In 2022, just before his first season as a head coach began, Jon Scheyer was determined to ensure his team was fully prepared. This led to him reaching out to Houston coach Kelvin Sampson and arranging a "secret" scrimmage between the two programs in the Cougars' gym.
"I just believed Houston would be the toughest test," Scheyer said during Final Four media day on Thursday. It proved to be just that, as Houston won the 32-minute scrimmage 61-50.
Although the scrimmage was essentially a joint practice and only one Duke starter from that day remains on the roster, it's remarkable to look back and see how full-circle things have come. Scheyer reflected on the scrimmage, admitting, "I think we got punched in the face many times that day. We punched back, though. I thought we had a great gauge for how our team was and how we could move forward."
Fast forward to the next season, and Duke was gifted their second shot at Houston—this time on a much bigger stage. In the Sweet 16 of last season, Duke and Houston met in Texas once again, with the Blue Devils coming out on top instead. It was a fitting, symbolic moment for Scheyer and many of the Duke fans, who remembered the backlash and 'soft' label that emanated from the early preseason loss a year prior.
That early setback ridiculously sparked doubt about Scheyer and the program's future under his leadership, but the Sweet 16 victory was a powerful reminder of how far they had come in such a short time.
"I think we got punched in the face many times that day. We punched back, though. I thought we had a great gauge for how our team was and how we could move forward."Jon Scheyer
And now, as fate would have it, the two teams will meet once again in the Lone Star State for round three. The stakes are higher than the previous two matchups, and what started as a secret scrimmage is set to culminate in a high-stakes battle on college basketball's biggest stage.
Houston has returned most of its core from last year's loss to Duke, while the Blue Devils will feature nearly all new faces this time around. The Cougars will most certainly be motivated by the chance to settle the score, but for Scheyer and Duke, this represents the chance to punch back one more time, hopefully delivering the knockout blow.