Duke’s men’s basketball media day Thursday came with the usual preseason buzz, but also a few clear messages about what this group wants to be.
The biggest one: defense still sits at the center of everything.
Yes, the roster is loaded with size. Yes, there are shooters and facilitators everywhere.
But the Blue Devils made it plain that talent alone won’t define them. If the defense slips, that becomes the difference.
The other theme was depth, and Duke didn’t try to hide how much of it this team believes it has. That kind of competition should sharpen practices and, by extension, the team itself.
The flip side is just as obvious: nobody really plays 11 or 12 guys on a regular basis, so somebody will be sitting.
Jon Scheyer opened by paying tribute to former Duke assistant and ESPN analyst Chris Spatola, who passed away earlier this week. Scheyer spoke about the end of the 2009 season, when Duke fell to Villanova in the Sweet 16.
“He hugged me and told me ‘we’ll be back and we’ll win the whole’ thing, which we did the following year. He’s the guy who texted me when it was announced that I was the next Duke head coach, ‘you’re built for this.’ “
Rest In Peace.
On the injury front, Duke is in pretty good shape outside of Drew Scharnowski, who recently had some knee work cleaned up. He’s targeting Duke’s regular-season opener against Kansas in about a month, and he wasn’t on crutches Thursday and appeared to be moving well. Still, he’ll miss the exhibition against Belmont, his old school.
You’ll love Scharnowski. He’s an extrovert’s extrovert.
Patrick Ngongba, meanwhile, has been, is, and hopefully, will remain healthy. Duke expects him to be a force.
A few players stood out in the updates. Dame Sarr, in particular, looks transformed.
Where contact used to be a problem finishing through, he now looks like he spent the offseason living in the weight room. He’s sculpted, and his handle is tighter, too.
Joaquim Boumtje Boumtje is dealing with the usual freshman highs and lows, Scheyer said, and JBB agreed. But the way his teammates talked about him made it sound like he’s from another planet - in a good way. He’s massive, and he can knock down 3s.
Caleb Foster was under the weather and didn’t speak with the media, but his teammates clearly see his leadership.
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Dukes Frontcourt Depth Suddenly Has An Early Concern
Dukes frontcourt depth has taken on a little early-season uncertainty as Drew Scharnowski works through a knee issue during preseason camp. The Belmont transfer is projected to back up center this season, so his health matters not just for the rotation but for how much flexibility Jon Scheyer has behind the starters.
Scheyer and Scharnowski have both struck an optimistic tone about the recovery, with the injury being handled carefully and the aim still to have him back before the season begins. For now, there is no firm timeline, which leaves the Blue Devils watching a spot they expected to stabilize rather than stress this early. [Read more 🡒]