By: Jeremy Wilson
January 23, 2024
Sports often mirrors life. Few win championships, and an even smaller percentage win multiple titles. The elite hang banner after banner and are inducted into the Hall of Fame. However, even the few, the thin and the elite experience losses against seemingly inferior opponents.
Mr. Chris King, my junior high basketball coach and history teacher, who played a role in me getting hired for my first head coaching job, used to advise us: "Get rid of 'should have,' 'would have,' 'could have'... they don't do anything for you," he said. "Excuses are like armpits, everyone has them and they stink."
At the time, I didn't fully grasp his wisdom, but I do now. Losses are painful, and excuses offer no solace. They sting, they stink and they suck. They lead to frustration and overreactions — both of which thrive in the loss column.
No, Duke didn't miss out on recruiting target Khaman Maluach because the potential future Blue Devil was in attendance at the Pitt game and witnessed a unsavory home loss. To say they missed out on the 7-foot-2 prospect because of the result of the game would be an example of overreacting.
While it was a winnable game, it's essential to acknowledge that two starters were unavailable due to injuries. It's fair to point out that the team had a week off to prepare, but game preparation and execution are distinct aspects of the sport. Duke recruits understand that even a prestigious program will have moments of ‘should have’, ‘would have’, and ‘could have’. They also know that opposing players can have exceptional performances inside the Mount Rushmore of college basketball: Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Just ask Blake Hinson. In his post-game media session, he emphasized the significance of Duke's home court and Coach K's influence.
The absence of Jeremy Roach was felt deeply. He is Duke's second-leading scorer and its most experienced player. Having played under both Mike Krzyzewski and Jon Scheyer, he's been to the Final Four and participated in games that ‘should have’ been won. Duke would certainly have had a better chance with him on the court, not just because he ‘could have’ provide scoring, but also due to his leadership and on-court presence.
His contributions are quantifiable, yet he hasn't received the recognition he deserves. His consistency and calm demeanor have been instrumental in the team's success this season. It's hard to believe there was a time when some fans debated whether he should return for his senior year.
The game against Pitt showcased how much Duke ‘would have’ missed him.
It wasn't just the senior captain who was absent though — sophomore forward Mark Mitchell was missing too.
In their absence, the entire roster failed to step up when needed. The body language of key players lacked cohesion, confidence and composure. Complaints about calls and visible frustration only hindered their performance, especially when Hinson shot 7-7 from beyond the arc.
Duke's dependency on Roach became evident; his leadership and steadying influence were sorely missed.
Mitchell ‘could have’ made a difference by locking down Hinson, adding size to Duke's lineup, improving pick-and-roll defense, grabbing crucial rebounds and becoming an offensive threat. He has the potential. Mitchell has faced criticism from some Duke fans, but he silenced them with impressive performances against Syracuse and Notre Dame, where he led the team in scoring with 20+ each night (Mitchell currently ranks fourth in scoring (171), behind Filipowski (310), Roach (234), and McCain (207)).
It's never excusable for any Duke team to lose against a then1-5 team in ACC play, even with two starters sidelined.
However, certain uncontrollable factors must be considered. Saturday was a special day for Pitt Head Coach Jeff Capel, who became only the second former Duke player to win as an opposing coach at Cameron Indoor Stadium in 70 seasons, marking the first victory for Pitt's Men's Basketball team on Coach K Court in 45 years.
Additionally, largely thanks to Hinson's exceptional three-point shooting, Duke failed to hold an opponent below their season average scoring for the first time this season. Add the absence of two starters, and it's clear that this was a challenging situation. Talk about an armpit. Excuse or not, streaks and injuries stink.
Yes, Capel had his team prepared after Duke’s routing of Pitt 11 days prior. Conference play is tougher than casual fans acknowledge. Capel is not just an opposing coach who has faced Duke long enough to predict their tendencies. He is 21st on Duke’s career scoring list (1,601 points) and a former Associate Head Coach for his home away from home. Capel knows Duke basketball. He knows the lore of Coach K Court and Cameron.
Throughout the game, it was clear that Capel had coached his team how to defend Duke's out-of-bounds plays, and that he had scouted the cross-key kick out to the three-point shooter from Filipowski when defenders double-team.
Two head coaches that played for and coached under the winningest men’s college coach of all time matched up. They know each other well, and this time a shorthanded Duke and Jon Scheyer couldn’t match Capel’s big brotherly chess match win.
No, Duke is not a bust. The last two men’s national champions recorded 8 (UConn) and 6 (Kansas) losses. Three of the Jayhawks losses were by 10 or more points.
Duke has not lost by more than five points.
Hunting the rim to score and draw fouls, Duke’s highest percentage is from the charity strike at 74.7%, and high IQ shot selection could have flipped Duke into an undefeated team at this point in the season. Settling for a long jumper after one or two passes is not the offensive game plan designed by Scheyer. Nor is neglecting to push the pace on offense when down four with less than 1:30 left in the game. Players cannot control shots falling — their own or their opponent's — but they can control hustle, rebounding, defense, assists and communication.
Roach is the glue that holds all of those together. Heavy is the weight he carries.
Duke will be fine. If Scheyer’s demeanor during the post-game press conference does not convince you of that then nothing will. He was composed, articulate, cool, yet frustrated.
“I wanna apologize to our fans…that’s unacceptable,” Scheyer said.
The competitor in him was not going to sleep that night. His tenure as head coach has been record breaking: first individual to win ACC Tournament Championship as player and head coach, the first rookie ACC head coach to go undefeated at home in first season, and fastest Duke head coach to 40 wins.
He's the same competitor that scored 21 points in 75 seconds to keep his high school team’s 35 game win streak alive. Yeah, the same competitor that won a national championship as a player and assistant coach. Him. That guy. The one who was telling his players to hurry up as the second half was winding to an end and Duke trailed by four. And the same guy who saw his players fail to execute what he knew ‘would have’ won the game.
That doesn’t mean anything more than Duke had a bad game and Pitt had a career night. Players and teams have Johnny Dawkins games when they play Duke. That is the target: conquer college basketball’s Mount Rushmore.
Scheyer will right this ship quick — even quicker than he walked out of that press conference. The same baby goat everyone was praising for his adjustments that led to an eight-game win streak, the longest of college basketball in a season with Top 25 getting beat by unranked week after week.
Duke’s short bench was on display Saturday. Missing both Roach and Mitchell were evident on both sides of the court. Just as evident was the limited impact of the three guys off the bench. Ryan Young had six points and three turnovers in 26 minutes, TJ Power had just two points in four minutes and Sean Stewart did not score in the 11 minutes of playing time. Jaylen Blakes, who started, contributed just two points in his 13 minutes.
Yup, that is a short bench. Another metric that solidifies the importance of Roach and Mitchell. The same can be said about Filipowski, McCain, Foster and Proctor — the strongest six on the team. Three have had injuries at some point in the season too. A fully healthy Duke team may not be a number one seed come Selection Sunday, but a fully healthy Duke is still a title contender.
No, this is not a rose-colored glasses fan making the loss less of an armpit. This is a fan who knows what happens when players and teams chirp at Roach — which is exactly what Pitt did from the opening tip to the end of game celebration. The same fan who knows what happens when Scheyer loses.
He comes out of them with eight straight wins.
Yes, there are a lot of 'should have,' 'would have,' 'could have' moments from the Pitt game. Some will say they are just excuses. Some will say Duke stinks. But no need for overactions. It’s college basketball. Going undefeated on any floor is no small task. Will there ever be a loss that doesn’t cause Duke fans frustration? Likely not.
There is never a good loss, but there is learning. Coach K spoke many times about losses being one of the best teachers. There wouldn’t be a sea of banners hanging from the rafters if Duke didn’t learn from losses. The air at the top is thin and so is the margin of error. Duke is fine. Just wait for a fully healthy Duke.
A quick aside to end things: I want to acknowledge and congratulate Tara Vanderveer who recorded her 1,203rd win, surpassing Coach K’s record. Vanderveer is now the winningest coach, mens or womens, in college basketball. And she is not done yet.
Jeremy Wilson | @theJeremyDavid
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