Nolan Smith Clearly Expressed His High Regard for Duke’s Jon Scheyer
Three seasons after succeeding Mike Krzyzewski, Jon Scheyer and the Duke Blue Devils are making their return to the Final Four.
With a team featuring potential NBA lottery picks, Scheyer and the No. 1 seed Blue Devils breezed through the first four rounds of the NCAA Tournament, winning by a total of 94 points.
Now, Scheyer has joined the rare group of individuals who have led their program to the Final Four both as a player and as a coach.
Scheyer, who played for Duke from 2006-2010, helped secure a national championship in his final season. Nolan Smith, also a key player for Duke during that period, was a starting guard on the championship team.
When reflecting on Scheyer’s leadership, Smith said, “There are a lot of people who understand the game, but not everyone is a true leader. Jon was always a vocal leader on the court, an extension of the head coach.”
Smith also shared that Scheyer demonstrated coaching qualities early in his career, mentioning, “He was like a coach from his freshman year. When I joined as a sophomore, and Jon took over as the starting point guard midway through the season, he was essentially Coach K on the court. His basketball IQ and leadership were always exceptional.”
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