Jon Scheyer didn’t hesitate to give credit where it was due after Duke knocked off Louisville on Tuesday night in an 84-73 win on the road.
While Duke ultimately won the game late, Scheyer was quick to acknowledge just how difficult Louisville made things, especially early on.
The Cardinals’ offensive execution challenged Duke in ways few teams have this season, wich even led to him saying that he didn’t have his team ready to play.
“Big time college basketball game. Ton of respect for Pat [Kelsey], their staff, their team. For us, they're as explosive as any offense we played this season, no question about it. And the game really came down to, I think, our defense in the second half was terrific. I didn't have them prepared the way I would have liked in that first half. You've got to tip your cap to [Aly] Khalifa, hitting those four threes, I thought actually at halftime, we felt pretty good despite the score. You know, he hits those threes. I thought we were a little sped up on offense,” he said, per the school.
Louisville came out aggressive, confident, and efficient, consistently finding ways to score the basketball, even without star Mikel Brown Jr.
Duke didn’t always look great in the first half, mainly on the defensive side of the basketball.
Rather than Scheyer pointing to missed shots or execution, he framed the early struggles as a preparation issue, a fair statement if he believes it. He also felt that Duke did a lot better of a job in the second half.
"In the second half," Scheyer said. "That was Duke defense."
Scheyer’s emphasis on second-half defense also speaks to Duke’s growth and how good it can be. Making changes in ACC play and postseason events will be necessary, whether in the ACC Tournament or March Madness.
In the end, Duke walked away with both a win and some tape to get better. Every game it gets tested with throughout the year should be viewed as a positive. The more challenging games it plays this season, the better it will be in March.