After replacing the great coach Mike Krzyzewski, Jon Scheyer is currently in his fourth season as head coach of the Duke Blue Devils men’s basketball program.
Every year since he took over as Duke’s head coach, the program has become better. The Blue Devils lost in the second round of the NCAA Tournament during Scheyer’s rookie campaign. Duke was just one foul away from making it to the National Championship game the previous season.
With a 29-2 overall record and a 17-1 Atlantic Coast Conference record this season, Duke is rated #1 in the Associated Press poll. Seth Trimble’s last-second three-pointer against the North Carolina Tar Heels was the Blue Devils’ lone conference defeat.
Scheyer promptly replenished the squad after losing players like Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel to the NBA Draft. While returning players like Isaiah Evans, Patrick Ngongba II, and Caleb Foster helped keep the roster consistent, freshmen Cameron Boozer and Dame Sarr took on significant roles.
Dick Vitale Gives High Praise
In advance of March Madness, renowned college basketball pundit Dick Vitale recently posted his list of four “future coaching giants” on social media. Scheyer was listed with Dusty May of the Michigan Wolverines, Todd Golden of the Florida Gators, and Tommy Lloyd of the Arizona Wildcats.
Lloyd is the head coach with the longest tenure among those four. Golden, who guided Florida to victory over the Houston Cougars men’s basketball team previous season, is the only one who has already won a National Championship.
Duke Moving Forward
Duke is the top seed going into the 2017 ACC Tournament. Even though the Blue Devils are still unquestionably the greatest team in the ACC, injuries have become an issue at a crucial juncture in the season.
Patrick Ngongba was sidelined due to a foot injury prior to Duke’s most recent game versus North Carolina. Caleb Foster also sustained a foot injury during the game. He went to the locker room for a while before coming back to the bench with a protective boot on.
Despite defeating North Carolina, Duke’s depth could be severely impacted by losing both Foster and Ngongba. It will be more challenging for Duke to win the ACC Tournament again without them.
Even after Krzyzewski’s retirement, Scheyer has swiftly demonstrated that Duke is still among the top collegiate basketball programs. The Blue Devils have established themselves as one of the favorites to win the National Championship thanks to their strong lineup and top national ranking.
However, Duke’s ability to progress in March may be significantly impacted by injuries. Scheyer might have a chance to lead Duke to its next national championship if the Blue Devils can recover their health and continue to play at the caliber that earned them the top spot.
