him. I think his legacy is very much tied to USA Basketball as it certainly is to Duke University.”
• “I could not have picked a better guy to be in that foxhole with than Coach K.”

Richard Brodhead, Duke University President

• “[Krzyzewski] has unique talents for motivating people, making them want to live up to the very fullest of their potential, and learning and understand how they can do things together that none of them can accomplish on their own.”
• “Duke didn’t lose any of Mike Krzyzewski by having [him] become the coach of the Olympics. I think that [he's] been more into coaching at Duke in [his] Olympic years than [he] ever [was] before.”

Mike Krzyzewski, USA Men’s Basketball Head Coach

• “It’s the ultimate honor, really, to coach our country’s team, and it’s the ultimate honor of a player to play for his country’s team.”
• “When I said I wasn’t going to do it, I felt that I wasn’t going to do it. I felt it gave USA Basketball an opportunity to look at everything. I wanted to still become a part of USA Basketball. That started the discussions of staying involved.”
  

  Mike Krzyzewski will officially return to USA Basketball through the 2016 Olympics in Rio De Janeiro. (Photo by Elysia Su/The Chronicle)

• “We’ll try to do these next four years the way we did the last seven, and that’s to build it with the best players available, try to get as many of the best players as we can. They’re the ones who make an amazing commitment.”
• “I got better [as a coach from coaching the Olympics].”
• “It really doesn’t take that much time away during recruitment. Most of this stuff is done during August, which is not a time you’re allowed to be out.”
• “I think [my involvement with the Olympics] has only helped our program.”
• “I don’t think anybody should coach the [Olympic] team unless their coaching [somewhere else]. In other words, you have to stay sharp, so I’m coaching in the best league against the best competition, the best players, that I can.”
• “I don’t see an end [to my coaching at Duke] and obviously I’m not going to end before the Olympics.”
• “Our team next year for Duke is very athletic. It will mirror some of the things that were some of the things we’ve done for the Olympics, where you’d have guys with multiple positions. We’re still trying to get a waiver for LeBron [James] and Kobe [Bryant] to come back and use their college eligibility.”

Coach K led Team USA to gold medals in 2008 (Beijing) and 2012 (London) but had said the London Olympics would be his last as head coach. Krzyzewski brought back life to the program that finished with a disappointing bronze at the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

He has a 62-1 record with the Americans and will now lead the team to both the 2016 Olympics and the 2014 FIBA World Championships in Spain.

The World Championships will be a particularly tough test because the Americans typically do not have their full A-squad for the World Championships while they will be playing a tough Spanish team on their home turf.

Rising sophomore Rasheed Sulaimon has been invited to try out for the USA U19 World Championship Team.

Of the players selected to try out, 12 will be selected to represent the United States at the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship in Prague. Sulaimon was an All-ACC Freshman team selection and started 33 games as a freshman for the Blue Devils. The Houston native averaged 11.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.

Other ACC players invited to the training camp include Robert Carter and Marcus Georges-Hunt from Georgia Tech, Devin Thomas from Wake Forest and Virginia’s Mike Tobey.

Also competing for spots on the team are Duke 2014 targets Jahlil Okafor and Justise Winslow.

Theo Pinson just announced that he’s a Tar Heel.

— InsideCarolina (@InsideCarolina) May 22, 2013

The 6-foot-6 wing player was said to be debating between North Carolina and Indiana, but was also considering Duke, Louisville and Georgetown. It had been wrongly reported earlier this month that Pinson had dropped the Blue Devils as a potential school, but the story was later recanted.

Pinson joins a talented Tar Heel recruiting class that includes small forward Justin Jackson and combo guard Joel Berry.

Pinson is UNC’s 3rd 2014 commitment. @tpinsonn @jjacks2014 @joelberryii are all ranked in the Top 20.

— InsideCarolina (@InsideCarolina) May 22, 2013

According to Fox Sports’ Evan Daniels, North Carolina is handily leading the 2014 recruiting race.

UNC is currently the only school with multiple top 30 recruits. They are the clear No. 1 recruiting class in 2014 at this point.

— Evan Daniels (@EvanDanielsFOX) May 22, 2013

After securing a commitment from 2014 wing player Grayson Allen last month, Pinson was not a critical recruit for the Blue Devils. Duke’s top 2014 recruits remain Jahlil Okafor and Tyus Jones.

When the NBA playoffs kicked off last month there were 10 former Duke players who were hoping to hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Now that 12 teams have been eliminated, there are just two Blue Devils still hoping to be champions.

Chris Duhon, Mike Dunleavy, Grant Hill, Dahntay Jones, Shavlik Randolph and J.J. Redick all were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs, with Duhon’s Lakers and Dunleavy and Redick’s Bucks swept in four straight games.

In the Conference Semifinals, Bulls teammates Luol Deng and Carlos Boozer were sent home. While Boozer was productive throughout the playoffs, averaging 16.4 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, Deng was on the sidelines for the entirety of the Conference Semifinals due to illness and then complications from a spinal tap.

Miles Plumlee’s Indiana Pacers are still in the playoffs, though Plumlee hasn’t played in any postseason games. Julia May/The Chronicle

With eight Blue Devils down, the only representatives from Duke remaining are rookie Miles Plumlee of the Indiana Pacers and Shane Battier of the reigning champion Miami Heat.

Plumlee’s Pacers won a physical series against the Knicks to earn the right to play the Heat in the Conference Finals, but Plumlee has yet to appear in a single playoff game. He only appeared in 14 games this season for Indiana.

Battier took a much more active role in his team’s road to the Conference Finals, helping the Heat defeat the Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls. Though Battier’s offense has slumped in the playoffs—he’s averaging 5.6 points on lowly 26 percent shooting—he is an invaluable part of the Heat defense. Battier will surely see plenty of Indiana forward and Most Improved Player of the Year Paul George when the Eastern Conference Finals begin Wednesday night.

If the Pacers defy odds and win the NBA championship, Plumlee will become just the third Blue Devil from the Mike Krzyzewski era to win the title, joining Danny Ferry (2003 with the San Antonio Spurs) and Batter, who won last season. Battier, should Miami repeat, will be the first Duke player to win titles in back-to-back seasons.

The Chronicle’s Daniel Carp and Andrew Beaton sat down to discuss how Duke’s roster could shape out without a dominant post player and how that could impact the team’s style of play next season.

Andrew Beaton: Dan, Duke was in on the biggest transfer of the summer and missed out. What was your reaction to the news?

Daniel Carp: This has to be a deflating feeling for Duke. After failing to land a true post player in this year’s recruiting class, the Blue Devils had a chance to land what many believe is the final piece to their championship puzzle. As Duke looks forward to the 2013-14 season, the team is still stocked with young talent but has a lot of questions about its size and physicality in the post.

AB: The three true frontcourt players—Josh Hairston, Marshall Plumlee and Amile Jefferson—have a lot to prove going forward. A proven body up front would’ve been great, no doubt.

But when you look to how next year’s team will play, missing out on a 260-pound forward who doesn’t excel in running the floor isn’t the worst thing in the world.

It may be unconventional, but I think we’ll see lots of lineups next year that won’t include any of those three. Jabari Parker and Rodney Hood may be the two most talented players on next year’s team and are both 6-foot-8. Put them on the floor with Andre Dawkins, Rasheed Sulaimon and Quinn Cook and it’ll be the most exciting show in college basketball. That includes Kansas and Kentucky.

DC: If one thing is for sure, you know that Mike Krzyzewski is familiar with running this system. Tyson Chandler was Coach K’s only true center on the 2012 Olympic team, and that team was a prime example of a squad that played to its own strengths. They ran the floor and utilized their superior athleticism by using Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James at power forward and even center. It was a scheme that gave opposing defenses nightmares.

It is likely that Coach K will model this year’s team after that system. By no means are Parker and Hood true, back to the basket post players. But players that talented will create matchup problems regardless of their size.

Luckily for Duke, the ACC has seen somewhat of an exodus in terms of its dominant big men this season—no more Alex Len at Maryland, no more Kenny Kadji or Reggie Johnson at Miami, no more CJ Leslie or Richard Howell at N.C. State. If the Blue Devils can take consolation in one thing, it is that although they are getting smaller, so is everyone else.

AB: And this makes no mention of Alex Murphy who is also a wing-forward who has size and has put on muscle during his two years at Duke. Incoming freshman Semi Ojeleye is a physical specimen as well.

That brings up another reason why it’s OK to have missed out on Black: this team already has 12 players who expect to be getting minutes on next year’s team. Parker is the only incoming freshman that will be a shoe-in for playing time, but Matt Jones and Ojeleye are top recruits too. Then there’s Murphy, Tyler Thornton, Dawkins and a number of other guys who can rotate in and out. Lots of mouths to feed next year for Chef Krzyzewski.

The team may be small, but it has the depth and talent to run-n-gun.