The Duke Blue Devils have been a perennial powerhouse in college basketball for decades, and their success is largely attributed to the guidance of the legendary Mike Krzyzewski. But this season, Duke has been led by a new coach, Jon Scheyer, and he is making his own mark on the program.
Scheyer earned his place in the record books on Saturday night when Duke defeated Virginia Tech 81-65, giving them their 21st win of the season and making him the winningest first-year coach in school history. In doing so, he passed the previous record-holders, Harold Bradley (1950-51) and Gerry Gerard (1942-42), who each won 20 games in their first seasons at Duke.
The win also puts Scheyer in contention to become just the third Division I men’s basketball coach to end his first season with an undefeated record at home, joining Syracuse’s Jim Boeheim and Kentucky’s John Calipari. The Blue Devils are 15-0 at Cameron Indoor this season and need just one more win on Tuesday against NC State.
So far, Scheyer’s first season has been a success, but the true measure of his impact on the Duke program will be seen in the postseason. The Blue Devils have the ability to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament, and with the leadership of Scheyer, anything is possible. It will be interesting to see what he can do with the talented roster he has inherited.
