It is a dawn of a new era for the Blue Devils as the former player takes over the helm from Mike Krzyzewski.
It is the beginning of a new era for Duke University, and whether people like it or not, there will be changes made with Jon Scheyer taking over the helm.
As written by Sports Illustrated’s Michael Rosenberg, the new head coach is not looking to maintain Mike Krzyzewski’s program—“he is building a new one on top of it.”
“I think that the administration was very curious: Was I just trying to be a Mini Coach K?” Scheyer said to Rosenberg about his interview at Duke. “We’re on the same page, knowing that I need to be different. He doesn’t want me to be him.”
The basketball offices are set to be under construction soon, and it is possible the Blue Devils offense will be as well in the coming months. The recruiting mindset is staying the same; however, Scheyer is keeping an eye out for players similar to him. According to Rosenberg:
“He has continued Duke’s recent philosophy of recruiting a new class of elite athletes every year, but Scheyer is increasing the emphasis on players who have a feel for the game like he did: passers, cutters, guys with court vision, who easily blend with others.”
The former guard helped lead Duke to two ACC championships and the 2010 NCAA title during his playing days from 2007–10. He ended his playing career as the only Blue Devil in school history to tally at least 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, 400 assists, 250 three-point field goals and 200 steals. The two-time team captain still ranks 10th on Duke’s all-time scoring list.
However, the records don't stop there. He is also third in free throws made (608), fourth in free throw percentage (.861) and three-point field goals made (297) and sixth in free throw attempts (706).
Scheyer has played a pivotal role during his time as an assistant or associate head coach with Duke in developing players, mentoring players like Tyus Jones en route to the 2015 national title, Tyus’s brother Tre several years later as he became the 2020 ACC Player of the Year and the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and most recently, working alongside ACC Freshman of the Year Paolo Banchero.
Over the years, different players Scheyer has guided throughout their time in the program have shown glimpses of him during his playing days, tallying numbers that either held a mirror to or eclipsed his own stats.
Growing pains are always a possibility with a new coach taking over, there is a need for Scheyer “to be different,” to be himself.
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For more Duke coverage, go to Blue Devil Country.