Overprotective Play Ends Duke Basketball’s Season
Duke basketball had the potential to dominate every team it faced, but suddenly, it chose to play conservatively.
With just over eight minutes remaining in their game against Houston in the Alamodome on Saturday night, Jon Scheyer and his third Duke team seemed on track for the program’s first Final Four appearance in a decade. At that moment, the Blue Devils held a comfortable 59-45 lead, and many observers believed a blowout was imminent.
However, at that point, Duke switched to a more cautious, slow-paced style of play, abandoning their aggressive offensive approach. They played to avoid losing rather than to finish strong, leading to an inevitable collapse. It wasn’t surprising when Duke eventually lost 70-67 in what became a humiliating end to one of the most dominant seasons in recent Duke history.
Scheyer deserves criticism for not recognizing that Khaman Maluach, who played 21 minutes but failed to grab a rebound, was ineffective. The veteran head coach, whose timeout instructions proved unproductive, also made the mistake of not trusting his more aggressive post players, Maliq Brown and Patrick Ngongba II, enough to play them in the crucial final minute.
Most disappointing of all, Scheyer admitted after the game that he didn’t believe his team was capable of running away with the game, even with their lead. Despite Duke’s history of blowouts that season, including in the Elite Eight, Scheyer didn’t think his team could push for another.
“Never once did I feel we were going to blow Houston out,” Scheyer said, “even with that lead.”
This admission raises the question: How could Scheyer, coaching a 35-win team featuring three projected lottery picks and several experienced players, not think they could finish strong?
It’s clear now that the 2024-25 Duke season will be remembered for one of the most avoidable late-game collapses in their history. If Scheyer doesn’t let go of his overly cautious mentality, he may struggle to win a national championship as a head coach. Championships are won by those who believe in their ability to dominate when it matters most and show no mercy with a big lead.
Scheyer hasn’t reached that level yet.
Leave a Reply