Being the guy who replaces a legend can be tough. Jerod Mayo just became the latest example of a successor to an iconic head coach who failed, getting fired after one miserable season as the New England Patriots’ head coach after succeeding Bill Belichick.
In college basketball, there are countless examples of programs that haven’t been able to succeed after their iconic head coach left. UCLA didn’t win a national championship for two decades after John Wooden’s departure in 1975, and the Bruins’ 1995 title is the program’s lone title in the last 50 years. Indiana has struggled over the last 25 years to get back to the heights that Bob Knight took them to during his nearly three-decade run as head coach.
Three years after Mike Krzyzewski’s retirement, Duke appears to be avoiding the same fate other blue bloods were dealt with after their respective icons left. Jon Scheyer has helped the Blue Devils reach the Final Four in just his third season as head coach, doing so after making the Elite Eight in 2024.
While it’s still early in the 37-year-old Scheyer’s career, FOX Sports college basketball expert John Fanta believes that Krzyzewski’s successor at Duke is just as good as he was.
“They have a coach who, I believe, is the next Mike Krzyzewski,” Fanta said on “Breakfast Ball.” “I think Jon Scheyer will go down as one of the all-time great coaches in college basketball. I’m calling it now: He’s winning this national championship, and we’re going to be talking a week from now ‘how many can he win?’”
Is Duke’s Jon Scheyer the next Coach K?
As Scheyer is chasing his first national championship, he’s also on the verge of making history. He tied Brad Stevens and Brad Underwood for the most wins in a head coach’s first three seasons with 89 when Duke took down Alabama in the Elite Eight on Saturday.
Duke’s victory over Alabama might not have been the most exciting, at least from an offensive standpoint, as the Blue Devils took down the Crimson Tide, 85-65. National Player of the Year favorite Cooper Flagg didn’t have his best performance, scoring 16 points on 6 of 16 shooting, while Duke committed 13 turnovers. But, to be able to hold the Crimson Tide to 65 points one game after they dropped 113 against BYU and set the record for most 3-point shots made in a Sweet 16 game, is a testament to Scheyer and his defensive game plan.
Alabama, who led the nation in scoring (90.7 points per game), shot just 35.4% from the field and 25% from deep on Saturday against Duke. First-team All-American Mark Sears scored just six points on 2 of 12 shooting two days after he scored 34 points on 10 3-point makes in Alabama’s Sweet 16 win over BYU.
“They have the No. 1 offense in efficiency in the country, but they didn’t beat Alabama by having some outstanding offensive night,” Fanta said. “They held that team scoreless for five minutes during money time. That’s an Alabama team that averaged 91.4 points per game [entering the Elite Eight], and you held them to 65, their second-lowest total all year.”
Duke’s dominant defensive performance in the Elite Eight followed a tremendous offensive showing in the Sweet 16. It took down Arizona, 100-93, shooting 60% from the field and 57.9% from deep. Flagg arguably had one of the best individual performances in recent NCAA Tournament memory in that game, too. He scored 30 points to go with seven assists, six rebounds and three blocks in a rare stat-line in the history of the tournament.
Flagg has received much of the attention for Duke during this run as he’ll likely be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. However, he’s just one of, likely, many future NBA players at Duke. Fanta credited Scheyer for his roster-building ability while believing he’s getting the best out of those players, too.
Will Cooper Flagg be known as the best Duke player ever?
“Cooper Flagg, what I love about this kid is he doesn’t take a play off,” Fanta said. “[Center Khaman] Maluach has turned into a freak of nature in his freshman season. He’s a top-10 draft pick. They’ve got unbelievable instincts.”
Scheyer’s first three recruiting classes were ranked in the top two each year, by 247 Sports. The Class of 2024 was arguably the best, with Flagg and Maluach leading the way. But there are other players from that class and past recruiting classes who have contributed to Duke’s run this year and seem primed to be draft picks, such as Kon Knueppel, Tyrese Proctor and Isaiah Evans.
While all five of those players could depart this offseason, Duke will be ready to reload again. It has the top recruiting class in the Class of 2025, highlighted by Cameron and Cayden Boozer, putting Scheyer in position to make another deep tournament run.
Before Duke focuses on next year, though, it still has two games to win for Scheyer to capture his first title as head coach. Even though he’d still have to win four more titles to match his mentor, Krzyzewski was 44 and in his 11th season as Duke’s head coach when he won his first title.
So, Scheyer certainly has time to catch up to Krzyzewski. If his first three seasons are any indication, he very well could.
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