There’s not a whole lot to say about Sunday’s loss to UConn, but we did want to mention a few things.
First, we feel terrible for Cayden Boozer. If you’ll remember back when Caleb Foster was hurt, Boozer really stepped up. And it’s more than that, because that guy made winning plays over and over. Duke would not be in the Elite Eight without Cayden Boozer.
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Second, he didn’t run from his mistake at the end. He took full responsibility for that.
He’s a guard with a real winning mentality, and we hope he comes back next year and shows the world who he is.
We should also mention that this reminded us of the 2004 Final Four game against UConn. Duke was in great shape there, but Shelden Williams got in foul trouble, and Shavlik Randolph was recovering from mono. And when Williams got in foul trouble, there was no controlling Emeka Okafor.
It was similar last night. Tarris Reed is a massive problem, and Duke could have really used a healthy Pat Ngongba. When we heard that Maliq Brown had back spasms, we immediately thought: it’s 2004, all over again.
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Jon Scheyer is getting raked over the coals, and that’s not fair for a couple of reasons. First, he did an amazing job after Foster was injured. Duke went into the post-season with Foster and Ngongba not playing. That’s 40% of the lineup lost, and he still steered that team to the Elite Eight.
We think he now has the best record of any fourth-year coach, ever. That tops Bob Knight, who had an incredible start at Indiana, Brad Stevens, Steve Fisher, who started with the Fab Five – everyone.
Third, even though he’s been immensely successful and nailed the transition from Mike Krzyzewski to this era, fraught as it is with new circumstances, it takes a while to master the job, not least of all the postseason. John Wooden started coaching in 1946 and didn’t win the championship until 1964. Dean Smith started in 1961 and didn’t win until 1982. Even after that, he lost twice with Michael Jordan on the roster.
Mike Krzyzewski started in 1980 and didn’t win until 1991. Before that, Coach K got to the Final Four in 1986, 1988, 1989, and 1990.
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In 1990, UNLV decimated Duke, absolutely ran them out of the gym. There was a sense before the game that Krzyzewski was due, that it was his time.
Duke lost, and the narrative became that it was an admirable team and coach who just couldn’t win the Big One. Then 1991 happened, Christian Laettner changed everything, and then we had a perfect storm for people to hate Duke: success, arrogance, and undeniable greatness.
Scheyer is in his fourth season. He is thriving in a new era of basketball which, to a large extent, he has written the code for. Who started the idea of a collegiate GM?
Scheyer.
Who has built the template for a team in this era of perpetual roster building?
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Scheyer.
In a lot of ways, like Vic Bubas in the 1960s, the Duke coach is showing how things should be done in a new era.
It was awful to lose to UConn, and especially with a mental lapse from a freshman who clearly thinks the game at a higher level than most. But overall, things are good for Duke. Our advice to everyone (well, Duke fans, anyway) is to let this go. Support Scheyer, because he’s been everything we could want and more, and let Boozer know he’s with us, he’s one of us, and we’ll ride with him anywhere, because that kid has been great.
Not good. Great.
And this season, up to the last second, was unbelievable. We are very lucky fans to pull for a program like this, and we can’t thank the team, and Coach Scheyer, enough. It’s been a beautiful season. We should be proud and grateful.
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