When Duke basketball coach Jon Scheyer walks through the tunnel and onto the court at the Alamodome in San Antonio in the Final Four of the men’s NCAA Tournament, he will do so making history.
That piece of history? Becoming the third person in men’s NCAA Tournament history to coach his alma mater in the Final Four after playing in the national semifinals game as a player.
At 34-4 overall on the season and as No. 1 in the East Region of the 68-team bracket, Scheyer has Duke humming on all cylinders entering the Final Four, where it is the favorite to cut down the nets on Monday night. However, Scheyer has to lead Duke past the No. 1 ranked defense in the country in Houston first in the Final Four on Saturday at 8:49 p.m. ET.
Scheyer, who took over as Mike Krzyzewski’s successor after the 2021-22 season, is tied with Illinois’ coach Brad Underwood and former Butler coach Brad Stevens for the most wins in his first three seasons as a head coach at 89 wins.
Here’s a look back at Scheyer’s playing career at Duke as he prepares for his first Final Four as the coach of one of the country’s eminent bluebloods:
Did Jon Scheyer win a national championship at Duke as a player?
Yes, Scheyer won a national championship as a player at Duke in 2010.
The then-guard out of Northbrook, Illinois, lifted the Blue Devils to their then-fourth national championship title in program history with 15 points, six rebounds, five assists, two blocks and a steal in Duke’s 61-59 win over No. 5 seed Butler.
When did Jon Scheyer win a national championship at Duke?
Scheyer’s national championship at Duke as a player came during his senior season in 2010 over No. 5 seed Butler.
But that wasn’t the only national championship that Scheyer has won at Duke. He won his second national championship ring with the Blue Devils in 2015 as a member of Coach K’s coaching staff.
If the Blue Devils can handle their business in the Final Four on Saturday against Houston and then in the national championship game vs. the winner of Auburn vs. Florida, Scheyer would almost certainly elevate himself to an elite status in the record book, as someone who has won a national championship as a player and a coach.
“It’s special. You feel a great deal of responsibility to be the head coach at Duke. You want for your players to be able to experience this,” Scheyer said on Thursday at a media availability in San Antonio on what it means to make a walk to the elevated court in the Final Four this time as a head coach.
“Walking out there today for practice, I was just soaking it in like when I was 22 years old walking out for the first time. The Final Four is a once-in-a-lifetime kind of thing. To be a part of this, being my fourth Final Four, obviously first as a head coach, but if you’re around great people, you’re at a great place, it’s something I’ll never take for granted.
“At the same time I feel we belong here. I feel this is what we’ve worked for. So there’s that combination of amazing pride, wanting to soak it in, but then the incredible hunger and understanding what a challenge this game is going to be on Saturday. For me it’s that combination.”
Jon Scheyer stats at Duke
Here’s a look at Scheyer’s stats during his career at Duke:
- 2006-07: 12.2 points per game, 3.3 rebounds per game, 1.8 assists per game and 1.2 steals per game while shooting 39.8% from the field (36.5% 3-Point Shooting)
- 2007-08: 11.7 points per game, 3.9 rebounds per game, 2.4 assists per game and 1.4 steals per game while shooting 44.4% from the field (38.8% 3-Point Shooting)
- 2008-09: 14.9 points per game, 3.6 rebounds per game, 2.8 assists per game and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 39.7% from the field (38.5% 3-Point Shooting)
- 2009-10: 18.2 points per game, 4.9 assists per game, 3.6 rebounds per game and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 39.9% from the field (38.3% from the field)
