By: Jeremy Wilson
January 2, 2024
The Blue Devils are heading into the bulk of conference play with a 9-3 record. Arizona, Arkansas and Georgia Tech all got the better of preseason No. 2 Duke — now No. 14. Those three early loses may be exactly what this young, star-studded team needed though. Now, on the heels of a four game winning streak, the Blue Devils are entering the new year playing with verve.
We saw a few "firsts" during the Scheyer Era during non-conference play. From his first home loss as head coach to his first technical foul and 100-point game, this season has already been eventful for the second year front man.
Loss in Cameron
Scheyer and Tommy Lloyd deserve credit for scheduling a heavy-hitter matchup early in the season. It was the second game for both teams. And even though the game was early, tournament seeding is still very much at play with non-conference opponents.
The home-and-home also sets the tone that each program will seek out competitive games early on to help evaluate their strengths and shortcomings. The return of a familiar foe — former Tar Heel Caleb Love — to Cameron Indoor Stadium did not end the way the Crazies had hoped. What resulted was the first loss in Cameron for Scheyer (as head coach) and 11 of the 15 Duke players as well.
There are two sides to the coin of a first loss. The first side stings. Not just because it was the first loss, but the game was within reach.
The other side of the coin causes some questions to surface. Like, is it actually good to get the first loss out of the way? If you’re going to lose one at home, do you want it to happen early so you can shake off the added pressure of defending the "no loss at home ‘yet’ narrative?" Similar to when a player is back from an injury, you don’t want them to reinjure, but you’re also waiting for them to get past that first strong physical play where they get knocked down driving in the lane. Shake that injury off.
The first loss sparked a four-game win span.
The "if you’re winning, then you’re not learning’" adage is perfect here. Players and staff learned from the loss to Arizona. Although Duke's woes in the Arizona game may have cut deeper than we originally thought as Duke continued to struggle offensively.
Simply put, the team’s identity had not been solidified. However, Jeremy Roach proved he can live up to the Duke senior captain legacy as he is shooting 50.9% from the field, 46.2% from beyond the arc and 81.8% from the free throw line while putting up 14.3 points, 3.3 assists, 1.3 steals and just 0.9 turnovers per game. His consistency has stabilized the learning curve for the younger guards and a team that is still figuring out who it is.
Roach's leadership was consistent throughout the first 12 games. He led by example and we saw him become a floor general that is reminiscent of 2014-15 Quinn Cook.
And then there's Kyle Filipowski: 18 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 blocks per game on 51.9% shooting from the field and 72.1% from the free throw line. Defenses put the All-American hopeful into pick-and-roll actions often to try to get him in foul trouble early. While it has worked at times, the sophomore big has done a commendable job as a defender during the first third of the year.
He has been a force and is in the conversation for National Player of the Year. Duke should expect defenses to continue to run plays targeting Flip with the hope of getting him in foul trouble. Eliminating him for any amount of time is a game changer.
100 Point Game
One hundred six, actually. Scheyer coached his first 100-point plus game against Queens to cap off 2023, and once again it was the first time 11 of the 15 players had experienced this at Duke.
It was the perfect way to end non-conference play. The game came after final exams, Christmas trips to see family and practicing with their new found identity. Don't get me wrong, there is still figuring out to be done, but they looked like Duke.
Defensive struggles have seemed like less of a problem as the season presses on. In fact, Duke's defense has been solid. It has held every opponent below their scoring average. Communication and understanding roles has helped the Blue Devils figure it out defensively, and it is beginning to help them find themselves offensively as well.
Posting 106 points showed that the team has progressed in figuring it out on both sides of the ball. Roach is the second leading scorer on the team. But in the 106 point effort against Queens, he only had six points. Yet they still scored 106.
Roach has seemed to take a backseat because Jared McCain has arrived. The freshman guard has scored over 20 points in three of the last four games. He is a problem. We should soon see his name in the conversation for ACC Freshmen of the Year.
It is not just about the points. Roles are being found and established, previously troublesome rotations have changed and the first guy off the bench has changed. Tyrese Proctor came back versus Queens after missing four weeks with an ankle injury sustained at Georgia Tech on Dec. 2. However, in his return, the sophomore point guard came off the bench for the first time this season as freshman Caleb Foster remained a starter.
The offense has good flow now. Duke dished out 24 assists against Queens. The ball movement is putting defenses in rotations that Duke wants. Flip is becoming an offensive facilitator, which is a brilliant change by Scheyer and his staff. Duke can now run actions similar to what the Denver Nuggets and Sacramento Kings do with Nikola Jokić and Domantas Sabonis quarterbacking the offense.
Scheyer and his staff have done a great job with adjustments on the court, in game, and during half time. It is fair to say that the staff has also made adjustments within practice, game planning and player management.
After the 72-68 loss to Georgia Tech, Roach said, “We’ve just got to do what we talked about in practice. There’s no carryover.”
This is the leadership we don’t see. It happens at practice, in the locker room, behind closed doors, and via text. But we see the results. One hundred six points worth of results. Holding every opponent to below their scoring average. Those types of results.
Flip has also recorded six steals and eight blocks the last three games. His defensive presence is increasing.
Kudos to the players for the adjustments they have made. Both players and coaches have responded to the adversity. They addressed it head on and openly.
Scheyer commented in a post-game press conference about the challenges and criticism. When teams have not found their identity yet, that is when you see the leadership of the head coach and coaching staff. Scheyer has been patient with his players, he believes in each of them, he has high standards, he has addressed the issues and he has their backs.
Technical
Duke’s 30-point victory over Bucknell also included Scheyer's first technical as a head coach. It was calculated though. In that moment he wanted to send a message to his players and put a spark in them. I believe the message was sent.
Scheyer has given and will continue to give his all for Duke basketball. He sent that message to Crazies, to the officials, to his team, and to everyone that he cares. The typically quiet second year coach has had more vocal moments this season compared to last. This is the leadership fans love to see. He understands his team and what they need in order to grow, to form, to thrive and to play like he believes they can.
Each team will be different, as will Scheyer's approaches to accountability and motivation. This is the new dynamic between coaches and players. It’s more 50-50 than ever before. It’s happening throughout college and professional sports.
But it’s just not the technical foul. Scheyer publicly stated his support of Jaden Schutt, who is redshirting this season, as well.
"Jaden has a long journey ahead of him," Scheyer said. "I love Jaden. I'm going to keep [the reason he didn't play] private for now. But he's in great standing with me — nothing wrong at all.”
And Scheyer has spoken about his support of other players that have not yet found their stride, despite contributing in stats across the board.
Another great Scheyer move was hiring former Blue Devil Justin Robinson as Director of Player Development. Robinson's practice matchups while at Duke were tough. He faced Brandon Ingram his freshmen year, Jayson Tatum his sophomore year, Marvin Bagley III and Wendell Carter Jr. his junior year and Zion Williamson his senior year. All of his matchups are currently playing in the NBA.
Robinson was front row to the development of these players. He learned from the coaches that developed these Duke, and now, NBA standouts. He learned from scrimmaging them, he learned from observing the coaches during games, he learned from film sessions…ok, point made. Robinson himself had star moments at Duke, and his professional experience will bring perspectives the other coaches don’t have. It is good to have him back in Durham.
While this is the first time since the early 1980s that Duke has had back-to-back seasons with three losses before Christmas, the players and coaches have responded. They needed adjustments to offense and defense, and they made them. Players understand their roles better now.
Duke is heading into ACC play showing that failure isn’t fatal, but not learning from those failures is.
Jeremy Wilson | @TheJeremyDavid
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