There are few college basketball coaches more well-known than Duke Blue Devils legend Mike Krzyzewski. He hasn’t coached since the 2021-22 season, but Jon Scheyer has taken over the reigns of the program and found big success.
With March Madness about to begin, Krzyzewski was asked about Duke’s current head coach. He had nothing but praise to share about Scheyer.
“Jon Scheyer has such a feel for the game of basketball and he was a National Champion for me,” Krzyzewski said. “He was ready and he’s doing such a great job. He relates so well to these guys and I love what he’s done.”
That praise comes after Scheyer led the Blue Devils to a 32-2 record leading into the tournament. He also won the ACC championship this season.
Now, the question becomes, can Scheyer lead the No. 1-seeded Duke basketball team to another national championship win?
Looking at Duke’s Path to a National Championship
Duke ended up landing the No. 1 seed in the East portion of the bracket. The Blue Devils will face off agianst the No. 16 seed Siena on Thursday afternoon at 2:50 p.m. ET.
There are other elite teams in Duke’s bracket. Scheyer and company will have to go through teams like St. John’s, Kansas, Michigan State, and Uconn simply to get to the Elite Eight.
With that being said, former NBA star Wally Szczerbiak spoke out with a tough reality for the Blue Devils. He believes that Duke has the most difficult path to winning a title.
“Duke has the hardest road in my opinion. It’s not even close,” Szczerbiak said. “That is not a reward for the overall No. 1 seed.”
Despite having a difficult path ahead, the Blue Devils are loaded with talent. Led by likely top-three NBA draft pick Cameron Boozer, Duke will have a chance to prove that it’s the best team in the nation.
Remember Coach K’s Legacy With the Blue Devils
Anytime Krzyzewski makes the news cycle, it brings up the need to remember what he accomplished during his legendary coaching career.
Krzyzewski started off his coaching career at Army from the 1975-76 season through 1979-80. He compiled a 73-59 record.
After that stop, he took his coaching talents to the Blue Devils. He coached Duke from the 1980-81 season all the way through the 2021-22 campaign. During that timeframe, he compiled a 1,129-309 record, which is good enough for a 78.5 winning percentage.
Most importantly, Coach K led the Blue Devils to five National Championship wins.
Scheyer landing this much praise from a coaching legend shows just how good he has been since becoming the program’s new head coach. In his first four years thus far, he has compiled a 121-24 record.
Duke Legend Mike Krzyzewski Doesn’t Hold Back About Jon Scheyer