The Duke Blue Devils’ NCAA Tournament defeat was devastating for a squad that was supposed to make it to the Final Four. Jon Scheyer’s postgame remarks revealed everything about the atmosphere in the locker room, even though UConn played their hand flawlessly and won 74-73 to stay alive and advance.
This was a predicted strike that would hurt for days to come. But Duke will see the bright side of this and return stronger. There was nothing from the past that could be compared to the moment when Huskies player Braylon Mullins made his 3-pointer with less than a second remaining on the clock. Scheyer undoubtedly struggled to articulate his feelings because of this.
“I’m at a loss for words,” Scheyer said to Tracy Wolfson, a CBS reporter. I just know that these men don’t deserve that conclusion. I’m at a loss for words because they’ve been amazing this year and don’t deserve the conclusion.”
Scheyer observed as the action shifted from attempting to end the game to frantically defending the perimeter. As a coach, he has never held his current position as a player.
Scheyer continued, “Well, I’ve never been in a locker room like that before with that kind of game,” regarding his remarks to his squad. “These folks have actually accomplished things that have never been done before. We have to go through this together, and you know that the promised land is just an inch away. And we won’t stop now, just as we have done all year.
“In the end, it’s difficult to interpret it. I’m not going to find any significance in it at this time. They’ve practically taken us through everything they’ve accomplished this season, so we’re going to be there for them and support them.”
Duke will return home for the time being to discuss his future plans in Durham. There is a huge need that needs to be addressed because Cam Boozer is probably headed to the NBA. Over the next few months, we’ll see how this develops.
