Within the afterglow of a 20-point win within the Elite Eight, earlier than his gamers poured blue and white confetti over him, Jon Scheyer shared a second on the court docket along with his spouse, Marcelle, and one in every of their kids, outfitted with noise-canceling headphones.
In simply three years, he had performed it. Scheyer coached Duke again to the Ultimate 4 — this system’s first since some man named Mike Krzyzewski nonetheless patrolled the sidelines.
The overwhelmingly pro-Duke crowd in New Jersey celebrated not solely a group with three NBA lottery picks but additionally a coach who has efficiently prolonged the college’s basketball legacy into the present NIL- and portal-driven period.
Not often does a succession plan go off as seamlessly as Krzyzewski to Scheyer.
“Look, as I used to be going by way of the interview course of, I did my homework,” Scheyer mentioned Saturday evening after Duke defeated Alabama 85-65. “If you take a look at successions, very hardly ever … do folks succeed following — Coach Ok is one in every of one, however following a legendary or an ideal coach.”
I just lately criticized the follow of legendary coaches hand-picking their successors, however Scheyer is the exception that proves the rule. Right here’s the distinction: Coach Ok named him head coach in ready a full yr forward of time as he launched into his farewell tour.
Scheyer, a Krzyzewski pupil who was the Blue Devils’ affiliate head coach for 4 years, credited that yr of preparation and his boss’s “imaginative and prescient” for planning out the long run.
“So clearly there’s a accountability you’re feeling and a delight,” Scheyer mentioned. “However this hasn’t been about outdoors noise for me as a result of it’s simply — I don’t know for those who can ever win. So my power has gone into everyone that’s in our constructing, our group, what we are able to management.”
Is Duke’s Cooper Flagg a generational star? Undoubtedly. However Flagg shot 6-for-16 on Saturday evening, at one level lacking eight pictures out of 9. He didn’t will a mediocre group ahead on his personal.
There was huge enchancment from returning gamers like Tyrese Proctor, who scored 17 factors, and Caleb Foster, who had 5 factors and three assists in key reserve minutes. Each had been a part of Duke’s Elite Eight loss to North Carolina State final March.
“We’ve been by way of a lot collectively, and I don’t assume I may put into phrases the feelings that we had collectively,” Proctor mentioned of his coach. “Final yr clearly the best way it ended wasn’t how we needed. And simply having the belief in him and him placing all his belief in me, simply having the ability to lead these guys has been big.”
The final level is the obvious: The Blue Devils took an Alabama group that made an NCAA Event-record 25 3-pointers within the earlier spherical vs. BYU and neutralized that assault, permitting simply 8 of 32. They held Alabama scoreless for five:16 down the stretch. Such stringent protection — a energy all yr lengthy — is reflective of a well-coached group.
There’s simply no weak point right here. We throw that evaluation round so much within the media, nevertheless it’s hardly ever warranted. To get this dominant, the teaching have to be elite, regardless of your blue-blood standing or what number of NBA stars you’ve bought.
Scheyer reached a Ultimate 4 as a participant at Duke. He made it once more whereas on Krzyzewski’s workers. And subsequent week, he’ll be there as a head coach, deserving each minute of it.
