Tag: Jon Scheyer

Jeremy Roach and Kyle Filipowski lead Duke to the Elite Eight after beating Houston 54-51

Duke hangs on in a rock fight of a game to advance to Elite Eight.

Friday night in Dallas felt like a fight night.

Kelvin Sampson and his No. 1-seeded Houston Cougars made the three-hour trip up I-45 South to Dallas to take on the Duke Blue Devils.

Much of the build-up to the game centered around Houston’s defense and Duke’s methodical yet explosive offense, and when the ball went up for tipoff, that was precisely what surfaced immediately. Houston hit Duke in the mouth early, going up 6-0 after forcing two Jeremy Roach turnovers.

Jon Scheyer called a timeout immediately to settle his team down, and from then on, it was game on. Duke worked back into the game, trading blows with the Cougars for the remainder of the half.

Just past the midway point of the first half, Houston’s fearless leader and Naismith Player of The Year candidate Jamal Shead drove to the rim but rolled his right ankle hard as he planted to rise for the layup. Shead fell to the floor and wouldn’t get up until after the game was stopped. He eventually tried to walk off the court under his power, but trainers helped him the rest of the way to the locker room. He would be diagnosed with a severe ankle sprain and would never return.

With Shead out, Duke eventually fought back to take a 23-22 lead into the break.

Houston, indicative of the toughness they have become known for, would not go away in the second half. Ramon Walker drilled a huge contested 3-pointer to cut the game back to a single possession with nine minutes to play. J’Wan Roberts, another senior leader for Houston, got a tough left-handed layup in the paint to cut it to just one point one minute later.

But that was as close as the Cougars got.

Jeremy Roach, Duke’s senior captain, has a highlight reel of big plays from his March exploits over the last four years. Tonight, he added to it with a masterful second-half performance. He locked in and poured in all 14 of his points after the break, including a dagger mid-range jumper to put Duke up 6 with just over a minute left.

Duke held on to secure its first win over a higher seed since the Blue Devils knocked off No. 1 seeded Purdue in the 1994 NCAA Tournament, then led by 19 points from former Duke assistant Jeff Capel.

Sophomore Kyle Filipowski played one of his best all-around games, contributing 16 points, nine rebounds, and two assists. Ryan Young was a massive X-factor off the bench, and the 6-foot-10 senior gave Duke four points and four rebounds while playing tough defense, helping Duke stay in the game when Houston punched first.

With the win, Duke ensures that at least one ACC team will make the Final Four. The Blue Devils will take on the NC State Wolfpack in the final game of the Elite Eight on Sunday at 5:05 PM EST.

Jon Scheyer gives positive update on Jaylen Blakes, says he’s ready to go after scary fall

Duke head coach Jon Scheyer said Jaylen Blakes, who exited Sunday’s game against James Madison after a scary fall, will be ready for the Houston game.

Duke head coach Jon Scheyer sat down for his press conference ahead of the Sweet 16 matchup against Houston on Thursday, but he offered good injury news before anything else.

Jaylen Blakes, a junior guard, exited Sunday’s win over James Madison early after a scary fall. He went up for a breakaway dunk that was contested by the Dukes’ Noah Freidel, and the contact twisted Blakes around. The Blue Devil landed on his head and neck area, taking a few minutes to get up and get off the court.

On Thursday, Scheyer said Blakes would be ready to go against the Cougars.

“Yeah, that was really scary in the moment,” Scheyer said. “You always wonder, the next day, how they feel with a fall like that, and Jaylen’s been great. He’s felt really good.”

Scheyer added that the team didn’t have a very active day on Monday, so Blakes had some recovery time, but the junior has been a full practice participant from Tuesday onward.

Caleb Foster to miss NCAA Tournament, Jon Scheyer confirms

Caleb Foster will miss the remainder of the season with a stress fracture injury, Jon Scheyer confirms.

Duke freshman guard Caleb Foster will miss the remainder of the season with a stress fracture in his ankle, head coach Jon Scheyer announced on Thursday.

Foster had not played since he suffered the injury against Wake Forest on Feb. 24, missing the rest of the regular season. After he became a pivotal part of the Blue Devils’ rotation late in the season, starting 15 games and averaging 25.4 minutes per game, he will now be out for Duke’s NCAA Tournament run.

The freshman guard averaged 7.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game before he got hurt. He was also efficient from beyond the arc, shooting 40.6% from deep, the second-best mark on the team in the regular season.

Sophomore guard Tyrese Proctor returned to the starting lineup in place of the injured Foster. The Australian will likely continue to be the starter during Duke’s NCAA Tournament run.

Duke’s NCAA Tournament run begins against No. 13 Vermont on Friday evening with tipoff set for 7:10 p.m. ET.

Duke’s loss to NC State emblematic of this season’s core issues with NCAA Tournament on horizon

Duke’s loss to NC State is more of the same from Duke this year. Is there enough time to fix the issues that have plagued the Blue Devils?

Thursday night was a rough pill for the Duke basketball program fans to swallow.

The Blue Devils were a trendy pick to make the ACC Tournament final at the very least and potentially set up a third matchup with their rivals, the UNC Tar Heels. What happened was a bit more shocking as NC State, a team playing its third game in as many days, was able to oust Duke from the tournament in the quarterfinals with a 74-69 win.

Losing hurts, but this most recent loss had a familiar stench. The Blue Devils started slow, played lackadaisical defense, and didn’t get the 50/50 balls to win the game. Duke’s trio of starting guards went a combined 7/28, which will not cut it in March.

If Duke’s loss felt familiar, it’s because it was. In their losses this year, they’ve showcased the same things that ailed them last night. Physically, the defensive effort and energy seemed to be lacking.

Last night was no different. State played physical defense, and Duke often had many drives to the basket that ended in missed opportunities because the Blue Devils anticipated fouls or hoped to be fouled.

On defense, Duke was slow to cut off drives, and in transition, there was a considerable lack of effort as guys half-heartedly got back and barely attempted to stop the ball. Duke was beaten to the ball for rebounds despite having multiple players in the area.

In the previous game against UNC, Duke came out flat and could never recover as UNC raced out to a 15-4 lead on Senior Night. Effort, energy, and defensive pride plagued Jon Scheyer’s team then.

That brings us to this question: Is it a player or coaching issue?

The truth is it lies somewhere in the middle. Jon Scheyer is a competitive guy, but he’s not the fiery coach that his predecessor was. At least, not yet. However, this year, his team has lacked the edge to fight back in a game like last night’s ACC quarterfinal loss. Against a desperate team fighting for its season, Duke needed to come out and bury them early. They came out slow, and then NC State gained confidence. Duke weathered the storm and took a late first-half lead, but it was short-lived.

Even though Duke went into the half down three, NC State came right back out and went on an 8-0 run before the under-16 media timeout. This Blue Devils team never finds that extra gear in games when they need it. There is no outright vocal leader on the court for Duke, and it shows. As far as we can see, there’s no one to galvanize the troops amongst the players.

How does Duke prepare for this year’s NCAA Tournament? They need to figure some things out, that’s for sure. Maybe it’s from the player-led meeting that was supposed to occur when Duke returned to Durham after the ACC Tournament to help clear the air. However, having meetings like that on March 15th, a week before the season’s biggest games, is eyebrow-raising. Where was the urgency for the meeting following their second straight loss to their biggest rival?

Scheyer is not without faults, either. He and his staff don’t have the most complete roster. Losing Dereck Lively and never finding a better option to play center via the portal is something he and his staff have to live with now. The lack of another functional big man to spell Kyle Filipowski and take pressure off of him defensively has impacted Duke’s defense and rebounding, too.

However, with the right draw and more effort from the guys in the locker room, Duke can beat many teams in the country in this upcoming NCAA Tournament. Will they? We’ll find out starting sometime next week.

Jeremy Roach’s career at Cameron Indoor Stadium in photos

Take a trip down memory lane with the best photos from Jeremy Roach’s four-year career at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

Few Duke players have been as integral to Duke’s recent history as Jeremy Roach.

The senior guard and the last remaining starter from the Mike Krzyzewski era was honored during senior night on Saturday, his last home game wearing a Blue Devils jersey.

The 6-foot-2 Virginia native helped lead Duke to a Final Four appearance two seasons ago, and in his final year, he’s shooting 44.2% from beyond the arc and averaging 14.3 points per game.

He finished his final regular season with 1,408 career points, 35th on Duke’s all-time scoring list with a full postseason ahead of him.

Take a trip down memory lane with the best photos from Roach’s career at Cameron Indoor Stadium, where he shared a locker room with some of the most recognizable figures in the program while becoming one himself.

Caleb Foster ‘a long shot’ to play in ACC Tournament, Scheyer says

Freshman guard Caleb Foster’s season seems closer and closer to over after Duke head coach Jon Scheyer had a non-optimistic update on Saturday.

Duke fans shouldn’t expect to see freshman Caleb Foster in this week’s ACC Tournament, according to head coach Jon Scheyer.

The 6-foot-5 guard injured his ankle against Wake Forest last month, and Duke’s coach didn’t sound very encouraged by his odds to suit up in Washington D.C.

“It’s a long shot at best he’s able to be ready to play,” Scheyer said after the North Carolina loss on Saturday. “I think it’s very unlikely.”

“He’s doing everything that he can and progressing, but he’s not close.”

Foster was seen in a walking boot at Duke’s last home games.

Duke clinched the second seed in the ACC Tournament, meaning the Blue Devils won’t play until the conference quarterfinals on Thursday.

The NCAA Tournament starts soon after, and given the nature of Scheyer’s words, it seems more likely than not that we’ve seen Caleb Foster for the last time this season.

New head coach, same Duke Blue Devils

Thoughts on Duke’s antics from Saturday night, including the student section throwing drinks at UNC’s players?

The No. 7 North Carolina Tar Heels edged the No. 9 Duke Blue Devils, 84-79, Saturday night, sweeping the season series between the two rivals and clinching the regular season ACC crown.

The on-court story was UNC guard Cormac Ryan, who dropped 31 points on 8 of 12 shooting and 6 of 8 from 3.

The off-the-court story: Mike Krzyzewski may have retired a few years ago, but the Duke program hasn’t changed a bit.

Why?

Saturday night’s rivalry contest saw the classic, stereotypical Duke behavior return. First, star forward Kyle Filipowski — the center of the court-storming debate of a few weeks ago — blatantly tripped a North Carolina player on his way back up the court. Second, the Duke student section showered North Carolina players with various drinks while the team was celebrating its win.

Remember, ESPN analyst Jay Bilas wanted students fined and arrested for even stepping on the court — all of that because Filipowski found himself in the middle of a court storm.

Part of it felt like a veiled defense of Duke. Who Bilas tried to argue is unfairly treated with constant court stormings and general criticism.

Well, now you have yet another Duke star trying to trip an opponent. And a student section that’s more unruly than most others in the sport.

Wisconsin fans are still unhappy with Coach K and Duke for the 2015 national championship game. It should be noted that even in his retirement, the program hasn’t changed a bit.

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Three keys to a Duke victory against UNC

Taking a look at three keys to a Duke win vs UNC on Saturday as the Blue Devils close out the regular season.

It is time for the round two.

Tobacco Road’s biggest titans are set to square off one final time for the regular season on Saturday evening. The stakes will be a bit higher than they were when the two hit the hardwood the first time in February. An outright ACC title is on the line for UNC while a share of the ACC title is still up for grabs for Duke.

That doesn’t even include the possible implications for NCAA Tournament seeding either. Both schools are still firmly in the mix for a No. 2 seed at this juncture, and a massive Quad 1 win like this would only boost that case.

All those storylines aside, it’s Duke and North Carolina. The bragging rights matter and Duke, specifically, has revenge on their mind.

The loss in Chapel Hill in February felt like a lifetime ago. Duke played passively, didn’t play a crisp game (nine of their eleven turnovers were live ball), and defensively, they had some major hiccups.

Credit is due to the Tar Heels. They played great. But Duke didn’t put forth their best effort.

Saturday gives the Blue Devils one final chance to show how much of a force they’ve become. There is no mistaking them now. They’ve got a bench unit that’s starting to flourish despite being without Caleb Foster at least through the ACC Tournament, per head coach Jon Scheyer. And Tyrese Proctor has found his swagger again.

These all bring us to our three keys for the game on Saturday.

Aussie, Aussie, Aussie

Duke’s chances to truly be Final Four contenders rest on the shoulders of their sophomore Australian point guard, Tyrese Proctor. Proctor can control and dictate a game on both ends. In the first UNC matchup, he played 26 minutes and scored two points on 1/6 shooting. It felt as if he wasn’t even out there at points. He wasn’t aggressive, and he seemed reluctant to get downhill.

In the last three games, he’s found himself. He kept Duke afloat early in Raleigh despite NC State connecting on the first punch. His 11 first-half points, spearheaded by three massive three-pointers, kept Duke from spiraling. He can shoot, he can pass and he can defend. All three of those things Duke will need against UNC.

Look for Proctor to be a factor early.

The bench needs to show up

Ryan Young, Sean Stewart, and TJ Power look solidified as Duke’s bench right now. Caleb Foster joins that when, or if, he gets back, and Duke officially is nine deep.

For right now, they are eight deep, and that will have to be enough. Power and Stewart have started to become consistent players off the bench in the last three games. Stewart had his best game as a collegiate player against NC State. He played 26 minutes and had 12 points, five rebounds (four offensive), three blocks, two assists, and two steals. It was incredible. If Stewart provides that kind of impact, Ryan Young hits the glass, and TJ Power can hit one or two open threes, Duke will be in a much better position to win.

Defending Bacot

RJ Davis is likely going to win ACC Player of the Year. And rightfully so. He’s had a phenomenal season. Davis can get his season average in points. Stopping fellow senior Armando Bacot is the real challenge for Duke. They have bodies to throw at him, but in an attempt to limit foul trouble for Flip, they tried to double Bacot last game and it helped result in open threes or driving lanes for others.

How Jon Scheyer and this coaching staff choose to play Bacot matters. Do they double him? If they do, do they leave Elliot Cadeau, a 21% 3-point shooter, open and force him to shoot the ball? Or do they play Bacot straight up and leave Flip to defend him one-on-one? Either way, one wrong decision would be to leave Harrison Ingram open. He shot 5/9 from distance in game one. 

That’s the game within the game and one matchup that will likely decide the winner. 

Senior night for captain Jeremy Roach, Ryan Young, and Spencer Hubbard. A share of the ACC title is on the line for Duke. The number one seed in the ACC Tournament is still up for grabs. All the storylines are there. Duke just needs to play a bit cleaner than they did in Chapel Hill and they’ll have a chance to wrap up a very good regular season.

The man in the mirror is the final hurdle Duke must clear as they prepare for rematch with UNC

The Duke Blue Devils have to win against themselves in order to win against UNC.

Sir Edmund Hillary said it best: “It is not the mountain we conquer but ourselves.”

It feels like the perfect quote to summarise the Duke basketball experience this year and focus on what’s ahead of the team as they prepare to try and get revenge for an early February loss to their rivals, UNC. The Blue Devils have been fighting the team in the mirror all season. It’s time they conquer that.

If they can, the Blue Devils will head to Washington, D.C., for the ACC Tournament, with their share of the 2023-2024 ACC regular season title; if the Tar Heels win, they are the outright title winners. Losing that also likely eliminates Duke from having any shot at a 2-seed in the upcoming NCAA Tournament.

For Duke, it’s simple: UNC is the best opponent (not named Arizona or Baylor) on their schedule. They beat Baylor in Madison Square Garden, which stands out as a great Quad 1 win, but the Blue Devils know they need more. Hubert Davis’ team is undoubtedly in the Final Four-capable tier of teams, so a win against North Carolina would be the perfect confirmation that this Duke team has grown and evolved and is playing its best basketball.

It’s easier said than done, as UNC will have everything to play for on top of the sheer fact that this is a rivalry, and it could be Armando Bacot and RJ Davis’ last game against Duke ever. They’ve ruined big nights in Cameron Indoor Stadium before.

Duke played a rough basketball game against UNC in the first round in Chapel Hill. They were not strong on the court, and their defensive plan wasn’t strong. Ultimately, the Heels just played better.

Duke shot 26.3% from three, compared to almost 38% from UNC. Harrison Ingram was the thorn in Duke’s side from the outside, going 5/9 from deep. Duke also had 11 turnovers, which led to 19 UNC points. Eight of those turnovers were live-ball, which makes it even harder to get back on defense against a transition offense-focused team like UNC.

Kyle Filipowski struggled with foul trouble, and when his team needed him to contain Armando Bacot without a double team, he couldn’t. Tyrese Proctor had one of his worst games, registering just two points and one assist on 1/6 shooting in 26 minutes.

So, what has to change this time around? Duke has to put together a complete performance as they have in games on the road at Miami, NC State, Virginia Tech, or as they did recently at home versus Virginia. This team has shown that it can play a full 40 minutes on both ends of the court, and when they can, they will blow teams away, as eight of their conference wins have been by 15 points or more.

Duke is a deeper team now. The bench has lengthened a much-needed development due to limitations with guys like Jaylen Blakes and Ryan Young. They are decent role players but certainly guys with deficiencies. The answers were the 6-foot-9 five-star freshman Sean Stewart and the 6-foot-8 four-star small forward TJ Power.

Power’s shooting ability is among the best on a team of great shooters this season, but the lack of opportunities hasn’t allowed him to showcase that. Stewart is hyper-athletic and an incredible shot disruptor combined with pure energy and hustle, allowing him to provide the energy on 50/50 plays Duke needs.

Each player has played at least 10 minutes in the last three games. Stewart had a season-high 26 minutes of game action at NC State, where he had his proverbial breakout game, scoring 12 points, five rebounds, three blocks, two steals, and two assists. He was a menace on defense, and four rebounds came on the offensive glass, giving Duke extra possessions.

They must be factors in this rematch, and the rest of the team needs to be more assertive with the ball. If Duke hadn’t been forced into so many live-ball turnovers, they could’ve shaved off at least six points they allowed. Tyrese Proctor must play better, especially considering Caleb Foster will still be out. He’s had some encouraging performances since being inserted back into the starting lineup with Foster out, and Monday night in Raleigh showcased that.

Kyle Filipowski needs to be a factor for the entire 40 minutes. Jon Scheyer must find a better way to defend Bacot while not allowing RJ Davis to explode. Do not respect Elliot Cadeau’s shot. Make him shoot more jumpers than layups, and respect Ingram as a solid spot-up shooter.

It won’t be easy, but Duke can beat UNC. Aside from the implications mentioned above about the ACC title, this win is about Duke playing well enough to beat an elite opponent as it pursues a sixth NCAA title in two weeks.

They missed the mark early against Arizona and in Chapel Hill. In both games, Duke was the loser, but there was a clear sense that Duke didn’t play well enough to beat that caliber of team. Can they conquer themselves and raise their level of play to conquer their goals? We’ll find out on Saturday.

Blue Devils land projected 2025 lottery pick Khaman Maluach

Duke lands massive prospect as 2025 center Khaman Maluach has committed to Duke.

Ahead of their biggest game of the season against their rivals with a chance to take home a share of the ACC regular season title, the Duke Blue Devils just received a significant boost to their 2024-2025 season.

Projected lottery pick and soon-to-be five-star on every primary recruiting website Khaman Maluach announced his commitment to Duke Wednesday afternoon.

Maluach is a massive commitment, figuratively and literally. He stands 7-foot-2 and will slot into the center spot soon to be vacated by Kyle Filipowski at year’s end. He brings rim protection, which the Blue Devils have missed the most defensively this season after losing Dereck Lively to the NBA.

However, he’s a much more refined offensive product who can handle the ball, shoot and facilitate for others. Combine that with the athleticism and lateral quickness to guard on the perimeter, and you have something special.

In short, there’s a reason he’s projected as the third overall prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft behind his soon-to-be teammate Cooper Flagg.

Maluach has been on Duke’s radar for a year, and as they methodically built a relationship with him from Durham all the way to Africa, where he hails from. Duke has remained a constant despite visits to Kentucky, Kansas, UCLA, and advances from G League Ignite.

“Duke is home, that’s where I belong.” Maluach said in a conversation with ESPN. “This was the hardest decision I’ve ever made. I felt like I could succeed anywhere, but I was most comfortable going to Duke. All the schools recruiting me are big-time programs, but in terms of my development and the relationships I built with the coaches, they were the best.”

Maluach has an impressive basketball resume already. This summer, at 16 years old, he helped his native country of South Sudan qualify for the Paris Olympics as one of the youngest players in FIBA World Cup History.

He plays at the NBA Academy Africa and will headline the World team at the Nike Hoop Summit next month, where he will take on his future teammates Cooper Flagg, Isaiah Evans, and Patrick Ngongba II.