Duke basketball: Jon Scheyer sends shockwaves through country

Duke basketball head coach sent shockwaves throughout the college basketball landscape. 

Jon Scheyer is not playing any games entering his first season as the head coach of the Duke basketball program, and he is letting the country know.

Jai Lucas, Kentucky’s assistant coach and lead recruiter, turned down an opportunity to join the Blue Devil coaching staff, according to Brendan Marks of The Athletic, but Scheyer wouldn’t take no for an answer.

The Duke head coach continued to work his charm until Lucas agreed to come to Durham.

Travis Branham of 247Sports first reported the hire Friday afternoon, and it was made official by Duke on Monday.

ALSO READ: Kentucky assistant coach turns down Jon Scheyer

The basketball recruiting outlet has Lucas ranked as the second-best recruiter in the country in 2021, only trailing Jon Scheyer himself.

Jai Lucas’ hiring at Duke is significant because it is the first assistant coaching hire that did not play at Duke since Mike Krzyzewski hired Tim O’Toole as an assistant coach in 1995.

Since Krzyzewski’s retirement and Nolan Smith’s departure for an associate head coaching position at Louisville, Jon Scheyer has elevated Amile Jefferson to assistant coach and hired Mike Schrage as a special assistant to the head coach.

Lucas completes the Duke basketball coaching staff alongside Chris Carrawell and Jefferson.

Duke basketball looking to reload for another postseason run

Duke lost five players to the NBA Draft in April, but the Blue Devils are looking to reload with the No. 1 incoming recruiting class as well as additions from the transfer portal.

Scheyer landed Northwestern transfer Ryan Young this past weekend.

ALSO READ: First opponent of Jon Scheyer era confirmed

However, the big question surrounding the roster remains the status of Trevor Keels, who declared for the 2022 NBA Draft and is hiring an agent.

Keels can still return to Durham by the June 1 deadline if he hires an NCAA-certified agent.

Freshmen Dariq Whitehead, Dereck Lively, Kyle Filipowski, Mark Mitchell, and Jaden Schutt will look to lead the Blue Devils to their sixth National Championship in the first season under Jon Scheyer.