Here's part one of a Jon Scheyer audio interview. The Blue Devils face Pfeiffer in an exhibition game on Saturday.
BDN Interview – Jon Scheyer talks the upcoming hoops season
Tag Archives: Jon Scheyer
ACC Basketball 2009-10 Season Preview
Official practice sessions for the 2009-10 college basketball season will commence in less than 10 days. Excitement throughout the Atlantic Coast Conference is palpable so it is time to preview the ACC. The Duke Blue Devils will win the ACC in 2009-10. Wait, wait a second…before all the Carolina fans howl with indignation, insist the Tar Heels will still rule the roost in the ACC, and label the author as a complete Duke Homer; remember that Duke won the ACC last season. That's right, the ACC Champion is the team which wins the tournament, not the team which finishes the regular season with the best record. Carolina fans, worldwide, consistently choose to ignore this small fact.
But, for the record, this article is my prediction on how the teams will be aligned at the end of the regular season. What? Howl the Carolina faithful once again, you are switching between apples and oranges, discussing last year’s ACC Tournament one paragraph, this year’s regular season the next, that's inconsistent, you can't do that. But of course I can, this is the Internet and it is my article, so I make the rules.
Anyway, on to the predictions: when March 11, 2010, arrives: Duke, Carolina, Maryland, and Clemson will have earned a first round bye at the ACC Tournament in Greensboro. What's that sound? More indignant howling, but this time it is coming from Atlanta. Sorry, Yellow Jackets faithful, but Paul Hewitt will find a way to lose despite the formidable talent he has recruited to play in Atlanta. He has consistently accomplished less with more in the past so why should this season be any different?
However, the two teams best positioned to crash the first round bye party in Greensboro are Florida State and Georgia Tech.
This is how the standings will look at the end of the regular season:
1. Duke
2. North Carolina
3. Maryland
4. Clemson
5. Florida State
6. Georgia Tech
7. Wake Forest
8. Boston College
9. Virginia Tech
10. Virginia
11. Miami
12. N.C. State
Here are some thoughts on the league’s projected top six teams in 2009-10:
Duke – Coach Krzyzewski will be sending a lot of experience onto the court this season and that experience coupled with some young talent will give the Blue Devils the edge. Kyle Singler (70), Jon Scheyer (68), Lance Thomas (62), Nolan Smith (22), and Brian Zoubek (21) are all upper classmen with a combined 243 starts. Experienced teams find a way to win in the college game. The transfer of Elliot Williams due to an illness in the family is unfortunate, but highly rated freshmen Mason Plumlee, Ryan Kelly, and Andre Dawkins along with returning sophomores Miles Plumlee and Olek Czyz provide Coach K with depth to augment experience. The last time Coach Krzyzewski was able to place this much talent and experience onto the court was when J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams were seniors.
North Carolina – despite losing Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson, Wayne Ellington, Danny Green, and Bobby Frasor from last year’s National Championship team, the Tar Heels will still be a talented and dangerous team. Their frontcourt will be extremely tough with Deon Thompson, Ed Davis, Tyler Zeller, John Henson, and Travis Wear. Marcus Ginyard, Dexter Strickland, and Leslie McDonald will hold their own at the shooting guard position. However, Coach Roy Williams is missing the dominant point guard that has fueled his team in recent years. It isn’t a fatal flaw, but it is enough of a flaw to keep the Tar Heels out of the top spot.
Maryland - Greivis Vasquez is a legitimate preseason candidate for ACC Player-of-the-Year and Coach Gary Williams, who consistently accomplishes more with less, has an experienced supporting cast surrounding his star. Seniors Eric Hayes and Landon Milbourne are both double digit scorers, while freshmen James Padgett and Jordan Williams will provide the Terps size in the paint. The freshmen will have a learning curve at the beginning of the season, but Coach Williams will have the Terps hitting on all eight cylinders by the time ACC action commences in January. Vasquez and Hayes are arguable the best backcourt duo in the league.
Clemson – Trevor Booker suffered a minor foot injury over the summer and that is troubling, but I still like the Tigers to finish fourth to secure the last bye. Coach Oliver Purnell is building a solid program at Clemson and the best recruiting class in Clemson basketball history will provide Coach Purnell the pieces to execute his high tempo full court press defense. McDonald’s All-American power forward Milton Jennings is the most high profile recruit in the Purnell era, with shooting guard Noel Johnson and forward Devon Booker also being Top 75 recruits. Junior Demontez Stitt is a steady player at the critical point guard position, but he will be challenged for the starting role by sophomore Andre Young. Having two quality point guards on their roster is definitely an advantage for the Tigers.
Florida State – the Seminoles are young and their youth will probably keep them out of the league’s top four, however, Coach Leonard Hamilton does have talent, size and depth on his roster. Some projected starting line-ups indicate the Seminoles could start one junior, three sophomores and a freshman. Sophomores Solomon Alabi and Chris Singleton are solid frontcourt players, while freshman guard Michael Snaer is highly rated and expected to break into the starting line-up. Derwin Kitchen, Ryan Reid and Xavier Gibson all contribute to FSU’s depth. The Seminoles will definitely miss Toney Douglas, but they will still be a force to be reckoned with in the ACC.
Georgia Tech - the buzz in Atlanta is all about incoming freshman Derrick Favors. Georgia Tech has great expectations for the McDonald’s All-American and #1 rated player in the nation. Add in 3rd Team All-ACC player, Gani Lawal, ACC All-Freshman Team player Iman Shumpert, and senior Zach Peabody, and the Ramblin’ Wreck are loaded with talent. The question is can Paul Hewitt mesh the young talent into a cohesive team? The outlook isn’t positive based on previous performance in Atlanta. Georgia Tech has underachieved over past five seasons and went 0-8 on the road in the ACC last year. Add in the loss of seniors Lewis Clinch and Alade Aminu and this season looks to be a steep uphill battle for the Yellow Jackets.
Wake Forest, Boston College, and Virginia Tech make up the rest of the ACC’s muddy middle, while Virginia, Miami, and N.C. State are projected to reside in the cellar. It’ll be a long season (actually basketball season always seems to fly by) with many hotly contested games, but in the end this season should play out similar to many past seasons over the history of the Atlantic Coast Conference with Duke and North Carolina fighting it out for the top spot in the standings and another year of bragging rights. Figuratively speaking, my money is on the Blue Devils.
2009-10 Duke Basketball Player Profile – Jon Scheyer
Senior co-captain, and 2009-10 preseason candidate for the John R. Wooden Award All-American Team, Jon Scheyer brings consistency onto the court for the Duke Blue Devils. In discussing Jon's selection as one of this year’s team captains, Coach Mike Krzyzewski stated, "Jon has a great approach to the game and is one of the most consistent performers in practice and during games."
Scheyer enters his senior season with 1349 career points, which places him in 32nd place all-time at Duke. He was named the MVP at last year's ACC Tournament when he averaged 21.6 points over three games, while leading Duke to the tournament championship. For the season, Scheyer averaged 14.9 points per game and led Duke in minutes played at 32.8 per contest.
Last season, Coach Krzyzewski handed Scheyer the reigns after an 80-74 loss at Boston College on February 15, 2009 and Scheyer responded by averaging 18.6 points over the next 12 games. Moreover, he distributed 28 assists while committing only 14 turnovers for a solid 2:1 assist to turnover ratio. After the ACC tournament, Kyle Singler talked about Scheyer's performance running the point, "He makes plays for himself and others," Singler said. "That spot for us, when Jon has been there, has been huge for us." Coach Krzyzewski’s confidence in Scheyer paid dividends as Duke won ten of those twelve games with the two losses coming against eventual Final Four teams North Carolina and Villanova.
Scheyer is a versatile player but his greatest strength is as a scorer when he attacks defenses. As a career 37.9 percent 3-point shooter, he can punish defenses which rotate late by knocking down the long ball. Off the dribble, Scheyer has a knack for drawing contact and converting at the free throw line. He has scored 414 of his 1349 career points, from the charity stripe, by converting on 85.4 percent of his opportunities. Defenses must respect Scheyer's scoring ability, which facilitates his ability to distribute the basketball to his teammates.
Defensively, Scheyer led Duke in steals last season averaging 1.6 per contest. He had a season high four steals in the game at North Carolina. His defensive rebounding is also strong as Scheyer averaged 2.48 defensive rebounds per game as a junior. He recorded five defensive rebounds three times last season with his career high being ten defensive rebounds against Pittsburgh in December 2007. Defensive rebounds by guards typically result in fast break opportunities.
Over the summer, Scheyer participated in the Greater North Carolina Pro-Am league, sponsored by Jerry Stackhouse, and hosted by North Carolina Central University, by playing several games for Team Duhon. Not surprisingly, throughout the games in which he participated, Scheyer demonstrated his ability to knockdown 3-pointers and distribute the ball to his teammates.
Scheyer also worked to improve his point guard skills by attending the Deron Williams Skills Academy June 23-26 in Dallas. At the skills academy, he had the opportunity to test himself by guarding some of the nation’s quickest guards.
What should Duke Fans expect from Jon Scheyer in this upcoming season? For starters, more of the same, Scheyer will be consistent and versatile, as he has been for the past three seasons. As a senior, it is expected that he will step up his leadership presence. Scheyer will handle the ball and initiate Duke’s offense as the point guard, a position he expects to share alongside Nolan Smith. With Scheyer being a senior and initiating the offense, he will be an extension of Coach Krzyzewski on the court.
Duke fans can expect for Jon Scheyer to consistently turn in All-ACC Team quality performances throughout his senior season in Durham.
Jon Scheyer and Lance Thomas named 2009-10 team captains
durham, n.c. – Seniors Jon Scheyer and Lance Thomas were named team captains for the 2009-10 men’s basketball season, head coach Mike Krzyzewski announced on Thursday. Scheyer was a team captain last season, while Thomas has garnered the honor for the first time.
“Jon and Lance have both been great leaders on and off the court for our program,” said Krzyzewski. “Jon has a great approach to the game and is one of the most consistent performers in practice and during games. Lance brings a work ethic and fiery competitiveness that teammates rally around. Both players are strong leaders individually and will be even stronger together.”
Scheyer, a Northbrook, Ill. native, was one of three captains last season on a team that went 30-7, claimed the ACC Tournament Championship and advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16. He joined the 1,000-point scorer club at Duke a year ago and now ranks 32nd all-time with 1,349 career points. Scheyer, the 2009 ACC Tournament MVP, averaged 14.9 points per game to rank third on the team last season, while leading the team in minutes (1,214), three-point field goal percentage (.385), assists (102) and steals (58).
Thomas, out of Scotch Plains, N.J., has played in 100 career games with 62 starts. He averaged 5.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game last season and led the team in field goal percentage (.626). In his career, he has 13 double-figure scoring games, 53 steals and 33 career drawn charges.
Duke will begin the 2009-10 season on Oct. 16 at 7:30 p.m. with Countdown to Craziness in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
It’s Blue Devils versus Blue Devils at the NC Pro Am
Four Duke Blue Devils took to the floor in McDougald Gym on the campus of NC Central during the continuing NC Pro Am event. Interestingly, the Dukies went head to head, two each playing for WR Starkey and Team Duhon. Coming into the game Team Duhon was a the top of the standings led by Mason Plumlee and the sharp shooting Jon Scheyer.
On this night Team Starkey would claw their way to a 69-60 victory behind Lance Thomas and Ryan Kelly. Kelly paced his squad with team high 10 first half points showing a soft touch from the outside. Oddly, Ryan did not play for a good nine minutes in the second half despite his effectiveness. Kelly would end the game with 16 points and had a couple of dunks at the start of the game.
His teammate Lance Thomas tallied 8 points and as usual was active on the floor. Thomas even drained 1 of 2 three point shots, the first, a misss looking as if he was uncomfortable with the shot. Still, Thomas was putting more arch on the ball than I had seen during his career at Duke.
Mason Plumlee has had some good showings, but his shots were dropping off the rim early where he started 0-6 from the field. He came out in the second half and nailed a three point shot, finishing with 7 points. It is worth noting that he had some early foul problems as well.
Jon Scheyer hit four three point shots and missed maybe two shots the entire game. He scored a team high 18 points and had several open looks where teammates took the ball one on one. But that is the nature of the game in this event where all of the players want to shine.
The action continues this evening and admission is free, so stop in if you are in the area. All photos from this event are provided by Rick Crank Photography. Crank will continue to be a part of Blue Devil Nation and other ventures.
6 pm KG vs Lucky 7
7 pm WR Starkey vs Navy
8 pm God Bless My Success vs Team Duhon
9 pm Hendricks vs E-Net
Kelly, Scheyer and Plumlee help their teams to a win at the N.C. Pro Am
Day two is in the books for the 2009 N.C. Pro AM and once again it was another entertaining night of basketball at N.C. Central University. Three Blue Devils played this evening, the incoming freshman Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly and Jon Scheyer.
Kelly wound up with 15 points and 7 rebounds and 1 blocked shot. His team was down double digits throughout the contest but staged a late comeback to win the game. During that stretch, Kelly hit two free throws with 1:38 left to give his team a one point lead.
On of Kelly's teammates was UNC's Ed Davis. The two teamed well on the front line and Kelly looked for Davis when he had the ball, but the normally solid Davis struggled with just 6 points on the evening, looking frustrated at times.
Kelly also went up against David Best (10 points), a strong and aggressive player during the majority of the game. Best blocked Kelly's first shot of the game and dunked on the other end the next time down, but Kelly settled in nicely to lead his team in scoring after that. In fact, Ryan had 7 of his teams first 8 points as they struggled offensively to open the game.
Like Kelly, Scheyer and Plumlee helped lead their team to a comeback victory after being down 13 points in the first half. Scheyer started the game 0-3 where the ball just seemed to rim out for him. One of those plays still brought oohs and ahs as Plumlee missed a dunk and Jon jumped up and almost flushed it home on the tip, but it caromed out as the basket gave way.
Scheyer played a good floor game, showing he can run the point as he did last season, despite playing in a three guard offense. After missing his first free throw, he connected on the second and went 4 of 5 from the stripe in the game. One the next possession he connected on a three pointer and missed just one shot the rest of the way in route to 12 points. Scheyer also dished 4 assists and at least 4 blown assists.
Scheyers best offensive move was on the baseline where he weaved through and faked out three defenders to hit a shot at the first half buzzer capping off a comeback and giving Team Duhon momentum the rest of the way.
Mason Plumlee was saddled with early foul trouble but had two dunks early in the game and was 4 of 4 from the free throw stripe. He altered a few shots and grabbed around 6 boards. His Team Duhon won the game going away in the end 76-69. Plumlee was credited with 8 points, but their was one tip which seemed as if it were credited to another player.
On a couple of side notes, BDN ran into Robert Brickey who has accepted an assistant coaching position at North Carolina Central. Kyle Singler was not in the house for he's attending the LeBron James Skills Academy, a huge Nike event that BDN's Andrew Slater is covering for our subscribers. Slater has an interview coming with Singler where our
members sent in the questions which will run in our free section. He has secured interviews and scouted some of Duke's main prospects as well. Among the players mentioned are Roscoe Smith, Harrison Barnes, Andre Dawkins. Coach K, Wojo and Nate James are watching the Nike event as I type. For more the latest breaking information, join Blue Devil Nation Premium.
Thursday NC Prom Am Schedule at NCCU, admission is free -
6 pm Navy vs KG
7 pm Lucky 7 vs Team Duhon (M. Plumlee, Jon Scheyer, C. Du)
8 pm WR Starkey (L. Thomas, Kelly, Curry) vs Team PJ Tucker
9 pm Dreamworks vs E-Net (Singler, Miles Plumlee)
Not all players participate each evening
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