Latest news with #Scheyer
Miami Herald
3 days ago
- Sport
- Miami Herald
Duke basketball brings back alum after HBCU stint
Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer is bringing a familiar face back to Durham: former Blue Devil Tyler Thornton will join the coaching staff as an assistant. Thornton, who played at Duke from 2010 to 2014, returns after a successful coaching stint at Howard University, an HBCU where he served under fellow Duke alum Kenneth Blakeney. Thornton joined Howard's men's basketball program in 2019 and played a pivotal role in the Bison's resurgence. During his tenure, Howard achieved back-to-back MEAC tournament championships in 2023 and 2024, marking their first NCAA tournament appearances since 1992 . In the 2022–23 season, the Bison finished with a 22–13 overall record and an 11–3 mark in conference play, clinching the MEAC regular-season title . They secured the tournament championship with a gritty 65–64 victory over Norfolk State. Thornton's impact at Howard extended beyond team achievements. In his first season, he coached Charles Williams, the MEAC's all-time leading scorer, to All-MEAC honors. He also guided Wayne Bristol Jr. to the 2019–20 MEAC Rookie of the Year award. In the 2020–21 season, Thornton was instrumental in the recruitment and development of Makur Maker, who became the first five-star recruit to commit to an HBCU since ESPN began ranking prospects in 2007. Thornton's return to Duke basketball brings valuable experience from his time at an HBCU, where he contributed to significant program milestones. His coaching journey, marked by player development and championship success, positions him as a promising addition to Scheyer's staff. As Duke basketball continues to evolve under Scheyer's leadership, the inclusion of coaches like Thornton, who have demonstrated success at HBCUs, underscores the program's commitment to excellence. The post Duke basketball brings back alum after HBCU stint appeared first on HBCU Gameday. Copyright HBCU Gameday 2012-2025
Newsweek
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
Duke, Jon Scheyer Boasted Head-Turning Player GPA
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Duke Blue Devils and head coach Jon Scheyer were one of the best teams in the nation during the 2024-25 college basketball season. While they were unable to win a national championship, Duke did make a run to the Final Four. They looked to be headed to the championship game before losing the lead late in a heartbreaking loss to the Houston Cougars. Not only were the Blue Devils elite on the court, Scheyer also had his players succeeding in the classroom. Head coach Jon Scheyer of the Duke Blue Devils directs his team during the first half of the game against the NC State Wolfpack at PNC Arena on March 4, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Head coach Jon Scheyer of the Duke Blue Devils directs his team during the first half of the game against the NC State Wolfpack at PNC Arena on March 4, 2024 in Raleigh, North Carolina. Photo byAs shared by Duke in a post on X, the Blue Devils boasted an impressive 3.43 GPA during the spring semester. Read more: Tom Izzo, Michigan State Receive Head-Turning 2025-26 Prediction "Best of both," the three-word post read. Best of both 📚📈🏰 — Duke Men's Basketball (@DukeMBB) May 21, 2025 Scheyer has become one of the best head coaches in the nation. Since taking over for the legendary Mike Krzyzewski back in the 2022-23 season, Scheyer has led the program to an impressive 89-22 record. That is good enough for an 80.2 winning percentage. Duke will have a lot of work to do next season to win a national championship. Both Cooper Flagg and Kon Knueppel opted to leave the program after their freshman seasons. They are going to be missed in a big way. Thankfully, the Blue Devils and Scheyer have a new crop of young talent coming in. Cameron Boozer, the son of former NBA player Carlos Boozer, leads the way as the top recruit in the 2025 class. Read more: Former 4-Time NBA All-Star Unveils Shocking Mavericks, Cooper Flagg Take Not only does Duke have a new class of freshman players coming in, Scheyer has also made some moves in the transfer portal. They were able to land small forward Cedric Coward and center Ifeanyi Ufochukwu. 247 Sports listed Coward as a four-star transfer portal player, while Ufochukwu was named a three-star transfer prospect. Will that be enough to replace the losses of Flagg and Knueppel? Possibly, but that won't be known until the Blue Devils' 2025-26 season gets underway. Either way, Scheyer has built a program the fans can be proud of both on the court and off the court. He has brought in players who excel at basketball and in the classroom. Also notable in the post shard by Duke is the fact that under Scheyer all-time the Blue Devils' basketball team has a 3.29 average GPA. He has done an excellent job so far and he's just getting started. For more college basketball news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Duke's Cedric Coward Sends Strong Message on Jon Scheyer At NBA Draft Combine
After reaching the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament, the Duke Blue Devils saw a wave of player departures this spring. Fortunately for head coach Jon Scheyer, those exits came for all the right reasons. Four of Duke's five starters are heading to the NBA Draft, led by projected No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg and fellow standout Kon Knueppel. While Flagg is getting most of the national spotlight, Knueppel is widely expected to be a top-10 selection. Teammates Tyrese Proctor and Khaman Maluach are also attracting strong interest from NBA teams. Advertisement Amid this roster turnover, Duke basketball provided an update on a player they had hoped would suit up for them this coming season—Cedric Coward. Though his stay in Durham was always expected to be a one-year stop, his status remains uncertain. "Cedric Coward on his looming decision to stay in the draft or go to Duke" Coward, 21, has already logged four seasons of college basketball. He began his career at Willamette University before transferring to Eastern Washington, where he earned First-Team All-Big Sky honors. In his final season with the Eagles, he averaged 15.4 points per game. He then transferred to Washington State, where he played just six games last season before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in November. Despite the short stint, Coward was impressive, averaging 17.7 points and seven rebounds per game. Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer.© Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images At the NBA Draft Combine, Coward spoke about his connection with Coach Scheyer and how involved the Duke staff has been throughout the draft process. Advertisement "Talking to Coach Scheyer and the staff, I communicate pretty much everything with them as I get information,' Coward said. 'They're completely supportive of me focusing on the draft right now because this is my dream. At the moment, I'm 100 percent focused on the draft.' Asked what it would take for him to stay in the draft, Coward explained: "At the end of the day, I don't know if there's something specific I need to hear. It'll come down to conversations with my agent and making the best decision with the best information I have.' When pressed on why Duke was still a consideration if he returns to college for one more season, Coward was quick to praise the program. Advertisement "Tremendously. There's a reason I picked them. I love Coach Scheyer and his staff. I believe they can help me if I were to go there.' The deadline to withdraw from the NBA Draft and retain NCAA eligibility is May 28. Related: 4-Star Recruit Makes College Commitment Decision on Monday Related: Kentucky Guard Makes Life-Changing Announcement After Freshman Season
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Cooper Flagg's Former Teammate Makes Second Transfer Portal Decision on Wednesday
Since Jon Scheyer took over for Mike Krzyzewski as the head coach of the Duke Blue Devils, he has been able to build teams capable of competing each year. Since taking over in 2022, Scheyer has landed a top-five recruiting class each year (247Sports), and the 2025 class, headlined by the Boozer twins (Cameron and Cayden), is no exception. Scheyer also added No. 1 overall recruit Cooper Flagg in 2024. Advertisement However, Scheyer has not been able to retain all of his top recruits, including 2023 four-star prospect Sean Stewart, who will be joining his third program in three college basketball seasons, per On3's Joe Tipton. "NEWS: Ohio State transfer forward Sean Stewart, a former 5⭐️ recruit and McDonalds All-American, has committed to Oregon, he tells @On3sports," Tipton wrote on X. "The 6-9 sophomore began his career at Duke." Stewart, a 6-foot-9 power forward out of Montverde High School (Montverde, Florida), was a five-star prospect in his recruiting class (247Sports). He spent one season at Montverde playing alongside Duke star Cooper Flagg. Stewart ranked 17th-best overall prospect in his class and the fifth-best power forward. Advertisement Stewart did not see much action in his freshman season with Duke. In 33 games played, he averaged 2.6 points on 57.1 percent shooting, 3.2 rebounds and 0.5 blocks in 8.4 minutes per game. Stewart transferred to Ohio State for his sophomore season (2024-25) and instantly saw a big increase in minutes. Playing and starting in 30 games for the Buckeyes, Stewart improved to 5.7 points, 5.8 rebounds and 0.9 blocks in 18.4 minutes per game. Former Duke Blue Devils forward Sean Kinnan-Imagn Images Stewart will be joining an Oregon Ducks team that went 25-10 (12-8 in Big Ten play) last season. They earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament, but fell to the Arizona Wildcats in the second round. Advertisement Joining Stewart in Oregon's 2025 transfer portal class are small forward Devon Pryor (Texas), power forward Miles Goodman (Penn State) and guard TK Simpkins (Elon). Related: Duke Prepares for Major Change After ACC Announcement
Yahoo
07-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Duke's Jon Scheyer Gets Major Transfer Portal News on Wednesday
The Duke Blue Devils are fresh off a Final Four appearance, led by one of the top head coaches in college basketball, Jon Scheyer. Scheyer took over as the head coach of the program several years ago, replacing college basketball legend Mike Krzyzewski, and Duke hasn't skipped a beat. Advertisement The Blue Devils went 35-4 last season, led by one of the best freshman classes college basketball has ever seen, starring Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and Khaman Maluach. While they made their mark last season, all three players are heading to the NBA Draft. This leaves Scheyer with major holes to fill, which he did on Wednesday. According to Matt Zenitz, Rice center transfer Ifeanyi Ufochukwu has signed with Duke. He will continue his college basketball career with Scheyer and the Blue Devils, attempting to replace the production that Flagg and Maluach leave behind as the team's lead rebounders. As Zenitz explained, Ufochukwu redshirted this past season. He played 16 games for Rice during the 2023-24 season and nine games for the college basketball program in the 2022-23 season. Advertisement During his last active season, Ufochukwu averaged 1.8 points, 0.6 rebounds and 0.1 assists per game. While he's had limited production during his college basketball career, Ufochukwu brings a much-needed paint presence at 6-foot-11 for Scheyer and the Blue Devils. Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Donnan-Imagn Images Duke marched their way to the Final Four last season after defeating Alabama, Arizona, Baylor and Mount St. Mary's in the NCAA Tournament. With Flagg and the rest of the freshmen leading the way, Duke was also able to earn themselves an ACC Tournament title. Related: Duke Reacts to Major Mike Krzyzewski Announcement on Tuesday Related: Bill Self Sends Strong Message After Kansas Assistant's Retirement Decision
