Three seasons after taking over for Mike Krzyzewski, coach Jon Scheyer and the Duke Blue Devils are returning to the Final Four.
Guided by potential NBA lottery picks, Scheyer and No. 1 seed Duke sailed through the first four rounds of the NCAA Tournament, winning by a combined 94 points.
Now, Scheyer has joined a select group of individuals who have led their program to a Final Four both as a player and a coach.
Scheyer played for the Blue Devils from 2006 to 2010, helping them secure a national championship in his final season. Nolan Smith, who was also on that championship-winning team, started as a guard for Duke during that time.
Ahead of Duke’s Final Four matchup against No. 1 seed Houston, Nolan Smith joined “SiriusXM College Sports Radio” and shared high praise for his former teammate, Jon Scheyer.
“There are a lot of guys who understand the game, right?” Smith said. “Many people know basketball, but not everyone is a true great leader. Jon was always a leader on the court. He was vocal, and everything he did was like a coach—he was an extension of the head coach.”
Smith also reflected on how Scheyer displayed coaching qualities early in his career.
“He’s been a coach from probably his freshman year. When I got there, even as a sophomore, when he became the starting point guard midway through that season, he was Coach K on the court,” Smith explained. “His basketball IQ has always been off the charts, and his leadership skills have always stood out.”
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After their playing careers, both Scheyer and Smith began their coaching journeys under Coach Krzyzewski in the mid-2010s. When Scheyer became Duke’s head coach in 2022, Smith left to join Louisville as an assistant coach. He is now serving as an assistant at Memphis.
Scheyer and Duke are set to face the Houston Cougars on Saturday at 8:49 p.m. ET.
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