Cooper Flagg and his Duke Blue Devils know they’re on the brink of something special. As ACC regular season champions and the second-best team in the country, they have all the ingredients to make a deep run in the NCAA tournament. But, of course, something had to go wrong.“We are excited to welcome Jai and his family to the Hurricane Family,” said Miami athletic director Dan Radakovich. The entire basketball world was left in shock. What just happened? Duke had just lost their associate head coach right before the big dance even began.
Jon Scheyer’s right-hand man had been part of the program since Scheyer took over three years ago from Coach K. Lucas played a key role in recruiting players like Flagg and Knueppel. However, his main responsibility has always been running the defense for Duke. This season, he transformed Duke into one of the best defenses in the country, restricting opponents to just 61 points per game. Losing such an important coach at such a critical time didn’t sit well with analysts, and they were quick to share their thoughts.
Randolph Childress was definitely not impressed with Lucas’ decision to move. In the The Field Of 68: After Dark podcast, he voiced his frustrations saying , “Think about the distraction that it is even at to Duke like in the midst of trying to win (the NCAA tournament).” He continues, ” We all acknowledge Duke has a legitimate chance of winning the national championship, and to have a coach that’s vital in what they do and that’s another reason why we talked about the Carolina game I think about it you know the distraction of this and what does that mean with him not being a part of it. ”
Yes, it makes zero sense to walk away when you’re preparing for a tournament you have a good chance of winning a month from now in San Antonio. But did Lucas really have a choice? The nature of the NCAA schedule forced Coach Lucas to make this move. The transfer portal opens after the second round of the NCAA Tournament and closes before the end of April. On top of that, Lucas also has to finalize his coaching staff. Childress acknowledges this, understanding that the system created this unique situation, and maybe a change in the calendar could have avoided it.
Perhaps if the circumstances were different, Lucas would have stayed until the end of the tournament? Scheyer shared his thoughts on that. Let’s take a look at what he had to say about his former colleague.
Jon Scheyer confirms Lucas didn’t want to leave Cooper Flagg and co
At a time when everyone in the Duke dressing room should’ve been focused on the prospect of cutting the nets next month in San Antonio, they had to let go of their associate head coach instead, who himself wanted to stay until the end of the tournament.
“Jai wanted to stay, this wasn’t a decision that Jai made. This is me and him working together,” said a rather sad Jon Scheyer when talking about his right-hand man and one of his closest friends leaving the team he helped create before the NCAA tournament even began.
“The timing is—look, it’s not ideal,” said Scheyer, fully aware of the big game ahead against arch-rival North Carolina. After that, they also need to prepare for the ACC tournament. Now, they will have to face every game without the guy who ran the defensive plays for them. This is far from ideal.
But Scheyer is confident of achieving great success this season with Cooper Flagg in the center of everything. “At this point of the year, we’ve developed our identity already. So really, it comes down to the day to day preparation, the job with our players on the court. And that’s why you have a staff. That’s why it’s not just one guy.”
Feb 5, 2025; Syracuse, New York, USA; Duke Blue Devils guard Cooper Flagg (2) drives against Syracuse Orange forward Jyare Davis (13) during the first half at the JMA Wireless Dome. Mandatory Credit: Rich Barnes-Imagn Images
Despite their rivalry with North Carolina, the upcoming game shouldn’t be a problem for the Blue Devils, as the Tar Heels have just one win against Quad 1 teams this season. ESPN gives Duke a 79.2% chance of winning, and this would complete a second seasonal sweep in the last three years for them. With the ACC tournament around the corner, the upcoming stretch of games will be more than just a game for Cooper Flagg and co– it’ll serve as a test for Scheyer without his associate head coach. A new chapter in Duke history begins now. Stay tuned for more updates.
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