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Jeremy Roach gives take on continuing tradition of slapping the floor vs opponents

Barkley-Truaxby:Barkley Truax•03/26/22•

BarkleyTruax

paolo-banchero-on-jeremy-roach-resolve-breakout-performance-for-duke-ncaa-tournament
Sarah Stier via Getty Images.

Following Duke‘s Sweet 16 win over Texas Tech, Blue Devils guard Jeremy Roach addressed the moment him and his teammates slapped the floor in hopes of willing their team on the floor to victory.

“I think it’s just in the Duke basketball community. It’s been going on for 42 years, however long the GOAT has been here. It’s a staple in the program for sure,” Roach said. “When you see a Duke team slap the floor, you know they’re all locked in, all five guys are locked in on one task and getting that stop. That’s the big thing.”

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, who invented the infamous floor slap, was asked the same question after he knelt down while his team had a 73-68 advantage and slapped the floor, prompting the rest of the players on the team to do the same.

As he took the knee, he called out to his entire team off the floor will a simple battlecry. “Touch the floor, right now.” And they did. Krzyzewski’s squad would take the victory 78-73 over the Red Raiders, and Krzyzewski was a asked the same question as Roach, to which the Hall of Famer responded, “What the hell, why not?”

On the floor against the Red Raiders, Roach played 35 minutes in the win, scoring 15 points off of 7-for-11 shooting from the field. He also added four rebounds and five assists. Roach’s performance came at the right time for Duke, as the Blue Devils were engaged in a tough battle throughout the entirety of the game against Texas Tech.

“We know that’s what he does,” teammate Paolo Banchero said about Roach. “He is comfortable out there all the time, and so when the ball is in his hands, we’re comfortable, and we know it’s — have you ever seen it get taken from him? Exactly. That’s all that needs to be said.”

On the season, Roach has started 25 games in 37 appearances. He’s averaging 8.6 points, 3.1 assists, and 2.4 rebounds while playing an average of 28.7 minutes per game.

Duke will now battle Arkansas in the Elite Eight Saturday night. That game is scheduled to tip off at approximately 8:49 p.m. ET on Saturday, and the winner will advance to the Final Four.