Duke’s Scheyer Just Gave Ultimate Compliment to Current Team

The No. 1-ranked Duke Blue Devils (27-2, 15-1 ACC) are a near lock to earn a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament for the second season in a row, and are the favorite to take home the ACC regular season and ACC Tournament crown.

Duke is picking up right where it left off a season ago. The Blue Devils earned a 1-seed in the big dance and made it all the way to the Final Four before falling to Houston in collapsing fashion.

Feb 28, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster (1) gestures to head coach Jon Scheyer during the second half against the Virginia Cavaliers at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke won 77-51. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Jon Scheyer put together one of the most talented rosters in the entire country, led by 2025 National Player of the Year Cooper Flagg. Duke won the ACC Tournament and was about two minutes away from playing in the national title game.

Then, Duke lost its entire starting five to the NBA Draft as Flagg, Kon Knueppel, Khaman Maluach, Sion James, and Tyrese Proctor were all selected. Typically, after losing so much production, a program would be expected to take a step back the following season. That hasn't happened with Duke.

Feb 16, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reacts during the during the first half against the Syracuse Orange at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Zachary Taft-Imagn Images | Zachary Taft-Imagn Images

Jon Scheyer Praises Growth of Current Team

Despite losing their entire starting five, Scheyer and his staff have the Blue Devils right back in the mix for a national title, this time led by runaway National Player of the Year favorite Cameron Boozer.

The program was able to bring back rotational pieces in guys such as Isaiah Evans, Patrick Ngongba, Maliq Brown, and Caleb Foster, and propel them into much larger roles. Add in the No. 1 overall 2025 recruiting class, and Duke is once again one of the most talented teams in college basketball.

Feb 28, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer (12) drives to the basket during the second half against the Virginia Cavaliers at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Duke won 77-51. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Duke is now 27-2 overall, 10-2 against AP Top 25 opponents, and ranked No. 1 in both the NCAA NET Rankings and at KenPom.

After the Blue Devils' 77-51 win over No. 11 Virginia (25-4, 13-3 ACC) on Saturday, Scheyer gave his group a ton of credit in terms of how the players have grown over the course of the season.

Feb 24, 2026; South Bend, Indiana, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Caleb Foster (1) drives as Notre Dame Fighting Irish guard Sir Mohammed (13) defends during the second half at Purcell Pavilion at the Joyce Center. Mandatory Credit: Michael Caterina-Imagn Images | Michael Caterina-Imagn Images

"These guys have just put their head down, thrown themselves into the work," Scheyer said. "They've grown as much as any team that I've coached. And to see how they've come together and how connected they are on defense and offense -- that's the thing I'm most proud of."

Jan 24, 2026; Durham, North Carolina, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer gestures during the second half against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons at Cameron Indoor Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images | Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Jon Scheyer Deserves Coach of the Year Award

It's extremely difficult to lose so much production from a team that was good enough to be a 1-seed in the NCAA Tournament, and not just keep it competitive, but right back in the mix for the best team in the entire sport the next season.

Scheyer once again has the Blue Devils in contention to cut down the nets in early April, and he deserves to be recognized as the National Coach of the Year for the job he has done.

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