‘It still is about relationships.’ Jon Scheyer wants to honor Duke basketball Brotherhood.
Slated to replace Mike Krzyzewski, incoming Duke men’s basketball coach Jon Scheyer looks to uphold Duke’s culture and standard moving forward.
During his introductory press conference on Friday, Scheyer spoke about maintaining strong bonds with players. He said that this is something the coaching staff values now, and will be a point of emphasis when he takes over in the 2022-23 season.
“That’s always been really important to us, is developing the relationship,” Scheyer said. “And that can’t get lost. It still is about relationships, developing trust, and the belief that not only we have in players, but that they have in us.”
The relational aspect of Duke culture has become a signature aspect of the school over time. The bond of the team is often referred to as “The Brotherhood” as the virtue of family stands out as an important aspect of the team dynamic.
This holds true for players regardless of the length of time they spend in the program. Beginning with the 2013-14 season, at least one Duke freshman declared for the NBA draft after every year. To go back even further, a Duke freshman has declared for the draft in 10 of the last 11 seasons, including Jalen Johnson and DJ Steward making their announcements this past season.
Though many players come into Duke to become early draft picks in the subsequent drafts, many others remain within the program for multiple years and grow within the team.
According to Scheyer, this is exactly how he wants it.
“Building a team where we have a balance with stability, with older players,” Scheyer said. “That’s been a great recipe for us. As well as really talented players who may go on to do amazing things sooner. The balance is what we’re looking for.”
As a former Duke player himself, Scheyer said he, as well as current assistants and former Duke players Nolan Smith and Chris Carrawell, is “protective” of the players who come into the program because of his experiences as a player.
“We’ve walked it, we’ve been here from multiple perspectives,” Scheyer said. “So I think it brings a level of credibility. We know the pressure, we know the expectations.”
The Blue Devils’ Brotherhood comes from within
Scheyer’s former teammate, Brian Zoubek, spoke after Friday’s press conference about the importance of carrying on The Brotherhood in Duke basketball.
“The continuity of culture is such a huge thing here,” Zoubek said. “Having played for coach (Krzyzewski), knowing all the former players, knowing the university and knowing how we brought it all together because that’s really what you’re continuing, is the culture.”
Zoubek also acknowledged that Scheyer has developed his coaching abilities for eight years while on Duke’s staff, learning within the program before being named as the head coach.
“I think it’s a natural progression to bring somebody within The Brotherhood to maintain it,” Zoubek said.
With the departure of Krzyzewski, however, also comes an alteration in the dynamic of college athletics. In recent years, more players have tended to go overseas or choose the new pathway developed by the NBA G-League in which top high school recruits can bypass college but still get paid before entering the NBA.
With this present change, Scheyer seeks to remain confident in his approach.
“We’re going to navigate it as it comes,” Scheyer said. “It’s a unique situation, I think we can really take advantage of it. There’s obviously some really great kids out there who are really interested and it’s our job to find the right ones and get them here.”
Navigating the transfer portal with relationships
Current assistant coach, Nolan Smith, echoed these sentiments and remained consistent with Scheyer’s message about efforts to attract new players.
“The landscape of basketball is changing,” Smith said. “The one thing that Duke basketball, coach Scheyer and all of us believe in is relationships. I think that’s how you navigate the change, that’s how you navigate the transfer portal.”
Though the one-and-done era of college basketball seems to be changing, Duke’s basketball program embraced the initial transition and followed suit. Scheyer’s objective now is to adjust his team through the change in NCAA basketball.
“We’ve been fortunate to have to adapt throughout the time that I’ve been here,” Scheyer said. “And obviously, this is a time where it’s changing more than ever. I think it’s changing for the better. It’s a great time for our players. I think Duke and I think our program is in the best position to move forward in this new landscape.”
This story was originally published June 4, 2021 at 4:45 PM with the headline "‘It still is about relationships.’ Jon Scheyer wants to honor Duke basketball Brotherhood.."
