Trevor Keels, Paolo Banchero discuss what the Duke brotherhood means to them

Paolo Banchero and Trevor Keels‘ freshman season at Duke came to an end Saturday night after falling to rival North Carolina in the Final Four 81-77. Both expressed their love and joy for the Blue Devils program and took a look back at what the last nine months being a part of one of the most storied programs in college basketball had meant to them.

“Brotherhood, I mean, it’s a family. It’s always been my dream to play for Duke since I was a little kid watching it on TV,” Keels said. “And when I got the offer and I committed, I was all in. I knew it was a brotherhood. But I didn’t know it was this type of level. Like everybody’s family. Everybody wants what’s best for each other. Everybody loves each other. And it’s probably the best group I’ve ever played with.

“Every day they all talk to me, tell me, give me motivation, held me responsible for everything. And I’m happy that I played with them. And I’m happy I was able to come here and play with this group. I can’t ask for nothing else.”

The Duke brotherhood is a relationship forged by bond, not blood, but it runs just as deep. It represents unity and togetherness.

The fact that head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s career was coming to a close regardless of how Duke’s season ended, it added a bit more pressure with how the Blue Devils closed out the season. With Coach K not having to keep tabs on recruiting and other typical outside interferences every coach faces, Krzyzewski was able to be all in on this team and his players felt it.

“Yeah, it’s much more than just a saying. That’s what I learned,” Banchero said. “Just coming here, being from the Seattle, the West Coast, far from home, these guys embraced me from day one. And Coach, recruiting me, he lived up to everything he told me.

“It made me a better player. Made me a better man. And I thank him for that. And I’m just proud to have played with this group. We gave it our all, and it sucks we came up short, but I’m proud of the effort that we put in and the way we went out.”

With the Blue Devils’ season, Krzyzewski’s career coming to an end and the likeliness both Banchero and Keels ultimately declare for the 2022 NBA Draft being as high as it is, the Duke brotherhood will always be the one constant as everyone heads their separate ways this offseason.