Duke basketball: Jon Scheyer is already winning with players

Jon Scheyer is a rarity among college head coaches.

Of the 68 head coaches in the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament last season, only three were McDonald’s All-Americans.

2006 McDonald’s All-American, played for Duke Shires for 4 years His ability to relate to the players he recruits and coaches helps him in his work.

The 35-year-old is about to begin his first season as Duke’s head coach, replacing Hall of Famer Mike Krzyszewski, who has held the position for 42 years. Shire can hold shooting competitions with his players and is also proficient in his game, sometimes beating them.

“My relationship with him is like this,” Duke’s guard Jeremy Roach said, crossing long fingers to indicate their close relationship.

Shire has led the Blue Devils to three wins over the past two seasons as interim head coach, games two and three due to health problems for 75-year-old Krzyszewski. However, he has yet to record an official victory.

“For sure, I feel like he still has some things figured out,” Duke freshman forward Darik Whitehead said this summer. “But he’s doing a great job and doesn’t show it to us, making it look as if he’s been here and he’s done it before. You can go out with it and do whatever he asks.”

Expectations are high for such a young first-time head coach, but Shire has plenty of experience.

The Northbrook, Illinois native was a highly regarded recruit himself, so he understands the rigors of taking classes at Duke while playing basketball for the ACC. And Shire, as a player and as a coach he spent more than a decade in college learning from one of the greatest coaches in basketball history.

As part of Kuzyszewski’s coaching staff from 2014 to 2022, Shire played a key role in recruiting some of the nation’s biggest recruits, including Zion Williamson, Paolo Banchero and Kam Reddish. 247Sports.com). With professional paths such as Overtime in his Elite and G League his Ignite available to athletes, Shire’s ability to continue to attract top domestic recruits is noteworthy.

“Real Opportunity”

Shire’s first team as Duke’s head coach will include the nation’s #1 recruiting class, topped by three of the 2022 group’s top 10 players: Derek Lively, Kyle Filipowski and Darik Whitehead. is packed with freshmen who make up the

“They believed it,” Shire said. “I think they see an opportunity that is a combination of being in a program like Duke and being the stage, the history and being the first to do something. I think it’s a real opportunity for them.”

Duke’s 2023 class is off to an impressive start as well. Five of his top 25 players earned his 5-star recruit, and the class is also currently rated #1 nationally.

“I think he’s doing well,” Duke Athletics Director Nina King told News & Observer. I think you can take it off and that was great.

“One of the best recruiters ever”

Shire’s recruiting prowess began long before he was named Krzyszewski’s successor.

Former Duke Guard DJ Steward met Shire during his sophomore year in 2017 through Rick Mulnati, head coach at Fenwick High School in Chicago. Their meeting was early in the recruitment process prior to Steward’s promotion to the national ranks.

“I just realized how positive and wonderful he is,” the steward said.

Scheyer’s positive nature enhances his ability to connect with players. A Consensus Second Team All-American for Duke during the 2009-10 season and Mr. Basketball for Illinois in 2006, the former Duke left after associate head coach Jeff Capel left to become Pittsburgh’s head coach. I assumed a more active role in Recruit.

Ahead of the 2018-19 season, Shire stepped into the role of Associate Head Coach of Kuzyszewski’s staff, raising his profile within the coaching ranks of the Recruiting Trail. Since 2018 he has been ranked in the top 5 247Sports.com Top Recruiter Ranking — Finish first in 2020 and 2021.

As a recruiter, Steward said Shire was “very hands-on.”

“I think he’s one of the best recruiters ever,” added Steward. “You can tell by looking at the people he brings to Duke each year.

“Some coaches may do it in different ways. It was a pretty big deal.”

When it comes to coaching, relationships are everything. Roach appreciated that Shire cared more about him and his family during the recruitment process than he could add to Duke’s basketball program.

“He just asked a lot of questions,” Roach said. “If I say anything about my family, he’ll just want to know, ‘What about them? Who is this?’ It makes me feel special.”

The steward experienced that same level of credibility not only during the recruitment process, but also when he entered his name in the 2021 NBA Draft. I’ve given previous players some insight into what it takes to compete, and I’ve also checked with my family.

When Jacob Grandison visited Duke last spring to talk to Shire and other coaches after getting his name on the transfer portal, the credibility To stand out to him, he chose the Blue Devils.

He said, “I was encouraged to put everything out there. Don’t leave all the raw, awkward questions unasked.”

“So it was really wholesome and kosher,” Grandison said. “I knew this was the group of people I wanted to be with.”

Shire Competitiveness

Shire’s thoughtfulness and attention to detail in his approach to work make him an excellent recruiter, and he still does, just as he did when he helped the Blue Devils win the 2010 national championship. Competitor.

The stewards recalled competing in shooting competitions with Shire and playing the popular video game NBA 2K alongside him.

“He beat me by 2K,” the steward said. “He’s actually good at his 2K and doesn’t even play games….I don’t know how.

Shire showed the same firepower as the players. He is an eternal legend in Illinois where he scored 21 points in 75 seconds in the Proviso West He Holiday He Tournament where Evan Turner, Kevin Garnett, Isaiah He Thomas and others participated. Damage to right eye.

“He’s very competitive. No matter what, if he’s losing, he’ll be mad,” said the steward. He’s going to bring it up over the next few days.Shire’s a great guy.He’s definitely a competitive guy.”

That competitiveness, his real-world experience and knack for finding talent well positions Shire as he prepares to navigate the world of college basketball in the shadow of a legend.

But Shire has already said that his recruiting pitch is different than when he was rated number one in the 2022 recruiting class as coach-in-waiting.

“I think it has to change,” Shire said. “For one thing, I’m not Coach K, so I can’t say what he went through. That’s why you should be here. But the similarity is that it’s Duke University and it’s Duke Basketball, so that’s a big selling point.”