Duke basketball coaches Mike Krzyzewski and Jon Scheyer (Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports)
A boss timeline: 18 prizes under Duke basketball magnet Jon Scheyer
One year and 10 days have passed since the all-time loudest Duke basketball news bomb. Entering his 42nd season in charge of the Blue Devils, Hall of Famer Mike Krzyzewski pre-announced his 2022 retirement and named Jon Scheyer his successor.
At the time, Scheyer's primary new task was to orchestrate all recruiting efforts moving forward. He needed to start on the 2022 recruiting trail, trying to compile a quality 2022-23 roster — preferably top-10 caliber — under the assumption that only a few 2021-22 Blue Devils would stay put in Durham for his first season at the helm.
Oh, and he'd need to solidify his staff while not forgetting to land 2023 recruits and build relationships on the 2024 trail and beyond.
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Remember that the Duke offer sheet was blank when Scheyer embarked on this daunting mission. Krzyzewski had delayed the program's recruiting efforts; he didn't want to mislead potential targets about whether he would still be the head coach when they arrived.
Meanwhile, critics drooled over what they saw as the program's impending doom. But Blue Devil faithful knew better.
Fast forward to Saturday's finishing-touch news.
Former Illinois shooting guard Jacob Grandison, one of the most coveted undecided talents in the transfer portal, announced his commitment to Duke. Many believe the 24-year-old could beat out several of the team's heralded first-year college players for a starting job at the two-spot or small forward.
Every Duke basketball addition so far with Jon Scheyer calling the shots
Let's rewind the timeline. We'll start at the beginning, back when a soaring-stock big man sparked the madness to come by giving Jon Scheyer his first recruiting win in a shot-caller role (note that this list includes his staff-building wins):
1. July 29, 2021: Kyle Filipowski, a proficient five-star power forward who finished No. 4 on the 247Sports 2022 Composite, revealed his allegiance to Scheyer.
2. August 1, 2021: Dariq Whitehead, an electric five-star small forward and eventual SI All-American Player of the Year who sits No. 2 among his 2022 peers, followed suit.
3. September 2, 2021: Jaden Schutt, a Jon Scheyer lookalike and four-star shooting guard who ranks No. 65 in the 2022 class, said yes to a potential long-term Blue Devil career.
4. September 16, 2021: Caleb Foster, a speedy five-star 6-foot-5 point guard who ranks No. 16 overall on the 247Sports 2023 Composite, jumpstarted Duke's top-dog 2023 collection with his early promise to be a Blue Devil.
5. September 20, 2021: Dereck Lively, an oh-so-nimble five-star 7-foot center who reigns at No. 1 in 2022, joined the club and wrapped up a top-ranked haul for the mere 34-year-old Scheyer.
6. December 10, 2021: Mark Mitchell, an incredibly athletic five-star small forward who finished No. 21 among his peers, gave Scheyer's 2022 class the fourth of its now five five-star gems.
7. December 14, 2021: Christian Reeves, a promising three-star 7-foot 2022 center who climbed to No. 136, revealed his decision to hop on board with "The Brotherhood."
8. December 23, 2021: Sean Stewart, a ferocious power forward who recently snagged a five-star rating while rising to No. 11 in his class, became Scheyer's second 2023 recruiting victory.
9. March 18, 2022: Jared McCain, a silky five-star shooting guard who moonlights as a famous TikTok dancer and might be a tad underrated with his No. 23 overall ranking, informed the public that he'll take his moves to Durham in 2023.
10. April 7, 2022: Mike Schrage, who was the Duke basketball director of operations in the early 2000s and served as the Elon head coach across the past three seasons, announced his return to Durham — with a Dwight Schrute-like title — as the special assistant to the head coach.
11. April 7, 2022: Tyrese Proctor, a five-star Australian sensation at point guard who has since reclassified to 2022 and received a No. 26 overall ranking, donned Duke threads on his announcement day.
12. April 8, 2022: Mackenzie Mgbako, a jaw-dropping five-star small forward who ranks No. 3 among rising high school seniors, became Scheyer's premier 2023 pickup — best so far, anyway.
13. April 26, 2022: Kale Catchings, a workhorse grad senior small forward who drew 24 starts in his junior year under Harvard head coach and former Blue Devil Tommy Amaker, announced that he'll use his final year of eligibility in Durham.
14. May 1, 2022: Ryan Young, a skilled big man and grad senior with two years of eligibility remaining, trumpeted his oath to Duke after averaging at least 17 minutes each season under Northwestern head coach and former Blue Devil Chris Collins.
15. May 2, 2022: Jai Lucas, a proven young recruiting magnet as an assistant at his alma mater, Texas, and then at Kentucky the past two years, sent shockwaves through Big Blue Nation by jumping on the Scheyer bus.
16. June 2, 2022: Max Johns, a former three-year backup point guard at Princeton, became a reported (by Brendan Marks of The Athletic) Duke addition in a walk-on capacity.
17. June 7, 2022: Rachel Baker, a former Nike and NBA staffer now serving as Duke's well-connected NIL mastermind, became the first general manager in program history.
18. June 11, 2022: Jacob Grandison, as noted above, put the icing on the 2022-23 Blue Devil roster.
Doing the math, all of the above equates to roughly 1.5 additions to the program per month under Jon Scheyer's watch.
Now, Duke enjoys a stacked 2022-23 roster despite only two returning scholarship players on tap: starting floor general Jeremy Roach and third-string point guard Jaylen Blakes. As bonafide title contenders, the Blue Devils should begin their quest in November either inside or near the top five on the Preseason AP Poll.
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So who will be the next to give Duke a recruiting win and further cement Jon Scheyer's reputation as a supreme roster-builder? Perhaps not even Jon Scheyer knows.
Better question: When will it happen? Given Jon Scheyer's record-setting track record the past year, it's safe to say it shouldn't be long before "another one" comes along.
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