The Duke Blue Devils are entering March Madness exactly where they expected to be, and head coach Jon Scheyer is making sure his team embraces the opportunity and the pressure that comes with it.
After earning a No. 1 seed, and the No. 1 overall, Duke finds itself in a position that it has been in for a very long time. This is not uncommon for a program of Duke’s status.
For Scheyer, he wants his guys to have an understanding of what the moment requires and to stay grounded as the tournament gets going.
“This is what you wanted,” Scheyer said, per WRAL. “This is right where you wanted to be -- in a position to play in the NCAA Tournament. You’re the 1 seed. You’ve earned this opportunity.
“We talk about being present every day and then we also talk about just what comes with the great parts comes with how to handle the distractions. I would call them distractions because just there’s a lot of attention on it and that’s exactly what you want it to be.”
Scheyer’s focus has shifted toward preparation and getting healthy as the tournament tips off. Duke is set to open its tournament in Greenville, South Carolina, against Siena, and ensuring his team is ready is a top priority.
“How can we be as fresh as possible for Thursday whatever time we play,” Scheyer said on Sunday.
He also spoke about Patrick Ngongba II, whose availability remains uncertain.
“It's a day-by-day thing to see how he can handle the next step and whether that soreness goes away,” Scheyer said of Ngongba. “I can tell you he's improving. I feel very positive about it, but I can't say what that means as far as later in the week in terms of timing or readiness, because we have to take it step by step.”
Siena is a good team but far from what Duke is. There’s a reason why the Blue Devils will enter this one as nearly 30 point favorites.
Champions in the MAAC, outside of Gavin Doty, there shouldn’t be much for Duke to gameplan for.