Jon Scheyer Can't Outsmart Himself With Duke's Rotations

There hasn't been anything holding Duke back over the past couple of years, specifically since Jon Scheyer took over. 

While Duke hasn't won a national championship since Scheyer took over, there's really nothing to worry about. 

Frankly, we could go to nearly every other program in the country and ask if they would be content with being Duke throughout that span, and nearly all of them would say yes. 

As for Duke, however, anything short of a national title is typically going to be viewed as a disappointment. 

This program has found as much success as it has throughout its existence, and anything short of a national title is typically viewed as a disappointment. For Scheyer this year, there's hope that he's going to be able to get through that, though it's not going to be any easier.

ESPN recently released some of its questions for Duke to answer, and many of them are more than fair. The biggest one that I think Duke has to figure out is the depth and whether it actually believes that it can play 10 to 12 guys a night.

“Borzello: Duke's approach to the season will be fascinating to watch in the early weeks. The Blue Devils are coming off heartbreaking NCAA tournament defeats the past two seasons. They don't have an impact one-and-done lottery pick such as Cooper Flagg or Boozer entering the program. But they still enter the season ranked No. 2 in the country -- higher expectations than they had in either the Flagg or Boozer year.

"Coach Jon Scheyer also faces more roster questions than he has in recent campaigns. Will it be Caleb Foster or Cayden Boozer at the point? Is Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell ready for the spotlight? How fast will Scheyer bring along Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje, the potential No. 1 pick in the 2028 draft? Is Scheyer ready to go 10-, 11-, 12-deep? If Scheyer pushes the right buttons at the right time, the Blue Devils could erase the demons of the past two tourney exits and cut down the nets,” Jeff Borzello of ESPN wrote.

Don't get me wrong, I can understand Duke playing 10 to 12 guys a night during the regular season. 

Once ACC play really gets going, let's say sometime from the end of January to the end of February, I'd like to see Scheyer shorten those rotations a bit. 

However, to get through the regular season and stay healthy, I can understand why Duke would play more guys than it typically would.

What I worry about is Scheyer getting too creative, playing these guys in March Madness games, and not leaning on the guys who have the hot hand at the right time.