Jon Scheyer says continued cramping issues are 'concerning'

Duke basketball fell to Kentucky 77-72 on Tuesday night in the State Farm Champions Classic. There were several issues that plagued Duke from securing a win. From the veteran guards disappearing in the second half to an inability to hit threes, the Blue Devils put themselves in a really tough position to win a big time basketball game.

But, cramping continues to be an issue for the younger guys on the squad, as on Tuesday night it was 7' 2" freshman center Khaman Maluach who had to miss extended time in the second half due to cramping.

This isn't the first instance of cramps being an issue for the freshmen, as Cooper Flagg was bothered by cramps in the first two games of the regular season.

Duke head coach Jon Scheyer expressed his frustration before Duke's date with Kentucky in terms of the continued cramping issues with Flagg, saying "We've got to help him. I'm not happy about it, for him..We can't have that happen. Bottom line."

Flagg looked unbothered by any sort of cramping on Tuesday night as he was really the only bright spot for the Blue Devils offensively. Flagg finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds, shooting 9-of-19 from the floor.

Against Kentucky, it was Maluach who had to sit for extended time in the second half with cramping issues, and this was a huge loss for Duke.

Maluach was able to come back in for the final few minutes of the game and finished with 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 blocks.

Duke clearly lost a big interior presence after Maluach had to sit and it showed on the defensive end. Kentucky had an easier time getting into the paint and found high percentage looks at a much higher rate with Maluach on the bench.

Scheyer expressed his frustration more postgame after the loss.

"It's concerning. I think part of it is we have young bodies, I think that's part of it. Where we have to help these guys...We need Cooper [Flagg] to play a lot, and Khaman [Maluach]...Obviously, that's something we need to take a hard look at."

This isn't the first time a Duke basketball freshman has dealt with major cramping issues. In the 2021-22 season, Paolo Banchero would reportedly lose several pounds a game due to dehydration and cramping, and was given a special liquid to drink in-game.

The Blue Devils can't afford to lose arguably its two most impactful players to avoidable issues like cramps. The training and coaching staff will continue to look into this and hopefully put a stop to it soon.