Have you noticed that Duke went away from the Brotherhood?
One of the more interesting offseason moves in college basketball occurred at Duke, which had filled its coaching staff with former players over the last half of Mike Krzyzewski’s Hall of Fame career.
Nolan Smith, a teammate of new head coach Jon Scheyer on the 2010 national champions, left the staff to become the associate head coach at Louisville, where his late father Derek Smith was a star on the Drs. Of Dunk in the 1980s and popularized the term “high five.”
Smith’s departure left two spots on the Blue Devils bench, and Scheyer did promote 2017 graduate Amile Jefferson to one of the full-time positions. But he filled the second with someone whose closest connection to Duke was that his grandparents were long-time residents of Durham.
Jai Lucas, the son of a former Hillside High and Maryland star, left the Kentucky staff to join Scheyer’s. It was a curious move considering the long-simmering feud between the two blue blood programs. But Scheyer, whose predecessor called him the “smartest guy in coaching,” must have a reason for breaking the mold of having members of the Brotherhood as assistants.
Once he got rolling at Duke, Coach K was among the most dominating recruiters in the game. His staff scouted high school players and set the stage for Krzyzewski to close the deals, much like Dean Smith’s assistants did over the last half of his fabled career at UNC.
It will take time for Scheyer to earn his own identity and just because he is the Duke coach won’t guarantee him long-term success, although he has gotten off to a fast start with his first two recruiting classes, already rated among the best in the country, perhaps lured by NIL money.
As assistant coaches, Scheyer and Lucas both worked the recruiting trail. And in order to keep bringing in one-and-done talent as well as four-year players, Scheyer will need another set of eyes while he runs his program. Lucas, who is 33, the same age as Scheyer, has roots in basketball. His father, John, was an All-American at Maryland and the No. 1 NBA draft pick in 1976 and for years has run AAU programs in Houston.
That connection got his son into coaching after playing at Texas and in the NBA. With his contacts formed working for John Calipari, Lucas will now be steering prep talent to Duke. It is a smart move for Scheyer, who knows he has to make his own name and not live in the shadow of Coach K.
Featured image via Duke Athletics
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