Duke coach Jon Scheyer must be engulfed in despair right now after suffering a painful loss to Connecticut in the Elite Eight in the NCAA Tournament on Sunday.
For the second straight year, the Blue Devils blew a big lead and allowed their opponent to complete a come-from-behind victory. Last year, they were eliminated in the Final Four by Houston.
Scheyer was pilloried on social media following their loss to the Huskies, with some even calling for his firing. He, however, found an unexpected ally in St. John's coach Rick Pitino.
Pitino took to X to congratulate UConn, which he described as a “team that wouldn't give up.” He also came to the aid of the 38-year-old Scheyer.
“For all those people out there trying to criticize Jon Scheyer, he is one helluva coach and one of the class acts in our game. He played the toughest schedule and ended as the No. 1 overall seed. Championships will be in his future,” wrote the 73-year-old Pitino.
Duke beat St. John's in the Sweet 16, 80-75.
Before their matchup, Scheyer publicly praised Pitino for how he molded the Red Storm into a hard-fighting unit.
“They have good depth. They’re playing so well together. I think the best thing that they do is play with great confidence. They’re just relentless,” said Scheyer, who won a national title with the Blue Devils as a player, in a media conference.
It is always great to see coaches expressing mutual respect despite the intense competition. While Pitino can be brash, coming to the defense of Scheyer amid all the vitriol was truly a classy gesture.
In Scheyer's four years at the helm, Duke has tallied a 124-25 record and three straight trips to the Elite Eight.
