Jack White: We're Trying to Make a Statement

Duke faces No. 11 Louisville after getting upset by Clemson

Duke faces No. 11 Louisville on Saturday night in Cameron in a high-profile ACC showdown that has brought ESPN College Gameday to town.

Senior captain Jack White thinks Duke’s freshmen will be ready for the big stage, however.

“(The freshmen need to) just be themselves,” White said. “I think we have guys that are really comfortable with what they can do and know they can contribute to us winning. Just be themselves, play their role compete hard. If they compete they’re going to get noticed. We’ve already proved that we can compete on big stages like Madison Square Garden (where Duke opened the season with a win over Kansas) and at Michigan State (a 12-point Duke win). The pressure of Gameday and this particular matchup could put guys on their back foot. We need them to come in and be themselves. Be hungry. Play hard, talk, all the things we can control.”

Last season, Duke got knocked back by the Cardinals in Louisville, trailing by as much as 23 before storming back for a comeback win. White knows Louisville will remember that tough loss, but Duke has scores to settle as well.

“Just for us to have that character – obviously being down at their place, it’s obviously an incredible comeback,” he said. “We know that left a foul taste in their mouth and they’re going to come in here and really try and make a statement with us. For us, coming off a loss, we’re trying to make a statement ourselves. If anything from what last year’s game shows us, it’s we have the ability to fight back and we can’t be counted out of games.”