HEAD COACH JON SCHEYER
On the full assistant coach staff:
“I’m excited to have that finalized. The first thing that happened with our staff is promoting Jai Lucas back a couple months ago. Jai has been so steady for me, he’s got great experience, but he’s been just a great addition the way he is with our players. He’s really, he’s been our defensive coordinator. He’s really taken that to heart. He’s done a great job with our defense, great with relationships and he always tells me the truth, and that’s what you need when you’re a head coach. You need people that [will] tell you the truth and the way they see it, but he’s been terrific. Bringing Will Avery back on staff has been just such a great thing. He’s been a part of our program the last couple of years, as [an undergraduate] assistant, but you have a guy who’s been a lottery pick. You have a guy who has played in the NBA. Is a big-time player here in college. Knows what Duke is all about. And so, to get him back is great. And then, to bring Emanuel Dildy here, Coach Dildy and I, I’ve known Emanuel for some years. He’s from Chicago originally. And just to see how he’s grinded, every step of the way. Started off at Kennedy-King College — a junior college, and you ask any of the coaches he’s come across, whether it be Missouri, Valpo, Northwestern, Loyola, Oklahoma, they rave about him. Great with relationships. Is a big-time worker. You talk about a guy who’s really excited to be a Duke, he’s really excited and he’s brought a great energy to our staff. And of course, Coach Carrawell, Chris and I have been together for some time now. And he’s been a rock for me. He does so many different things for our team. He’s been in charge of our offense. Obviously, he knows what Duke is all about and to bring that staff together has been great.”
On going outside the Brotherhood for the Emanuel Dildy hire and how he’ll fit into the coaching staff:
“Well, it wasn’t intentional. It was just about finding the right fit, whoever that person was. And Dildy has worked with a lot of different positions, wings being one of them. Chris [Carrawell] has worked with bigs in the past. He’s done a great job, very versatile, and so Chris will be primarily with our bigs. [Emanuel] will be with our wings and in the short time, just getting to know him, his attention to detail is great. He’ll really help Mark Mitchell and TJ Power and Jaden Schutt and those guys. But the thing we do a good job of is continuing to overlap too. Where there’s interaction with different coaches, where it’s not just only Chris with, Ryan Young or if Emanuel sees something with Ryan, he can help him too. But that’s how we’re going to structure it.”
On what it’s like to have so many players return:
“It’s different. It’s different. I’m excited because it’s obviously great having eight players back and we went through a lot last year so there’s a base to build from. But I think our team is also very different. We’re going to have to play differently. At the same time, we have some things that were really good that we did last year we need to continue to improve on. So, as long as we all understand that that’s not the same kind of team. It’s totally different. We need to be better. We can be better on both ends of the ball. But it’s exciting to have gone through some things with some of these guys. And I look at some of the decisions some of our guys had, whether it’s NBA or college. I’ve told you guys before, the amount of other schools that called. If a guy didn’t play as much here, they’re getting calls to transfer. Throughout the season, after the season. And for all of them to make that decision to come back here. I think it’s just doubling down on the commitment to each other. We’ve done the same thing with them, with not bringing in another transfer. It’s been our group and I think we’ll be really together because of it. And it gives us a great starting point. And now the hard work begins.”
On how Kyle Filipowski is doing following offseason hip surgery:
“Kyle is doing great. Started to do some one-on-one. Hopefully can progress to some to two-on-two, three-on-three in the next couple of weeks and getting back playing five-on-five. But really, there’s no limitations other than just progressing him where he can play five-on-five here in the next few weeks. So, I’m excited still, I feel like this is deja vu a little bit, I want to see our whole team together. I think this will happen earlier but definitely excited getting him back out there.”
On what he’s noticed about the progression of the freshmen and their comfort level:
“The summer’s great, you used the term comfort level, I think that’s what the summer is about. To get comfortable, knowing your way around campus, getting to know your teammates, getting to know us as coaches. But the fall is really where you start to carve out your role and carve out your niche. So as far as separation goes, that hasn’t happened yet, with anybody really, because we haven’t even put anything in. This is a time when we do that. But they’ve all worked hard. They’ve been as consistent as any group with how they work. All the groups we’ve had work hard, but they’ve been consistent day in and day out. When they’re here, you can bet they’re in the gym. But that’s just how they’re wired. And that’s the thing I love about them. Off the court, they’re loud, they’re cocky, they’re always talking smack to you. I think that’s a confidence I want them to keep, while still understanding they have a lot to learn and a lot of room for growth.”
On if he’s had any thoughts on the ACC expansion talk:
“Yeah, well, I think as far as basketball goes, especially here, especially with what Duke basketball has meant to ACC, I don’t know that it’s talked about in the way that I think it should be. I mean, you think about our brand, you think about the stage, the views, the clicks that Duke Basketball gets, there’s a huge value to that. And as far as the ACC realignment, or expansion, or whatever happens, my trust is with [Director of Athletics] Nina [King] and President Price. I know they’re on it. It’s a really difficult time. I know it’s very unsettling. It’s hard to predict what’s coming next, and I think I’d be naive to sit up here and say nothing’s going to happen. I think things will happen in the future, but we need to focus on what we can control. And for me, that’s being the best program we can have. I’ll tell you, with what other sports are doing here, they’ve done an incredible job. Specifically, Mike Elko, with our football team. I think he’s an incredible coach. I’m excited to support those guys this year with what they’ve done. I think all of us at Duke should do the same. And that’s really how I feel. Just putting my trust in Nina and President Price.
