Duke continues to be one of the best teams in America, and it’s not because of one single win. Instead, it’s been about consistency and adjustments that have unlocked the roster’s strengths while slowing down other areas. As the season has progressed, the Blue Devils have been coached just as well as anyone in the country, and that’s saying something.
That reality is why The Athletic’s CJ Moore slotted Duke as the No. 4 team in college basketball, pointing to one moment that’s changed a lot for the Blue Devils. At the center of that is how head coach Jon Scheyer has allowed his best player to control the game.
“Last season, coach Jon Scheyer utilized the playmaking of Cooper Flagg by using him in as a ball handler in pick-and-rolls. According to Synergy, Duke ran a Flagg P&R 5.5 times per game.
“Scheyer has similarly used Cameron Boozer this year but not quite as frequently — 3.3 times per game. That could be changing. Boozer is clearly Duke’s best creator and he’s become the point forward. He averaged 4.5 assists per game in January and had at least three assists in every game... My concerns with Duke have been point guard play, but Point Boozer might negate that mattering as much as it would with most teams,” he wrote.
Rather than running traditional guard play when it isn’t there, Scheyer has leaned to Cameron Boozer’s versatility. There were questions about that, as Boozer didn’t always make the right passes early on, but he’s done a great job with that since the beginning of the season.
Doing this also addresses Duke’s biggest question mark. Traditional point guard play in this era of college and professional basketball isn’t always a thing, but Boozer as a point forward isn’t as easy as it might seem. However, he’s done a great job with it and it should help his NBA future.
I don’t know if there are three teams better than Duke, but as I said last week, these rankings ultimately don’t mean a thing. Duke has to stay healthy, play its basketball, and get going for March.