What Jon Scheyer said following Duke's victory over Virginia
· Yahoo Sports
Opening statement
I'll make this brief so you can talk to these guys. I literally could not be more proud of these three guys next to me, our team, Virginia. I think you guys probably know how good Virginia is. I don't think nationally that's quite clear just how good they are. That was a big-time battle. That's what we expected it to be. They're terrific. They're well-coached. They've got all the pieces, man. Congrats to them on an incredible season.
Visit rhodia.club for more information.
For these guys, just to step up, game after game, the response from Florida State, coming back yesterday. And I think we're going to learn so much from this. But the season these guys have had, the will to win end of the game. Honestly, I thought Cayden completely put us on his back in that first half, the job he did just running the show, scoring, defending, really do anything.
To play 40 minutes against Virginia when they're pressing you the whole game was just an incredible performance, man. Incredible. Cam and Isaiah were just okay (laughter).
Update on Caleb Foster or Patrick Ngongba
No, Caleb is going to be a little while still. Again, he's progressing well.
As far as Pat goes, I think he's been doing his therapy, working with the medical team. They're just benchmarks. He just has to continue to take it -- it's a day-by-day thing to see how he can handle the next step and whether that soreness goes away. I can tell you he's improving. I feel very positive about it, but I can't say what that means as far as later in the week in terms of timing or readiness, because we have to take it step by step.
On the confidence he has in his team in close games
Honestly, I have the ultimate belief in this team. The schedule we've played, for me this year, has been the hardest schedule, when you combine the non-conference schedule, the improvement in the ACC, the different tests we've been in. That was a goal for me after last year, like, let's see how many tough situations we can put our guys in.
The way they've stepped up and answered almost every test. When we haven't, we've come back really strong.
I don't know. We felt we could be really good, but you don't know the character and the connectivity, and that's been the most exciting part for me to watch develop.
On Cameron Boozer responding despite tough game
Yeah, he's the ultimate winner. I think the thing that's so special about that play, it can be dejecting. It can be really discouraging when that happens.
To have the awareness to understand the shot clock -- like he could have easily gone back up, but he made the smart play to get it out. I think that was just such a big time play. I've seen him in different moments where he hasn't been at his best. But we're spoiled. I'm spoiled because he's 13-8-8. It's like, that's an off-night for him. It just is.
He's really spoiled us with his consistency.
On Cayden Boozer's growth
It's huge. Look, part of what you try to do with roster building and all that -- I mean, look, we only have two guards on the roster. Most teams, they have three or more. Part of it was just the belief we had in Cayden and Caleb. They've played together some.
But look, obviously it's even a bigger opportunity with Caleb going out. You can ask the staff; we had complete confidence that Cayden was ready to do this and to take this to the next level.
But to answer it in this moment and against the teams we've played, ACC Tournament, I just think that's something inherently that he has where he was born with that. He was born with that confidence and that competitiveness.
On what he has learned about himself as a coach and person
Well, I think the first year or two, you're just trying to survive. Just straight up, you're just trying to survive. I think I've tried to really explore these last two years just what my purpose is with this.
The wins are incredible, to share these moments with our players are the best. But if you can't develop relationships -- I think that's the thing that's most important that I'm proud of. Isaiah, I don't know who asked him the question about his growth, but it was two good questions. You're two for two. I don't know if I would ask another, just keep it.
Like for Isaiah, it was probably -- that's uncommon at the end of the year. You've got a guy, a McDonald's All-American, doesn't play as much. We had a really talented team. He could have transferred easy, could have gone pro. But to be able to double down on each other, go through this whole year, to be able to share these moments with Isaiah, we've been through so much together.
To me that's what's important and what I've learned.
On the success of Duke men's basketball, women's basketball and football this year
Well, how can you not think of Nina King and what she's meant to our school. You think about the fact, the last two nights, President Price, who really knows sports and follows us, it stems from their leadership. I'm fortunate to share a great relationship with Kara, with Manny and the job they've done has been awesome.
They were playing the ACC championship last year and you're yelling at the TV to get a rebound and all that. I just think we can help make everybody better by doing it. So it's been a really fun thing.
The timing of this all, the fact that Manny, Kara and I all started around the same time, I think there's a bond in that, too.
On Caleb Foster's leadership from bench
Yeah, he's incredible. Caleb, I've never seen a guy shoot so much in a scooter. He gets in the gym and he gets his shots up every day already. He literally has not taken a day off. His voice, he's right there with me in the huddles.
I think part of this is just how I've evolved, but literally it's the most our players have ever talked in huddles, and Caleb included. Multiple times a game, I have to ask him to shut up for one second just to get in a few coaching points.
But Caleb, his voice, what he means to our players, there's no question they wanted to win this for him tonight, as obviously Pat, as well.
On recruiting tough players
It's incredible. Look, it's the hardest thing to identify. It's the rarest commodity, that you're trying to get all the time.
We've put a lot of emphasis with our evaluations, with prioritizing where we think we're finding it. You have to be a little unfortunate. And then for the most part, I think we've done a great job just identifying it.
But you think about we're without Pat, we've got 20 offensive rebounds. It's two games in a row we've had everybody on the team have an offensive rebound. Isaiah didn't get one tonight. But I don't know, just our identity, we've created something where just the loose balls, the rebounds. And Virginia does, too. That's why it's such a back-and-forth game, because the will to get it has to go up as you go on in March.
On dealing with adversity
Yeah, I think the reality is to think you're going to have six games where it goes your way and it's smooth sailing. That's just not the reality of it.
For Cam, I think this is such a great experience for him to go through this. That's why I'm so proud -- because again, you have to credit them with their defense, but it was just a different kind of game, how hard it was to score, and especially for him.
So again, I've been in those moments, and I'm just so proud that we could -- you keep going back to what you can control, and you can control your defense. You can control your talk and how you continue to make those plays when it comes to rebounding.
I think that's something we learned tonight, that we can trust our defense even when our offense isn't maybe the smoothest.
On how he wins every game
I see two losses next to us. But I win every game because I have the best daughter in the world; that's how. I love you.
This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: What Jon Scheyer said following Duke's victory over Virginia