Scheyer Makes Duke's Offense Work

DURHAM, N.C. - His final stat line won't blow you away, but the praise senior captain Jon Scheyer received from head coach Mike Krzyzewski and Kyle Singler after the game sums up how important the senior point-guard is to the success of this year's team better than any box score ever could.

"I thought Jon played a great game," Krzyzewski said. "He just sacrificed himself for the team, taking five shots and making five assists and no turnovers."

"Just going back to what Coach said, I thought Jon [Scheyer] did a very good job of being patient," Singler, who led Duke with a double-double scoring 23 points and pulling down 11 rebounds, said. "I tried to follow and that was basically it. It was all on Jon [Scheyer]. Jon [Scheyer] was our leader out there and we just tried to jump on his back and follow. Whether it was my shots in the first half that kept us ahead, it really was Jon [Scheyer] that took us there."

The Northbrook, Ill. native finished Monday night's 74-49 win over Coastal Carolina in the first round of the NIT Season Tip-Off with 10 points, five assists and most importantly zero turnovers thanks to crafty ball handling and smart decision making through 37 minutes of playing time.

Seven of his ten points came from the free throw line, where he did not miss from, and his lone made basket was a three-pointer from the corner early in the second half.

Freshman Andre Dawkins moved to the point guard position, something he had not previously done for the Blue Devils, to free up Scheyer, who made his way off of a screen before nailing his only bucket, putting Duke up 13 after Coastal Carolina had cut the lead to 10."

"On that first shot, I got a good look and hit it," Scheyer said. "But that was the main thing; just get good shots every time down."

Scoring opportunities were tough to come by Monday evening, with the Chanticleers employing a triangle and two defensive scheme, which applied heavy pressure to both Scheyer and Singler leaving the Duke big men to work for buckets inside.

"I think in a game like that, there just wasn't much there," Scheyer, who has not committed a turnover through Duke's first two games, said. "They were focusing a lot on Kyle [Singler] and me. It's not something where I need to force anything. The main thing is, we just need to get good shots and if that meant I was taking the shots or our big guys were getting good looks down low, then that is what we had to do."

Scheyer should have a little more freedom to score the basketball tomorrow night with the return of Nolan Smith, who was suspended for Duke's first two games, to the lineup.

"He'll take a lot of pressure off of [Singler and me]," Scheyer said. "Nolan is a great player. In our transition game, he can really help us. I don't think we've had that many easy buckets these past two games and I think Nolan can help with that a lot and take the pressure off both of us handling the ball. He'll obviously take the pressure off the guards and our whole team."

Leaving Scheyer with more opportunities to run off screens and hoist up outside jump shots, instead of drawing defenders in their air with his pump fake and then making them pay from the free throw line.

Either way, he is going to make sure he leads Duke to a win.