Duke basketball will get another look at Jon Scheyer in the driver’s seat.
According to a tweet from the Duke basketball program on Wednesday afternoon, head coach Mike Krzyzewski will miss the 7 p.m. ET road bout against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons (13-3, 3-2 ACC) due to a virus reportedly unrelated to COVID. And Jon Scheyer will temporarily call the shots for the No. 8 Duke Blue Devils (12-2, 2-1 ACC).
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The 34-year-old, who’s on tap to assume the Blue Devil throne after Coach K’s pre-announced retirement in the spring, will try to get Duke back on track following Saturday night’s 76-74 home loss at the hands of the unranked Miami Hurricanes.
Jon Scheyer’s previous experience as Duke basketball acting head coach
Last season, the Blue Devils faced a similar predicament when Mike Krzyzewski had to sit out the home game against the Boston College Eagles in early January after contact with a family member who tested positive for COVID-19.
In that battle, which serves as Jon Scheyer’s only experience to date as an acting head coach at any level, Duke was without the services of two players: Jalen Johnson and Patrick Tape. Nevertheless, under Scheyer’s command, those Blue Devils rallied back from a 16-point first-half deficit to defeat Boston College, 83-82.
This time, the roster appears fully healthy outside of the unspecified illness Coach K is dealing with at the moment. Still, against a hungry group of Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem, N.C., Scheyer must again show his ability to muster confidence and cohesion among the players if he’s to escape with his undefeated record intact as an acting head coach.
Stay tuned to Ball Durham for more on the Wake Forest game plus other Duke basketball news and views.