Jon Scheyer details what makes Jeremy Roach a special Duke guard

Senior guard Jeremy Roach scored a team-high 19 points on 8-of-11 shooting including three steals and six rebounds during Duke‘s 84-59 win over Louisville on Wednesday.

Head coach Jon Scheyer has been on staff with Duke during Roach’s entire four-year career and has watched Roach turn into a mainstay in the Blue Devils’ lineup. His performance against the Cardinals only reiterated to Scheyer why he’s a perfect fit for Duke.

“For me, it starts with his commitment to Duke – that’s the first thing. It’s so easy to go other places, or to point the finger, or to leave school early, period. And he’s been committed to Duke every step of the way,” Scheyer explained. “The second thing is how he is about winning. Tonight, he has 19 points on 11 shots. He could have had 30 tonight. I don’t think any of you guys would disagree with me.

“He played within himself, he played both sides of the ball. I think the test of a Duke player who has been through a lot of moments is that he plays his best when the moment is the biggest. He’s not afraid of anything. I think that gives our team a lot of confidence when he’s out there. You can tell he’s not fazed.”

Wednesday’s win served as Roach’s 100th career start across 122 games. Roach has been a four-year starter for the Blue Devils since coming into the program as a four-star recruit. He averages 30.4 minutes per game throughout his career, but is scoring at a higher rate as an upperclassman compared to his marks as a freshman and sophomore.

In 2024, Roach is averaging 14.4 points per game (compared to his 11.2 ppg career mark) while logging career-high shooting numbers from the field (49.6), behind the arc (48.0%) and at the free throw line (86.5%).

“Does that mean he never makes mistakes? No, of course, everybody makes mistakes,” Scheyer continued. “For me, what Jeremy has done and his approach, being a team guy, being a Duke guy, his legacy is going to be felt in a big way. It’s different doing it in 2024, no offense to guys who have done it in 2010 and other times. It’s a different age; to have a four-year senior like Jeremy, that’s a special thing.”

The next time Roach will be in action for the Blue Devils will be this Saturday at home against Virginia. Opening tip is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET and will air live on ESPN. It serves as a must-win game in Duke’s pursuit of chasing North Carolina for the 2024 ACC regular season title.