What Duke coach Jon Scheyer said on facing Houston: ‘An amazing challenge’
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For the second straight season, Houston and Duke face off in the NCAA Tournament.
The Cougars and Blue Devils will play the late game Saturday in the Final Four at San Antonio. Last season, Duke ended Houston's run with a win in the Sweet 16 round.
But three years ago, before even coaching his first game after replacing legendary Blue Devils’ coach Mike Krzyzewski, Jon Scheyer scrimmaged against Houston. He also developed a friendship with the Cougars’ coach, Kelvin Sampson.
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Scheyer talked about the scrimmage three years ago, getting to know Sampson and getting ready to face the current group of Cougars in a media session Thursday prior to Saturday night’s Final Four game in San Antonio.
Here is a sampling of some of Scheyer’s thoughts:
On why he scrimmaged Houston before Scheyer’s first game as coach in 2022
“It’s a special thing to be playing Houston. We understand what an amazing challenge this game will be. … When I got the coaching job at Duke, you’re trying to figure out who to scrimmage and what you can do, and we sought out scrimmaging Houston, and that was the respect that I had for Coach Sampson, Houston’s program, what they stand for.
“One, I wanted the toughest test for our team, and I just believed Houston would be the toughest test. Actually, a bunch of guys that were playing now were still on that team, and so that was the first thing. And the toughest test because of their coach, you know, their coach is as good as it gets in college basketball and basketball period. I just admired from afar the way they defended, how they were building their culture.
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“We had such a new group. … I wanted our guys to be exposed to the highest level and we were, and that day, I actually learned a lot about our group because I thought we showed great toughness. We probably lost that day; you know it’s hard to say if you win or lose a scrimmage based on we’re stopping it more and all that, but you know, I think we got punched in the face many times that day.
“We punched back, though, and I thought we had a great gauge for who our team was and how we can move forward. And we also learned, ‘All right, this is what it looks like, you know, to have a big-time team and culture.’
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On how Duke can solve Houston’s tough defense
“One, haven’t slept much; that’s a credit to Houston, but I’ll force myself to the next couple of nights. It’s also the excitement of everything, of course. But Houston; no offense to our scout team, we have a great scout team, it’s not something you can replicate.
“And so it’s a combination of understanding what could or could not be there, but also at the same time, you don’t want to make them out to be the boogeyman either, and you have to have confidence. We are a great offensive team, and I want us to be us.
“In doing that, you’re going to have some moments where you may go through a stretch where you don’t score. And the thing that’s been consistent for us is our defense, so we can’t let any offense impact our defense, but we’re going to be who we are.
“I know firsthand after playing them last year and scrimmaging them the year before, we know very well, like, how legit their defense is and their physicality and all that. But let’s be us, and let’s not be in our heels. And I think that’s an important thing when you play them because they’re terrific; like you talk about five guys moving together on defense, they’re the best at it. They’re the best at it, no matter what you do. So you really have to take advantage of that window of opportunity, and then you have to go north, south; you can’t be going east, west against these guys.”
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On his relationship with Houston coach Kelvin Sampson
“The thing I enjoyed most, though, was before the scrimmage (in 2022), Coach Sampson and I sitting down for about 45 minutes just talking about life. It wasn’t just about basketball; there was talk about life and his knowledge, his support. He texted me many times throughout that year, with not many coaches do that, and genuinely has reached out for his support.
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“Me and him were stuck in a recruiting (showcase) this spring in Phoenix, probably the worst thunderstorm that’s ever come through Phoenix. Me and him were just there for a couple of hours, talking about each other’s teams, and I really appreciated that, the friendship, the mentorship, and I can’t tell you how much I respect him and what he’s meant to our game and who he is as a coach.”
