Jon Scheyer has enjoyed a promising start to his tenure with the Duke basketball program, but the gut-wrenching collapse in the Final Four marks the first time he failed to fully capitalize on his team’s potential.
In his debut season, Scheyer faced the challenges of being a first-year head coach yet still managed to lead the Blue Devils to an ACC Tournament Championship and an NCAA Tournament win. Though Duke suffered a setback in the Round of 32 against a tough, experienced Tennessee squad, missing Mark Mitchell due to injury, it was a solid beginning for a team that was expected to only reach the second weekend of the tournament.
The following year, Duke’s season had its ups and downs, including a tough loss to NC State in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals. However, the Blue Devils regained their form in the NCAA Tournament, benefitting from some fortunate circumstances. After beating Vermont, Duke advanced to face No. 12 James Madison in the Round of 32, following the upset over Wisconsin. A win over No. 1 Houston came with a caveat, as Cougar guard Jamal Shead suffered an ankle injury early and couldn’t return. While Duke likely would have lost had Shead been healthy, the injury allowed the Blue Devils to pull off the upset.
That set up a showdown with NC State, where the Wolfpack staged a remarkable second-half rally to knock Duke out and advance to the Elite 8. Looking back, it’s clear that the 2023-24 Blue Devils were not a true Final Four-caliber team, and they probably would have lost to Purdue in the semifinals had they gotten there. Their tournament run was marked more by luck than by consistent dominance, and the season ended in disappointment given the talent on the roster.
Fast forward to this season, and the collapse against Houston in the Final Four represents the first time Scheyer has truly underachieved as Duke’s head coach. The Blue Devils had the game against the Cougars in hand but faltered when it mattered most. Entering the NCAA Tournament, Duke was a favorite to win the title and even more so in the Final Four, but they came up short in a heartbreaking defeat.
Scheyer is aware of the lost opportunity. His team is aware of it. And the college basketball world knows it too. His expressions during his postgame interview with CBS and his responses in the press conference spoke volumes—an opportunity for a National Championship slipped through his fingers, and he knows it.
"This is part of it. You've got handle the wins, and you've got to handle the losses too."
Jon Scheyer joins @tracywolfson after the loss to Houston. pic.twitter.com/K2UJLAGFhB
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 6, 2025
This could have been the most talented team Jon Scheyer will ever coach at Duke. That’s not to say he won’t return to a Final Four or win a National Championship, but it’s hard to imagine a more gifted roster, especially with Cooper Flagg leading the charge, in Durham.
However, despite this team feeling like it had one more game to play to truly reach its potential, it doesn’t mean Jon Scheyer is a bad coach or wasn’t the right choice to succeed Mike Krzyzewski. He simply had a rough night at the worst possible time.
This loss will likely linger with Scheyer throughout the offseason and into next season, following him until he returns to the sport’s biggest stage and wins. That’s the nature of the game. But Scheyer will do everything in his power to ensure that Saturday night’s collapse doesn’t define him.
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