Everything Jon Scheyer said following Duke's 113-52 victory over CCU
· Yahoo Sports
Duke used a 16-0 run to start the game and never looked back as the No. 2 Blue Devils routed Coastal Carolina, 113-52, on Thursday night in Cameron Indoor Stadium.
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Patrick Ngongba led the way for Duke, finishing with 28 points and nine rebounds, while John Blackwell, Caleb Foster, Dame Sarr and Cayden Boozer also finished with double-digit points.
Here's everything head coach Jon Scheyer had to say following the game:
Opening statement
I thought we really responded from the Army game. I thought we took some steps forward. A couple things: One, Drew, it's all part of his return to play. We didn't anticipate him playing this game anyway. And so for us, we're just, again, continuing to ramp him up and get him back to where he's himself. Couple things I really liked: the 25 assists on 38 made shots. Cayden’s passing was incredible. The job he did of when to score and then when to pass; he had some great plays there. I just thought he controlled the game.
And then I thought the main thing was our defense, more consistent, especially in that first half; the job those guys did, just we want to come at you in waves a little bit.
And I thought that when we subbed, the energy picked up. When we subbed again, the energy continued to pick up, and that's the making of the vision that I have for this team.
On team averaging more steals than in the past
I think that's the strength of our team. We're picking up more. The activity, I think, Connor, it's for me more about the activity versus the pressure. So I think our ball pressure, our pickup point has been higher. The ability to give our guys a little bit more room to be disruptive on and off the ball. And so I thought we had some great sequences of active hands tonight for sure.
On Cayden Boozer and Caleb Foster clicking tonight
Yeah, 100%. And we just have the type of team where the scoring's not going to be there every night for those guys necessarily. And they may have games, they have 20-plus points easy too, but the efficiency they played with, the defensive impact they had and just their leadership, the connectivity on the court, I thought was really high level. And that's what experienced guards do. And both those guys did that tonight in a big way.
On bringing along Patrick Ngongba and his efficient game
Yeah. I think the biggest thing for Pat, we don't want him to feel like he's in a box. He's a traditional big from one standpoint, where he can post and score inside, but he's not a traditional big because he can shoot, he can handle, he can really play make, as you guys have seen. So for me, it's just trying to empower him and give him the green light to do what he feels he sees on the court. He's got amazing instincts. He's always going to be a team guy and an aggressive Pat is the best version of Duke, and we need to continue to keep him aggressive in that mindset.
More on Caleb Foster
Yeah, we've been through a lot together, and he's obviously had that little injury in the preseason. So he's still working his way back.
Wish he could have gone some more minutes there at the end. But his efficiency, his ability to handle adversity, the fact he's stepped up in some of the toughest moments we've had. You think about an NCAA tournament or some different sequences towards the end of our seasons. And I think his ability to impact the game in multiple different ways. And I thought tonight he did that with his scoring and shooting, but his playmaking and I thought his defense took a step forward tonight as well.
On John Blackwell responding from Army game
Two things. One, he hasn't had a game like that in two years, I don't think. I think that's the least amount of points he scored. And for me, even in the first half, he didn't score. I thought he played really well. His defense was really good. He let the game come to him, and the second half, he just had that flurry to get going. He just is that type of guy. I think he's going to just find his moments and find his comfort level here. But the biggest thing, he's just a team guy. He's just a team guy, and it would be easy to come into this game and hunt and try to force up shots or get your scoring average going again. He came here to win. He came here to continue to develop and be a part of a great team. And I just love his approach and attitude that he had tonight.
On the team’s communication on the court so far
Yeah, we're at a fine point for two games in. I think the difference with this group is the veterans, and they have a constant voice in the locker room and our huddles. It's probably for me, probably as much experience when you consider, if you include John in that as well, obviously Dame, Caleb, Cayden and Pat and even Sebastian, just being here last year; there's just a comfort level of knowing what to expect and knowing the communication that you have to have. But there's just, like, anything; there are levels to it, and we got to keep working our way up to another level.
On starting out fast in the first two games
Yeah, I hope so. I mean, look, I think every coach in the country says start quick or start fast or however any coach says it. I think more important than starting fast is the appreciation for every play, understanding that every play matters. And I want our guys to have the mindset: obviously we're not going to start every game 16-0 or 12-0, but regardless of the start, we're going to continue to claw our way and find a way to win. I want us to have that mindset. But if we can do it that way, then that's even better. So I'm not shying away from that either. So let's continue to come out, and I like the defensive intensity. I think that's the difference.
This article originally appeared on Duke Wire: Everything Jon Scheyer said following Duke's 113-52 victory over CCU