If Jon gave you…

Duke Bluu

All-Conference
Nov 7, 2017
3,596
2,471
113
I saw how we closed that first half and i immediately knew it was going to become a tight game.

Jon has done an excellent job. At this point he has one glaring issue. His teams get tight in close games and lack the killer extinct to smell blood and complete the mauling.

Maybe some of you are too young but when Mike Tyson in his prime smelled blood, he kicked it into overdrive to maul his opponent. Arizona is playing that way right now.
 

Mac9192

Heisman
Jan 25, 2017
9,504
13,737
107
Overall, he’s done a really good job Think he relates well, as also seen by his recruiting. I think he’s a good coach, and in close games at the half, his adjustments have been great.

My concern is tight games, and making sure the role players continue looking for their shot. It’s not his style, but I sure wish he’d show a little emotion at times too.

I would also ask him why our second best scorer only took 6 shots, and during UConn’s run in the 2nd half, why he didn’t throw a little zone at them, to throw them off. It had worked the other games.

I’d tell him I know so much because of my recliner I sit in. So he’d probably offer to clean a spot on bench for me to bring it and be an assistant coach.
 
Last edited:

JimboSlice00

All-American
Sep 19, 2021
2,833
5,010
42
Yeah pretty much as the others have said. I’d say you’ve done a really good job and to keep recruiting at the level you are. However, no hiding and no sugar coating the fact you’ve folded when it’s mattered the most and you have built a reputation for such. I saw something on X today that said he’s a young Doc Rivers which cuts deep.
 
Jun 30, 2025
429
747
93
Yeah pretty much as the others have said. I’d say you’ve done a really good job and to keep recruiting at the level you are. However, no hiding and no sugar coating the fact you’ve folded when it’s mattered the most and you have built a reputation for such. I saw something on X today that said he’s a young Doc Rivers which cuts deep.
Let's hope he's not. And I don't think he is. But next year's tourney is HUGE for Jon and the program. And right now, it's hard to say what the expectation is without knowing who is on the roster.
 

DBM0828

Junior
Jun 6, 2012
235
292
63
Overall you have been B+ level... You are coaching Mainly high level freshman which is a benefit and a curse. Every year a newly constructed roster. So with that you get a B+... Recruiting you get an A++, but would say look at some progressive players who plan to stick around more than 1 year. AND GIVE PLAYERS MORE of a Chance to play. Clutch moments you get a C-. The tournament meltdowns matter more than in season games. And for that you get a low grade... OVERALL I Appreciate you being our coach and Wouldn't want anyone else.
 

sheyduke

All-American
Apr 13, 2010
14,034
9,527
108
First and foremost, you’re doing an excellent job . It took K 11 years of head coaching before he got his first national championship. He had five years of head coaching before coming to Duke . Second there hasn’t really been a drop off especially as you are only on your forth year and we’ve made the tourney and advanced every year . The one thing that bothers me as we move forward is your lack of reasoning both starters and bench players and the development of the players who do return . What is your game model going forward to account for injuries and depth ? Also how can we help you better assist what your missing in these late game collapses?
 
  • Like
Reactions: DBM0828

DukeGuru

Redshirt
Feb 8, 2026
34
29
17
I saw how we closed that first half and i immediately knew it was going to become a tight game.

Jon has done an excellent job. At this point he has one glaring issue. His teams get tight in close games and lack the killer extinct to smell blood and complete the mauling.

Maybe some of you are too young but when Mike Tyson in his prime smelled blood, he kicked it into overdrive to maul his opponent. Arizona is playing that way right now.
I was in denial telling myself there is no way we blow this lead even if the refs call 3 fouls in a row on us to start the second half
 

DukeGuru

Redshirt
Feb 8, 2026
34
29
17
I would give him a B+ based on regular season success. D+ for NCAAT success, you just cannot underachieve with the amount of talent we’ve had 2-3 years in a row. People forget we should have loss to 16 seed Siena in the first round
 
  • Haha
Reactions: Ghost of Dattier

dukesince91

All-American
Mar 16, 2012
3,598
6,602
98
I would tell him he’s doing a great job and is showing improvement each year. Don’t listen to all the outside noise and keep believing in yourself. You may want to start looking for some 4 leaf clovers, horse shoes, rabbits feet, and whatever else is considered lucky. One more thing, it’s going to feel great when you get that gorilla off your back as Duke wins number six soon.
 
Jun 30, 2025
429
747
93
I would give him a B+ based on regular season success. D+ for NCAAT success, you just cannot underachieve with the amount of talent we’ve had 2-3 years in a row. People forget we should have loss to 16 seed Siena in the first round
D+? 3 ACC tournament championships out of his first four years, 3 straight elite eight, and a Final Four is pretty damn good. Very few schools have done that in the same time frame. Yes, the back-to-back brutal endings are terrible ways to go out. But I think you're being too harsh, big-picture-wise. I'd say for the four seasons, recruiting A+, roster construction A-, regular season A-, ACC tournament A, NCAA tournament B.

2023 is a what-if. Duke came in hot, and Mark Mitchell went down before Tennessee killed us. I think that team beats Tennessee with Mark. And that bracket had opened up with a bunch of upsets.
Overachieved with the 2024 team, and it's losing to an 11 seed that everyone is focused on, but that State team was on a heater. We upset Houston in that tournament.

In 2025, I believe this team was the best and should've won it all. And they underachieved. But they also made it to within a game of taking it all. This year was another heartbreaking collapse. Something has to change. But Jon is 11-4 in his first four years with 3 sweet sixteens, 3 elite eights, and a final four. Hardly a D+. And if you factor in the ACC tournament record, 9-1 with 3 titles, it's pretty damn good.
 

dukesince91

All-American
Mar 16, 2012
3,598
6,602
98
A D+ lord. If this is a D+ what do you consider K from 2016-the end?
I felt like K was fading out at the end of his career. His teams were peaking early and the offense was all iso ball. I hated to see him go, but he knew it was time. I give Jon a pass, because he’s shown improvement each year and has only been a head coach 4 years. People just don’t understand how hard it is to win a national championship. How many of you recliner coaches would have held the ball if you were Cayden? I sure as hell wouldn’t have called timeout like a lot of people are saying.Dan Hurley just got lucky and he know it. He’s got to have one giant horseshoe stuck up his a$$.
 

dukesince91

All-American
Mar 16, 2012
3,598
6,602
98
Other teams fans grade us on a curve due to all the talent. Fair or not they do.
Yep, growing up one of my dad’s friends was a Tarheel fan. He always said Lefty Drisell was a great recruiter, but couldn’t coach. To me recruiting is the biggest part of coaching, Jon’s getting much better with X’s and O’s.
 
  • Like
Reactions: christophero

sheyduke

All-American
Apr 13, 2010
14,034
9,527
108
Other teams fans grade us on a curve due to all the talent. Fair or not they do.
Talent on paper. I mean outside of Cameron all year , Evans was hit or miss during games and not until the end of the year was Cayden good for ten points each game . Sure the defense was there but you got to score as well.
for any one giving Jon anything below a B - is simply crazy . Duke doesn’t even have the highest paid roster every year like say Kentucky even UNC .
 

denverexpat

All-Conference
Feb 1, 2006
4,556
3,325
93
I debated whether to jump into this or not but since its an opinion thread...why not! I have no idea whether JS is a good coach or not. Why? Because he hasnt had to coach anywhere with less talent than the teams we play. He served an apprenticeship under the GOAT and was handed a program with a National reputation, massive TV exposure, and an alumni brotherhood of pros, a program with a history of success. These are massive advantages for a young coach. The results are good, but is it coaching or talent and circumstances? His recruiting of HS talent has been excellent or it hasnt fallen off from when Coach K left. Where he has fallen off is in the recruiting ( portal) and retention/identification of key multi-yr players, which make a significant impact on team cohesion and leadership. JS was on the 2010 Championship team, which had great guards, Singler with size and scoring, senior leadership, a true center and talented role playing freshman. He played in a system that valued defense and was adaptable offensively so the leading scorer each night wasnt one guy. It had balance. Given that was the recipe for success - I'd have to ask him why he has chosen to go freshman heavy, rely on individual excellence and not team excellence and seemingly abandon the recipe of success he experienced as a player. Is it the current NIL/portal situation? Is it to try to establish his own "brand"? Given the success of mature teams the past few years, why are we perennially freshman-heavy? The expectations following Coach K are high, very high, so I hope JS takes a serious look at our program history, and maybe restores some of what made us the most feared program in the Country.
 
  • Like
Reactions: DBM0828

sheyduke

All-American
Apr 13, 2010
14,034
9,527
108
I debated whether to jump into this or not but since its an opinion thread...why not! I have no idea whether JS is a good coach or not. Why? Because he hasnt had to coach anywhere with less talent than the teams we play. He served an apprenticeship under the GOAT and was handed a program with a National reputation, massive TV exposure, and an alumni brotherhood of pros, a program with a history of success. These are massive advantages for a young coach. The results are good, but is it coaching or talent and circumstances? His recruiting of HS talent has been excellent or it hasnt fallen off from when Coach K left. Where he has fallen off is in the recruiting ( portal) and retention/identification of key multi-yr players, which make a significant impact on team cohesion and leadership. JS was on the 2010 Championship team, which had great guards, Singler with size and scoring, senior leadership, a true center and talented role playing freshman. He played in a system that valued defense and was adaptable offensively so the leading scorer each night wasnt one guy. It had balance. Given that was the recipe for success - I'd have to ask him why he has chosen to go freshman heavy, rely on individual excellence and not team excellence and seemingly abandon the recipe of success he experienced as a player. Is it the current NIL/portal situation? Is it to try to establish his own "brand"? Given the success of mature teams the past few years, why are we perennially freshman-heavy? The expectations following Coach K are high, very high, so I hope JS takes a serious look at our program history, and maybe restores some of what made us the most feared program in the Country.
But ask your self this , Do you pass on the talent in hopes of being the highest bidder in the portal? Kids now a days can literally go to four different schools in four years where you used to have to sit out if you transferred beyond a coaching change . So how do you retain a starting five every season ? This isn’t like the years of past Even Duke began to see multiple transfers under K before the rule change . How do you sell to non starters to return ? Do you literally stop recruiting because you believe all five are coming back and you recruit for the bench ? What happens if at the last moment two players in your starting five leave then how do you recover those two spots when most the portal is gone ? There is no right or wrong to today’s game . It’s simply the way it is as as far as the “ Duke Effect “. If it was looked at as being that much exposure , going into the portal and getting who you want wouldn’t be an issue .
 

denverexpat

All-Conference
Feb 1, 2006
4,556
3,325
93
But ask your self this , Do you pass on the talent in hopes of being the highest bidder in the portal? Kids now a days can literally go to four different schools in four years where you used to have to sit out if you transferred beyond a coaching change . So how do you retain a starting five every season ? This isn’t like the years of past Even Duke began to see multiple transfers under K before the rule change . How do you sell to non starters to return ? Do you literally stop recruiting because you believe all five are coming back and you recruit for the bench ? What happens if at the last moment two players in your starting five leave then how do you recover those two spots when most the portal is gone ? There is no right or wrong to today’s game . It’s simply the way it is as as far as the “ Duke Effect “. If it was looked at as being that much exposure , going into the portal and getting who you want wouldn’t be an issue .
Agreed that the landscape has changed but other teams seem to have cracked that code....retained experience and brought in talent - HS and portal...
 

bullcitygamer

Junior
Sep 26, 2025
151
286
63
Scheyer is Duke’s Coach and I’m Proud of It.

He’s won as a player playing as a non traditional point guard (2010)

He’s Won as an Assistant Coach (2015).

He Recruits at a high level and his players Develop. Tyrese Proctor, Sion James, Caleb Foster, anyone? His teams also get better throughout the course of the season. The D in Defense is back in Duke Basketball, year in and year out Duke is One of The Best Defensive Teams in the Country since Scheyer took the head coaching gig, something Coach K (GOAT)’s teams lacked from 2016-2022.

continue to bag on Scheyer if you want. The guy has been a Winner ever since he was in high school and I have no doubt he is going to continue Winning in life.
 

sheyduke

All-American
Apr 13, 2010
14,034
9,527
108
Agreed that the landscape has changed but other teams seem to have cracked that code....retained experience and brought in talent - HS and portal...
And have they won it all since the rule change ? You also have to look at their players draft stock .
 

denverexpat

All-Conference
Feb 1, 2006
4,556
3,325
93
And have they won it all since the rule change ? You also have to look at their players draft stock .
Yes...one will win it this year, one won last year and the year before and back to 2021 Baylor...Seniors and talented fr...its the trend
 

Mac9192

Heisman
Jan 25, 2017
9,504
13,737
107
When you look at the championship teams, most of them have at least 4 of the guys on the floor that can score. There aren't many teams that were like the 2010 team, which basically relied on 3 guys. I know I'm being critical of a team that lost 3 games by a total of 5 points, but I can't help but think that we didn't have enough guys on the floor ready/willing to score the last few minutes of the game.

I liked Maliq, Dame, and Nik. They played hard. But let's be honest, if two of these guys were on the floor at the same time, we were a little limited on offense.
 
  • Like
Reactions: The Only Blue

sheyduke

All-American
Apr 13, 2010
14,034
9,527
108
Yes...one will win it this year, one won last year and the year before and back to 2021 Baylor...Seniors and talented fr...its the trend
In 2021 , Baylor started only one senior , UCONN in their back to backs didn’t start one senior they were mainly freshman and sophomores . Floridas 2025 roster was the only one to start three seniors , a sophomore and a junior with the two transfers .
so what exactly is the trend ? Arizona starts one Senior, one Junior and three freshman . Michigan starts one grad transfer , two juniors and two freshman . Only two transfers are Cadeau and Lendenborg.
the only trend from 21-25, their benches helped out the starters . All played their starters heavy minutes and the only one with seniors was Baylor and Florida with starting seniors .
 
  • Like
Reactions: bullcitygamer

DBM0828

Junior
Jun 6, 2012
235
292
63
Talent matters YES. Just like everything execution of what you do best is going to trump everything. Doesn't matter freshman or senior. Style of play, minimizing turnovers and scoring is gonna win. Point blank.
 
  • Like
Reactions: sheyduke

JimboSlice00

All-American
Sep 19, 2021
2,833
5,010
42
We just haven’t had the shooters like I thought we would under Jon. I love these two last teams defense and I’m not saying a lethal offense over a great defense but as others have said- talent simply matters.

Jon has done a TON of winning and Duke is clearly the alpha of the ACC. I know almost everyone on here are sick to the freshman teams and I do think the days are gone of starting 4 freshman, but Jon is so elite on the recruiting trail that you don’t change that approach too much in my opinion.
 

Ghost of Dattier

Freshman
Oct 27, 2025
148
76
28
For starters, Jon would have to ask me 3 or 4 times because there's no way I have anything to offer him as far as coaching is concerned.
I've typed about 5 different things and deleted them all. There is no prescription that dictates how games play out.
Schedule like you did this year.
Keep prioritizing length and versatility.
Hit shots? Don't get injured? Really? Come on...
 

The Only Blue

All-American
Nov 10, 2021
3,908
5,464
81
Not a fan of Geno but this is his interview at the end of the third quarter when South Carolina didn't get called for a single foul the whole quarter. Would love for Jon to show some fire like this.

 
  • Like
Reactions: Dad2ze

DukeGuru

Redshirt
Feb 8, 2026
34
29
17
D+? 3 ACC tournament championships out of his first four years, 3 straight elite eight, and a Final Four is pretty damn good. Very few schools have done that in the same time frame. Yes, the back-to-back brutal endings are terrible ways to go out. But I think you're being too harsh, big-picture-wise. I'd say for the four seasons, recruiting A+, roster construction A-, regular season A-, ACC tournament A, NCAA tournament B.

2023 is a what-if. Duke came in hot, and Mark Mitchell went down before Tennessee killed us. I think that team beats Tennessee with Mark. And that bracket had opened up with a bunch of upsets.
Overachieved with the 2024 team, and it's losing to an 11 seed that everyone is focused on, but that State team was on a heater. We upset Houston in that tournament.

In 2025, I believe this team was the best and should've won it all. And they underachieved. But they also made it to within a game of taking it all. This year was another heartbreaking collapse. Something has to change. But Jon is 11-4 in his first four years with 3 sweet sixteens, 3 elite eights, and a final four. Hardly a D+. And if you factor in the ACC tournament record, 9-1 with 3 titles, it's pretty damn good.
Didn’t we blow a 20pt lead against nc state in the elite 8 that year ?

Who cares about ACCT championships ? I guess that’s the standard for Duke now.. smh. How long will we continue to justify zero National championship game appearances for the past 11 years while having some of the best teams and players?
I understand how hard it may be but that’s why I believe our philosophy must change, we must get older.

Do we all agree that the OAD approach is just not working? We have been close the past few years but how much is it Jon being out coached vs our lack of experience?
 

duke0527

All-American
Jan 5, 2005
5,206
6,999
113
Didn’t we blow a 20pt lead against nc state in the elite 8 that year ?

Who cares about ACCT championships ? I guess that’s the standard for Duke now.. smh. How long will we continue to justify zero National championship game appearances for the past 11 years while having some of the best teams and players?
I understand how hard it may be but that’s why I believe our philosophy must change, we must get older.

Do we all agree that the OAD approach is just not working? We have been close the past few years but how much is it Jon being out coached vs our lack of experience?
No. Not sure they were even better than NC St by the time the elite 8 game came around. They were up by like 2 at halftime and then NC st over powered them.

I think he’s done a great job. I don’t know what to say about the last two tourney losses. They were extremely battle tested this year but made crucial mistakes in the last 5 min which were mostly unforced TOs that led to 3 pts each time on the other end.

right before half out of a timeout he calls a wide open alley oop to evans that would have brought the house down and cam throws it in the stands. Then foster stupidly decides to push off, another TO.

last 5 of the game, evans just falls down going to basket - 3 on the other end. Cam loses his dribble up 4 with a min left - karaban hits a 3 and then the Cayden I’ll advise pass.

some is on jon since he’s the coach but some of it just seems like horrid luck and execution.

Also, they were clearly hobbled. Pat was mostly a non factor, foster didn’t have it the day after and flipping brown comes in with back spasms and was a step slow all game.

he’ll get it done. I think this will harden him even further and strengthen his resolve.

I don’t think this years team was uber talented offensively (or defensively). To have the season they did speaks to coaching to me.