Duke’s roster has a different feel this time around, and Jon Scheyer isn’t pretending otherwise. The Blue Devils may have the kind of depth that looks great on paper, but the coach made it clear that there’s a limit to how far that can stretch once the games start counting.
“Well, it's not going to be 12. That's just what it is.
You can't play 12," Scheyer said, per 247. "I think beginning of the year, we'll try to play 10 guys potentially.
But I'm not going to put that number set in stone because, what if there is separation with the top eight? We'll end up going with the top eight.
"But no question, early in the season, we're going to try to extend the depth as much as we can because I do believe we have really good players eight, nine, 10, 11, however that shakes out.”
That’s the balancing act for Duke heading into next season. The Blue Devils have a veteran-heavy group, a shift from the younger, freshman-driven teams that have often defined the program in recent years.
Last season, Duke leaned hard on Cameron Boozer, hoping he could take over games and deliver what everyone expected from him. He did, but it still wasn’t enough to get the Blue Devils all the way through.
This version of Duke comes with a lot more options. There are players on the roster who can help on any given night, and Scheyer sees that as a real asset, even if it creates some unavoidable minute crunches.
The first few games should give Duke a chance to sort through some of that. Army, Coastal Carolina, and Southern Illinois University Edwardsville are all on the schedule in three of the Blue Devils’ first four games, and those matchups should help Scheyer see how far down the bench he can realistically go.
After that, the margin for experimentation shrinks quickly. Duke is set to play one of the toughest schedules in college basketball, so the depth will get tested in a hurry. And when the opponents get better, the Blue Devils will need their stars to carry more of the load.
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