Sunday was sweet for Jon Scheyer’s basketball team. Duke dominated wire to wire as it punched its ticket to the school’s 29th appearance in the Sweet 16. To get there, Duke had to first get through a tough test in the form of James Madison, a team that had won 14 straight games and was a 30-game winner entering the game. They were the champions of the Sun Belt and unanimously looked at as a possible bracket buster when the teams for the Big Dance were announced.
The Dukes dismantled Big Ten tournament runner-up Wisconsin on Friday, and it was apparent that Duke needed to play better than it did against Vermont to beat James Madison.
On Sunday, the Blue Devils did just that. Duke dominated the Sun Belt champions to the score of 93-55 and put together one of its most complete performances of the season. Jared McCain led the way with 30 points as he torched the nets in the Barclays Center.
The defense was swarming, and the offense was surgical, as the Blue Devils essentially got whatever they wanted.
The result has Duke on its way to Dallas, Texas, for the Sweet 16 and a matchup with either Houston or Texas A&M. After such a scintillating performance, here are our five takeaways.
Duke has routinely been known for recruiting one or two terrific freshman players over the last ten years. Jared McCain entered that conversation earlier this season with his sharpshooting, three-level scoring, and joyful personality. On Sunday, all those things were displayed as McCain led the Blue Devils with 30 points while setting a Duke record for most threes in an NCAA Tournament game with eight made triples.
From the opening tip, McCain was locked in as he opened up, shooting 6/6 from distance. At multiple points in the first half, McCain had more points than James Madison’s team.
He remained steady all game and was active on defense, too. McCain did not commit a turnover, becoming the first freshman since the NCAA Tournament expanded to 64 teams in 1985 to
score at least 30 points with no turnovers. In short, he was the best player on the court on Sunday.
We have talked tirelessly about the offense and what they need to do to push and propel Duke forward. However, after two consecutive losses before the NCAA Tournament, Duke’s defense deserved just as much criticism. On Friday, they held Vermont to 47 points. On Sunday, they held a JMU squad that averaged 84 points a game to 55 points, matching a season-low by the Dukes and 29 points below its season average.
Duke had a season-high in steals with 12 as well.
This defense is locked in right now, and with Kyle Filipowski’s versatility as a rim protector and Mark Mitchell’s ability to move his feet on the perimeter, Duke can attack many teams in the pick-and-roll game defensively.
This defense will need to travel from Brooklyn to Dallas. Duke can win two more games and get to a Final Four if the defense makes the trip, too.
There is no way Duke would advance to the Sweet 16 if they didn’t get the guard play they received on Sunday. Tyrese Proctor, Jared McCain, and Jeremy Roach were locked in from the opening tip. When those three have it going and the shots fall, it opens up the paint for Kyle Filipowski and Mark Mitchell, and Duke’s offense becomes unguardable.
That recipe was cooked up on Sunday, as early shots from all three starting guards forced JMU to adjust. It began to leave lanes to drive the ball, and Duke took advantage. Proctor and McCain combined for 11 of Duke’s 22 assists. By the second half, JMU had no answer for Duke’s inside game or perimeter shooting. From there, the route was on. In addition to the 11 assists by Proctor and Roach combined, the duo committed only one turnover.
This was the best the starting guards have played since the home game against Virginia.
In his first NCAA Tournament, Jon Scheyer’s inexperience showed. Sure, the Blue Devils lost Mark Mitchell inexplicably before the game, but Duke wasn’t ready for what Tennessee was ready to throw at them. Scheyer clearly understands and effectively communicates to his team what it takes in these first two games in this year’s tournament. The post-game interviews and quotes from the team have all the sounds of a team that genuinely understands the intensity and physicality it takes to win in March.
It showed on the court on Sunday, and the message that most players reiterated was Scheyer’s emphasis on coming out, setting the tone, and “punching” JMU first. The Blue Devils did that, and the rest was history.
He may never be the fiery, jacket-throwing coach his predecessor was, but Scheyer is developing as a coach before our very eyes.
It’s pretty simple: If Duke defends like this and shoots remotely close like they did on Sunday, especially the open shots, they can win two more games and punch a ticket to Phoenix. It won’t be easy, and anyone would be foolish to expect Duke to shoot 14-28 from three in their Sweet 16 game, but even 40 percent would be incredible and enough.
Duke’s most prominent enemy this year is the man in the mirror. If they can beat that guy, they’ll have a lot more to celebrate one week from now.