In a sports activities panorama dominated by clickbait tales and sizzling take media protection, the extra nuanced actuality is much too usually missed. Generally, that actuality takes the type of statements that, at first look, may appear contradictory, however in actuality describe a extra advanced state of affairs.
Such is the case following Duke’s loss to UNC in Cameron Saturday night time. At this level, it’s simple that this yr’s Tar Heels are a horrible matchup for this yr’s Blue Devils, and arguably simply merely the superior staff. However extrapolating two losses to Duke’s archrival into an indictment of Jon Scheyer is the epitome of catastrophizing. Scheyer’s squad could have come up quick within the yr’s two largest video games, however that doesn’t out of the blue cancel out the robust basis for the longer term he’s inbuilt lower than two years on the job.
Since Coach Okay embraced the one-and-done phenomenon, Duke followers have repeatedly been pissed off when their groups filled with future NBA gamers would inevitably lose a stunning sport (or two, or extra!) to much less proficient, however extra skilled, squads. Within the period of the super-senior, that divide has been additional exacerbated. Whereas this yr’s Blue Satan staff, led by a senior and a core of sophomores slightly than being overly reliant on 5* freshmen, might need been a squad of grizzled veterans within the 2010s, it’s arguably a fair youthful staff in observe in 2024. North Carolina has absolutely embraced the period of the switch portal and the supply of tremendous seniors, supplementing a roster that already included fifth-year senior Armando Bacot with 25 yr previous switch Cormac Ryan, and two extra key transfers in Harrison Ingram and Jae’Lyn Withers. Duke, in distinction, has one tremendous senior in backup heart Ryan Younger, who can be the lone switch on the squad.
Those that are pissed off Duke didn’t mine the switch portal within the offseason to fill holes of their roster are fully justified, even when the story isn’t that easy: by all accounts Duke was the popular vacation spot of coveted switch heart Ernest Udeh Jr. this summer time earlier than admissions points offered an insurmountable roadblock. When transfers work, like UNC’s have this season, and two years in the past when Brady Manek proved to be the important thing unlocking the potential of a squad additionally led by Bacot and RJ Davis, they’ll push good groups to be nice. However counting on them is a unstable proposition at finest: look no additional than final season’s UNC squad, the pre-season No. 1 staff within the nation that did not make the event thanks largely to switch Pete Nance not filling Manek’s void.
Scheyer appears to have consciously chosen to eschew volatility for long-term stability and groups with the next ceiling. He famously mentioned he desires to vary how Duke recruits to create older, extra cohesive groups. Duke followers have seen glimpses of the dividends that is likely to be paid by that technique this yr in a Blue Satan staff that went 15-5 within the ACC, together with street wins in locations like Raleigh and Blacksburg which have these days been homes of horrors. However regardless of the presence of Younger and senior Jeremy Roach, this Blue Satan staff nonetheless isn’t previous, particularly compared to a Tar Heel squad that begins two gamers greater than 24 years previous.
It might take one other season or two earlier than we see whether or not Scheyer’s technique is the fitting one, as the faculty sport’s elder statesmen are filtered out and Duke works to retain juniors and seniors developed in Durham to enhance proficient freshmen. Two video games towards UNC in Scheyer’s second season actually gained’t be the ultimate judgement, particularly when the make-up of that UNC staff might be rendered a historic idiosyncrasy in only one extra yr.
Till that judgement is rendered, this Duke staff remains to be 24-7, the No. 10 staff within the nation in response to the NCAA’s NET Rankings, and in nice place to compete for an ACC Event Title subsequent weekend. As soon as the sting of a disappointing senior night time fades, Blue Satan followers ought to understand there’s loads to nonetheless be excited for this March, and even perhaps extra to be excited for sooner or later.