DURHAM, N.C. — From the moment Duke fell to NC State in last season’s men’s Elite Eight, Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer has been singularly focused on building a team capable of winning it all. That has meant some notable dips into the transfer portal and finalizing a recruiting class studded with as many stars as any in Duke’s history — including 17-year-old phenom Cooper Flagg.
The result, as the Blue Devils approach the start of the 2024-25 season, is a level of hype rarely seen outside of Tobacco Road — and lofty even by Duke’s standards.
“It’s not the external noise, but I’m just excited because I feel we have a group that can do something special,” Scheyer said.
As Duke closes in on the tip-off to a new season on Nov. 4, ESPN talked with Scheyer about those immense expectations, the hype surrounding Flagg, and the future of college basketball on and off the court.
*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
ESPN: It feels like you took a very specific approach to building this season’s roster, from the veterans you got through the portal to the height you’ll be able to play with. How did you put together this lineup?
Scheyer: Everything we’ve done since March 31, since losing that Elite Eight game, has been incredibly intentional. Before figuring out what you’re going to do, you have to figure out who you’re doing it with. Our entire staff has been together for a year now. Our team is not just getting the best talent but looking analytically what the fits are going to be, including from a culture standpoint. And then blending talent in different roles, it was important to have the best fit and be really intentional in how we put it all together.
ESPN: Particularly after Kentucky’s first-round loss, there was a lot of hand-wringing that you just can’t win with one-and-done players anymore. At the same time, holding on to talent in the transfer portal era seems impossible. Have you had to rethink the right way to build a roster? Is there a right way?
Scheyer: I think about it all the time. To say there’s one specific way you can or can’t do it is foolish. To win a national championship or to go to a Final Four is one of the hardest things to do in any sport. Over the last 15 years, there’s been two teams with really young players to win. We had one and Kentucky had one. We’ve gone to a Final Four, to the Elite Eight three times. The margin isn’t Cooper Flagg or Khaman Maluach. The strategy with the COVID-19 year and everything is probably different than it’ll be in a year or two. Evolving is key, while still having an identity of recruiting the top talent from high school and then blending a few key guys from the portal.
ESPN: You lived through the Zion Williamson experience at Duke — he seemed to really enjoy being a student-athlete. Cooper Flagg comes in with a similar level of hype. How can he have that same experience?
Scheyer: It is unique and it’s one of my most important things. He doesn’t get this year back, and I want him to enjoy the process of it. I’ve told him, I hope there’s times you look bad. Hopefully in practice. Hopefully it doesn’t happen in a game, but it probably will. That’s inevitable. But embrace those moments, because it’s about your growth. If you crushed everything, you wouldn’t be human. I’ve been on him about that. But he’s done an amazing job of being himself and just enjoying being a college student and not getting sidetracked with NIL opportunities, and putting his time and energy into the team. That’s the big thing for me, is wanting him to enjoy it.
ESPN: Both Zion and Cooper draw an interest beyond college basketball fans, into the wider culture. I think back to President Obama being in the building and Zion blowing out his shoe, and the chaos that followed. Did you learn anything from going through all that back then, that could help Cooper?
Scheyer: I think I have. You have to be prepared for anything. But I think it’s just how hot and cold it can be. In the climate now, you can go into a game feeling hot, but feel very cold after it. How to stay level-headed and focus on growth and what you can control — I know there’s going to be noise this year. Some of it will be overly positive when maybe it shouldn’t be, and some of it will be overly critical. For Cooper as a 17-year-old playing at Duke, the more we get him thinking about what he can control and enjoying the process — he’ll have a special year if we do that.
ESPN: We’re nearing a world in which schools can share revenue with athletes, but the primary driver for this nationally is football. Duke is unique though where basketball is king. Have you and athletic director Nina King discussed how much of that pie should be going to men’s hoops?
Scheyer: It’s really been hot and cold with how that’s going. We looked it up. Our program, with the exposure that we get, it’s the equivalent of a high major football program. Of course it’s all about TV dollars and exposure, but the way we’re viewed and our exposure, we feel that needs to be talked about. Nina is well aware of it, and of course the investment in our football program is great, but at the end of the day, we have something that is one-of-one with our basketball program.
ESPN: Do you worry about keeping college basketball relevant?
Scheyer: College basketball has an amazing product in March Madness, but leading up to it, we have to find ways to get people to watch. The first thing is having a great product, and we have to continue to modernize our rules: to play quarters, to be able to advance the ball, to play just like the rest of the world does [in professional basketball]. The 24-second shot clock. That’s where the game is and we have to catch up to it. The different rules in our sport. Like eliminating four hours. You have top-tier talent coming into college basketball and we only have four hours to work with them every day. That’s where the game needs to grow, that grows the product, and that will grow engagement. People love basketball, and we have great players — but we have to make sure college is the place for them before going to the NBA.
ESPN: The expectations surrounding this year’s team are immense. How do you handle that as you approach the start of the 2024-25 season?
Scheyer: I feel the weight every day. My expectations, I promise, are higher than anybody else’s. Year 2 was an Elite 8, and 27 wins in both years. I’m proud of that. My thing is all about, how can I grow and be better this year? You can get caught up very easily as the coach at Duke in just the results, and I think when you get caught up in results you might not reach your potential or ceiling. My focus has been on being the best every day for my team. Last year, we fell victim to feeling that pressure, to where we weren’t at our best when it mattered most. I think if you’re consumed with each play and moment and practice, amazing things happen. I’ve seen that play out. That’s my goal for this group.