Why Did Duke Head Coach Jon Scheyer Who Replaced Mike Krzyzewski Who Retired After 2021-2022 Season Hire Jai Lucas As Assistant Coach? In Interview With Andy Katz Jon Scheyer Explains Why
As a player at Duke,
Jon Scheyer helped spark the Blue Devils to two ACC championships and the 2010 NCAA title as a player from 2007-10,
Jon Scheyer was one of the most versatile players in Duke history, concluding his playing career as the only player in school history to record at least 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, 400 assists, 250 three-point field goals and 200 steals. He averaged 14.4 points per game while scoring in double figures 114 times (sixth-most in Duke history) and leading the Blue Devils to a 115-29 (.799) record.
A two-time team captain, Jon Scheyer scored 2,077-career points and still ranks 10th on Duke’s all-time scoring list. He ranks third in Duke history in free throws made (608), fourth in free throw percentage (.861) and three-point field goals made (297) and sixth in free throw attempts (706). He played in 144 consecutive games, tied for the second-longest streak in Duke history.
As a senior in 2010,
Jon Scheyer averaged 18.2 points, 4.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game from the point guard position to spark Duke to a 35-5 record and its fourth national championship. He was a consensus second-team All-American and a first-team All-ACC pick in his final season after starting all 40 contests and scoring in double figures in all but two games on the year.
Jon Scheyer was named MVP of the ACC Tournament as a junior in 2009, averaging 21.7 points and 4.0 rebounds as Duke took home the title.
After graduating from Duke leading Duke to the 2010 National Championship as a player Jon Scheyer was playing in second game in the Summer League for the Miami Heat where he suffered an eye injury that included a retinal tear, traumatic optic nerve avulsion that threatened his professional basketball career and ended it as he has permanent vision loss in his right eye.
“according to an article on dukeeyecenter.duke.edu”
That led Jon Scheyer back to Duke where he joined Mike Krzyzewski’s coaching staff!
As a Special Assistant, Assistant Coach , Associate Head Coach for now retired Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski Jon Scheyer helped mentor Tyus Jones in Duke’s 2015 national title season, as the Blue Devils finished the year ranked third nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency. Jones was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player in Indianapolis and was a first-round pick in the 2015 NBA Draft after just one college season.
In 2017, Jon Scheyer helped mold Luke Kennard into a consensus All-American after a breakout sophomore season that saw him rank second in the ACC in scoring and three-point field goal percentage. He also helped develop Frank Jackson into one of the most dynamic young guards in the country during the 2016-17 campaign.
Luke Kennard and Frank Jackson were selected 12th and 31st overall, respectively, in the 2017 NBA Draft.
After Grayson Allen finished his career in 2018 as the 12th-leading scorer in Duke history with 1,996 points, he was drafted in the first round by the Utah Jazz. Allen joined Scheyer as two of just five Blue Devils in history with 1,900 or more points, 400 or more rebounds and 400 or more assists (Grant Hill, Danny Ferry, Johnny Dawkins).
The 2019 campaign saw Tyus’ brother Tre enjoy a breakout year as a freshman by setting the program’s single-season record for assist-to-turnover ratio (3.62), while establishing himself as one of the nation’s premier defensive players. Jones’ classmate, RJ Barrett, finished his remarkable freshman season at Duke as a consensus first-team All-American, the USA Today National Player of the Year, and the overall No. 3 selection in the NBA Draft.
RJ Barrett broke a myriad of program and ACC records, including both the Duke and conference freshman scoring record with 860 points. His 860 points were surpassed on the program’s single-season scoring list by only J.J. Redick’s 964 points as a senior in 2006. Barrett averaged 22.6 points and was the only major conference player in 2018-19 to score 13+ points in every game of the season.
Under Jon Scheyer’s guidance, Tre Jones parlayed his phenomenal freshman season into a decorated sophomore campaign that ended with him as the 2020 ACC Player of the Year, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and an All-American. After two seasons as the starting point guard, Jones declared for the NBA Draft, leaving Duke as the program’s career record-holder in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.88) and ranking third in assists per game (5.8).
Throughout the 2021-22 season, Jon Scheyer worked closely with ACC Freshman of the Year and consensus second-team All-American Paolo Banchero. He also helped guide second-team All-ACC pick Wendell Moore Jr., into performing as one of the nation's most complete players. Moore capped his season winning the Julius Erving Award as the nation's best small forward.
“according to Jon Scheyer’s biography on goduke.com”
Being a Player, Special Assistant , Assistant Coach, Associate Head Coach for now retired Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski who won
Six gold medals as head coach of the U.S. Men’s National Team
Nine National Players of the Year (11 honors)
Six National Defensive Players of the Year (nine honors)
10 consecutive top-10 AP poll finishes (1997-06)
12 National Coach of the Year honors (eight seasons)
12 Final Four appearances (tied for most in NCAA history)
13 ACC regular season championships
15 ACC Tournament championships (most in league history)
28 NBA Lottery picks (most in Draft history)
35 NCAA Tournament bids (most by one coach)
37 All-America selections (51 honors)
67 ACC Tournament wins (most in league history)
68 NBA Draft selections, including 42 first-round picks
97 NCAA Tournament wins (most in NCAA history)
126 weeks ranked No. 1 in the AP poll (most by a coach in poll history)
517 ACC wins (most in league history)
556 weeks ranked in the top 10 of the AP poll (most by a coach in poll history)
649 weeks ranked in the AP poll (most by a coach in poll history)
1,097 victories at Duke (most in NCAA history at one school)
1,170 career wins (most in NCAA history)
“according to his biography on goduke.com”
prepared Jon Scheyer for the role he is in now as he is now the Head Coach of Duke though Jon Scheyer can’t be Mike Krzyzewski as he has to be himself while finding ways to keep the Duke excellence going that includes winning Atlantic Coast Conference Regular Season Championships, Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament Championships, National Championships. Fans, spectators who attend games in person at Cameron Indoor Stadium, on the road where ever Duke is playing need to show support to Jon Scheyer, his coaching staff just like they did Mike’s Krzyzewski coaching staff for 42 seasons. Jon Scheyer’s coaching staff includes Chris Carrawell who is his Associate Head Coach , Amile Jefferson, Jai Lucas who are his Assistant Coaches, Mike Schrage who is Special Assistant To Head Coach. (Jon Scheyer)
As a player at Duke,
Chris Carrawell As a player at Duke, Carrawell was a two-time All-ACC selection. He is tied for 32nd on the all-time scoring list at Duke with 1,455 career points and also ranks 15th in school history with 0.8 blocks per game and tied for eighth with 116 overall wins. Duke dominated the ACC during Carrawell’s career, as his 66 conference victories are the second-most by a Blue Devil.
With Chris Carrawell on the squad, Duke won a pair of ACC Tournament titles and reached the 1999 Final Four by tying a school record for wins (37-2).
As a coach,As a coach,
In Chris Carrawell’s first three seasons on the staff, Duke has gone 70-23, reaching the Elite Eight and claiming the program’s 21st ACC Tournament title in 2019. Among the nation’s highest scoring teams in 2018-19, the Blue Devils were led by consensus first-team All-Americans Zion Williamson and RJ Barrett, who among their many accomplishments, became the first freshman teammates in NCAA history to each average 20+ points for a season.
The following season in 2019-20, Carrawell aided in the development of Tre Jones, who was named both ACC Player of the Year and ACC Defensive Player of the Year.In the 2021-22 season -- Carrawell's first in his current role -- he helped Duke win the ACC regular season title outright before advancing to the program's 17th NCAA Final Four. Working primarily with the Blue Devils' frontcourt personnel, he has been directly involved in the development of ACC Defensive Player of the Year Mark Williams. Williams has put together a remarkable sophomore campaign, leading the ACC and ranking in the top-10 nationally in blocked shots. He is also the nation's only player shooting 70 percent from the field and 70 percent from the free throw line (minimum 150 field goals).
“according to Chris Carrawell’s biography on goduke.com”
As a player at Duke,
Amile Jefferson was five-year letter winner, a national champion and three-time team captain at Duke from 2012-17, Jefferson played in a program-record 150 games with 103 starts, averaging 7.2 points and 6.3 rebounds per contest. He played in 67 home victories (most in program history) and 124 total victories (third most in program history), while his .971 home winning percentage (67-2) ranks as the second best among any Duke player.
Then Amile Jefferson rejoined Duke Basketball Program as a Director Of Player Development in 2021-2022 after a four-year professional playing career that included time with the NBA G-League's Iowa Wolves (2017-18), Orlando Magic (2018-20), Boston Celtics (2020) and the Turkish Basketball Super League's Galatasaray (2020-21). In his first season on the coaching staff helped the Blue Devils claim the ACC regular season title outright and advance to the Final Four for the 17th time in program history. An anchor on the defensive end for Duke during his playing career, Jefferson worked closely with ACC Defensive Player of the Year Mark Williams, who led the conference and ranked 12th nationally with 110 blocked shots.
”according to Amile Jefferson’s biography on goduke.com”Though, in 2022 he is going to have a new role as he going to be Jon Scheyer’s Assistant Coach.
Jai Lucas is former McDonald’s High School All American and now a highly-respected coach, Jai Lucas joined John Calipari’s Kentucky men’s basketball staff as a recruiting coordinator in August of 2020 and was quickly transitioned into a full-time assistant coaching role for the 2020-21 season.
As an Assistant Coach for Head Coach John Caipari at Kentucky Jal Lucas was tasked with taking a lead role in Kentucky's recruiting efforts while filling the traditional on-court roles of an assistant, including helping with game and practice preparation and playing a key role in player development through practice and individual workouts. Additionally, as recruiting coordinator, he manages official and unofficial visits and is responsible for the recruiting strategy for the program.Jai Lucas helped the Wildcats haul in five players who appeared in either the McDonald's All-American or Jordan Brand Classic games and a No. 1 overall prospect in Shaedon Sharpe. He was also an integral part in the development of Sahvir Wheeler who was a finalist for the Bob Cousy Award and led the Southeastern Conference in assists per game, as well as TyTy Washington Jr. who set the UK single-game record with 17 assists against Georgia.
Jai Lucas is known in basketball circles for his high-level player development and a penchant for formulating strong relationships
”according to Jai Lucas’s biography on ukathletics.com”Mike Schrage is Special Assistant to the Head Coach Jon Scheyer!
Mike Schrage is a familiar face to Duke fans, spectators because he been on the Duke coaching staff before.
From 1999-2008 he was on Mike Krzyzewski’s coaching staff. He was the teams academic, recruiting coordinator from 1999 -2008. Then he was the director of basketball operations from 2002 -2008.
“according Stephen Wiseman’s article on newsobserver.com”
Then Mike Schrage left Duke in 2008 he was an Assistant Coach for Johhny Dawkins who then was at Stanford for eight seasons and now the Head Coach of University Of Central Florida. (UCF). Then he was an Assistant Coach at Butler where he spent one season in 2016-2017 season. There, he helped the Bulldogs to a 25-9 record and a second-place finish in the BIG EAST while reaching the Sweet 16 for the first time since its 2011 run to the national championship game. Along the way, the fourth-seeded Bulldogs beat Winthrop and Middle Tennessee State before falling to eventual national champion North Carolina. Schrage also helped Butler sign its highest-rated class in program history.
On April 5, 2019 Mike Schrage was named Head Coach of Elon where he was the Head Coach for three seasons .
As the Head Coach of Elon Schrage went 33-52 at Elon, leading the Phoenix to the CAA championship game in 2021. Elon defeated Towson, top-seeded James Madison and Hofstra over the course of three consecutive days. The Phoenix eventually lost to Drexel 63-56 in the finals.Elon went 10-22 during the 2021-22 season, playing three teams that advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament – Duke, North Carolina and Arkansas. The Phoenix also played Florida, West Virginia and Ole Miss during a non-conference campaign rated as the 12th- most difficult in the country by KenPom.com.“according to Mike Schrange’s biography on elonphoenix.com
Though the one person I am going to be talking about today that I am going to talk today is Jai Lucas.
When I talk about him this question comes to mind!
Why did Duke Head Coach Jon Scheyer who replaced Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski after the 2021-2022 season hire Jai Lucas as An Assistant Coach? In interview with Andy Katz he Jon Scheyer explains why.
Look, ‘the Brotherhood’ is still strong and alive and well,” Scheyer told Andy Katz on the official March Madness Youtube channel. “You know, for us, we had an opportunity to really take a fresh look, fresh perspective and, you know, talking to Jai, one, you think about the places he’s been, you know, Florida, Texas, Kentucky. Great coaches he’s been around in Coach [John Calipari], and Coach [Rick] Barnes, you know, and Coach [Shaka] Smart. I mean, to get that perspective and that experience at his age, it really doesn’t happen.”
When faced with that resume, Scheyer knew he had an oppertunity to improve his team.
“I really felt like he just fit with our staff,” the Duke head coach continued. “He’s got a great way about him. Like I said, he knows the game. He’s great with people, and he’s great with players. So we’re really excited for him to join our staff. … He’s going to be a rising star in this profession.”
“according to an article on sportscasting.com by Joe Kozlowski on sportscasting.com”