It feels impossible to determine the biggest strength of a team like the Duke Blue Devils. Between the talent of [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] and the half-dozen other NBA prospects on the roster, there might not be anything the roster can’t do.
However, during a Thursday episode of The Brotherhood Podcast, head coach Jon Scheyer found an answer. While he praised the versatility and toughness of his team, he thinks the Blue Devils’ secret weapon is off the court.
“Our unselfishness as a team,” Scheyer told sophomore guard Caleb Foster, the host of the show. “I think that’s something you either have organically or you don’t. Feel we have a group that has it.”
“To me, that’s our biggest strength. Forget the skillset or the offense. You guys, man, I think there’s a connection there.”
If any Duke basketball fans want more of a tangible answer, however, the third-year Blue Devils coach circled back around to his team’s versatility.
“The fact that you have, on offense, multiple playmakers,” Scheyer said. “Multiple guys that can pass, shoot, and dribble, but then on defense, we have a team that can guard a lot of different positions.”
Considering that every single member of the Duke basketball rotation stands at least 6-foot-5, it’s easy to see why Scheyer thinks the Blue Devils have an answer for every question. Top-ranked freshman [autotag]Cooper Flagg[/autotag] can defend guards and forwards thanks to his 6-foot-9 frame and athleticism, and first-year 7-footer Khaman Maluach lets the tall Duke lineup take advantage of its size elsewhere.
The Cameron Crazies got a small glimpse of that versatility on Saturday during Duke’s first exhibition game of the year. The Blue Devils defeated Lincoln 107-56 thanks to 22 points from Flagg.