BROOKLYN, N.Y. — Jon Scheyer is aware of higher than most the strain that comes with carrying a Duke uniform. The highs really feel a bit increased, the lights brighter than they’d be for many.
“And when issues aren’t going as properly, you may really feel such as you’re quite a bit worse than what you actually are,” stated the Duke head coach and former star guard. “Whenever you lose within the ACC match, we lose our final regular-season recreation, and it will probably really feel just like the world is ending a bit bit — although that is what all these guys got here again to do and got here again for is that this second proper right here.”
Only one week in the past, these Blue Devils have been nonetheless smarting from that five-point loss to North Carolina at dwelling within the regular-season finale and the following five-point loss to NC State within the ACC match. Heart Kyle Filipowski stated that he and his teammates can’t and shouldn’t really feel entitled to wins this time of 12 months, simply because they’re Duke. They needed to combat and claw for them, like they didn’t do a 12 months in the past of their NCAA Event second-round loss to Tennessee.
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And so, right here those self same Blue Devils sit, Candy 16-bound after an emphatic 93-55 win over No. 12 seed James Madison in Sunday’s South Area recreation at Barclays Heart. That is why gamers like Filipowski and Tyrese Proctor returned to highschool. This sense, proper now.
“It’s what you dream of as a child,” Proctor stated.
Stated Filipowski: “We realized our lesson taking part in final 12 months. We didn’t need to repeat that.”
JARED McHIM 🕺🕺
🔥 30 burger with 11 minutes to go
🔥 Most 1H factors by any participant on this tourney
🔥 Most 3pt FGM in an NCAA Event by a Duke participant (8) pic.twitter.com/azdmyZ9b0H
— Duke Males’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) March 24, 2024
So, fourth-seeded Duke jumped on James Madison proper out of the gate and almost doubled up the Dukes by halftime. Jared McCain grew to become the primary freshman with 30 factors and 0 turnovers in an NCAA Event recreation for the reason that discipline expanded to 64 in 1985. He completed with a career-high-tying eight made 3-pointers. After only one shot try in opposition to Vermont within the first spherical, Filipowski stuffed the stat sheet with 14 factors, 5 rebounds, 4 assists, two steals and one block. As a workforce, it was about as clear a recreation as you would ask for in an surroundings like this — the Blue Devils shot higher than 50 % from the sector, assisted on 22 of their 33 made baskets and turned the ball over simply six occasions within the recreation.
“I don’t know if we anticipated this,” admitted Scheyer afterward.
However he did know his workforce can be higher than it was when it ended the common season. The gamers and the coaches alike speak typically about how this recreation can humble you. It did in these losses to NC State and UNC (although, because it seems, each of these groups have been additionally Candy 16-good.)
“The silver lining in that (ACC match loss) was that it gave us every week to work on ourselves, to look within the mirror,” Scheyer stated. “I’m pleased with our workforce for simply sticking to the work.”
That work included one-on-one conversations in addition to team-wide speak. Scheyer wished to determine the place his guys have been, mentally, earlier than additionally understanding what went fallacious on the court docket in these two losses. The protection had been fairly stable, however the offense harm the protection. How may they enhance their connectivity? Their ball motion? How may they be taught from two powerful losses however not let these two powerful losses outline them?
Scheyer stated after the sport that he felt Sunday was the Blue Devils’ greatest passing efficiency of the season. Filipowski stated the important thing to the sport was Duke’s protection; JMU scored 14 of their first 17 factors in opposition to Wisconsin on Friday off of turnovers and in transition. The Blue Devils didn’t need the Dukes to do what they did greatest, so that they needed to set the tone early and infrequently.
“And I do know we had guys that have been on hearth tonight too,” Filipowski stated.
Nobody is aware of what the long run will maintain for this explicit Duke workforce, however no one essentially noticed this efficiency coming, both. Now, the Blue Devils will tackle Houston in Dallas subsequent weekend for a date within the Elite Eight. The lows have been low, sure — however they’re additionally up to now now, with the highs on deck.
“You need to be pleased about the unhealthy moments that come your manner,” Scheyer stated. “Should you deal with them the appropriate manner, it will probably put you able the place you’re much more prepared. I assumed that’s what it did within the Vermont recreation and tonight in opposition to James Madison.”
(Photograph of Jared McCain: Elsa / Getty Pictures)