The Duke basketball program has not skipped a beat since Jon Scheyer took over from Coach Mike Krzyzewski. The Blue Devils have reached the Final Four under him and have maintained their status as one of the premier brands in college basketball through their recruiting. This year, the star freshman that Scheyer has is Cameron Boozer, and he says he has been great to coach across the board.
In speaking with Jon Rothstein ahead of Duke's upcoming Sweet 16 game against St. John's, Scheyer was asked specifically what it was like coaching Cameron Boozer. Scheyer said it has been great, that he has been great in terms of energy and presence, even with the NBA knocking on his door. He is looking forward to continuing to play with Duke.
Duke had to escape against Siena, but they looked much better against TCU. Boozer finished with a stat line of 19 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three steals, and one block. He shot 7-of-10 from the field and 5-of-5 from the free-throw line. Scheyer credited his star player for coming through in the second half despite a slow start, which paved the way for a Duke basketball win.
“We can’t let the whole half go by without him getting a shot. But again, the thing is, he impacts the game in all ways. You look at his defense, rebounding, and then obviously how he asserted himself in the second half, that’s how we got separation,” Scheyer said.
Duke faced some scrutiny entering the tournament and after their opening-round game against Siena, where they survived a scare, due to missing both Caleb Foster at the point guard spot and Patrick Ngongba down low. Then Patrick Ngongba came back against TCU, and Duke looked much better, and back to being one of the best teams in the country.
Now, the Blue Devils are preparing for a rubber match against St. John's to open the Sweet 16. The focus will be on Cameron Boozer and how he plays against a tough Red Storm team, especially down low, with Zuby Ejiofor ready to go toe-to-toe with him.
