Jon Scheyer is gearing up to lead the Duke Blue Devils onto the court for an Elite 8 showdown against the Alabama Crimson Tide in the NCAA Tournament. Before the game, Scheyer addressed the media, where he was asked about the differences in strength of schedule between the SEC and ACC, with the reporter suggesting Alabama might be more battle-tested.
Scheyer acknowledged that Alabama has played a tough schedule but emphasized that it wouldn’t give them an edge in the matchup. The Duke head coach pointed out that his team has been competing in the ACC for years, regularly facing top-tier talent and always being prepared.
“Alabama’s got a heck of a schedule,” Scheyer said. “I feel we have to [too]. But it’s been different. I don’t think that gives them any more of an advantage tomorrow, based on conference or ACC vs. SEC. I’ve been in the ACC a long time. It’s always prepared us and had us ready, and this year is no exception in my mind.”
full Elite 8 press conference pic.twitter.com/8tAUL1YYRu
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Alabama entered the NCAA Tournament as the No. 2 seed in the East region, part of a historic SEC showing. The conference sent a record-breaking 14 teams to the tournament, surpassing the previous mark of 11 teams. Additionally, the SEC had seven teams advance to the Sweet 16, setting a new record for the most teams from any conference to reach that stage in NCAA Tournament history.
Despite Alabama’s strong season against some of the best competition in the country, Scheyer believes Duke is well-positioned to fight for a Final Four spot. Leading up to their Elite 8 matchup with Alabama, Duke has already defeated Mount St. Mary’s, Baylor, and Arizona.
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