Jon Scheyer didn’t sugarcoat what he saw Tuesday night in Chicago.
After Duke’s 79-73 loss to Michigan State at the United Center, the Blue Devils’ head coach made it clear that what happened on the floor didn’t resemble the team he expects to coach this season.
“For me, it was a little bit of an out-of-body experience,” Scheyer said, via The Devils Den. “Our team, I thought we weren't completely connected.
Just the bottom line, we weren't connected. We're going to fix it.
I can promise you that much. Our fans deserve better.
That was not a good performance tonight.
“That wasn't Duke basketball.”
Michigan State controlled the game from start to finish, setting the tone early and never really letting Duke settle in. The Spartans were the tougher group, the more connected group, and the one that looked comfortable dictating the pace. Duke, by contrast, looked disjointed and out of rhythm, especially on offense.
That disconnect showed up in the halfcourt. The ball wasn’t moving cleanly, the offense stalled, and Duke rarely put real pressure on Michigan State’s defense. John Blackwell was the only Blue Devil to reach double figures, finishing with 17 points on 16 shots.
The backcourt around him didn’t give Duke much help. Cayden Boozer was barely a factor.
Caleb Foster couldn’t get a shot to fall off the bench. Deron Rippey provided a little spark, but he played only 12 minutes and is still trying to earn Scheyer’s trust.
This wasn’t the first time Duke has flashed some rough edges. The season opener against Army already hinted at a few early issues, and Michigan State made sure to exploit them. That’s why the loss stung, even if it may also serve a purpose.
Scheyer built this non-conference schedule to test his team before ACC play, and this kind of early exposure can be useful if it leads to growth. Duke has already shown a higher ceiling in exhibition wins over Tennessee and Kansas, and that version of the team is still in there somewhere.
The challenge now is getting there quickly. Duke doesn’t have much time before its next stretch of games, starting with SIUE on Friday at Cameron. Illinois comes to Durham next Tuesday after taking a road loss to Texas Tech and will be looking for a strong response of its own.
If Scheyer’s track record means anything, Duke may look a lot different by then.
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Duke Suddenly Looks Vulnerable After A Marquee Reality Check
Dukes first loss of the season arrived in a setting built to test a contender, and the Champions Classic did exactly that. The No. 2 Blue Devils ran into Michigan State and came away with a reality check, one that exposed how quickly a polished start can look less secure when the shots stop falling and the other team raises the physical level.
Patrick Ngongba was not at full strength, Dame Sarr had a rough night, and several Duke guards also struggled to find their rhythm from the floor. For a team that had looked like one of the nations early standard-bearers, the defeat leaves a familiar question hanging over the next stretch of the schedule: how much margin does Duke really have when its supporting pieces are not all clicking at once? [Read more 🡒]
Duke Faces A Pivotal Rivalry Week With ACC Standing At Stake
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Duke enters at 8-6 in ACC play and has leaned on Ashby Zubchevich and Nataly Moravec to drive the offense, with other contributors helping steady both sides of the ball. Against a ranked rival twice in four days, the Blue Devils will need that balance to hold up, especially with the second match coming on the road and carrying a bigger stage. The first result will matter, but the larger question is whether Duke can turn a rivalry week into a statement about where it belongs in the conference picture. [Read more 🡒]