Duke coach Jon Scheyer reflects on being recruited by Rick Barnes at Texas
ORLANDO — Jon Scheyer’s sister was in school at Texas when Rick Barnes and the Longhorns were recruiting the four-star guard out of Illinois in the 2006 recruiting class. But he wasn’t sure if his sister actually wanted him to pick the Longhorns or not, even after he visited Austin.
“She wanted me to go there,” Scheyer said on Friday, “but she didn’t because that was her thin. She didn’t want me to screw that up, the little brother coming her way. But I just remember being so impressed.”
Fast forward 17 years and it’s Scheyer, the first-year head coach, coaching against the veteran Barnes when No. 4 Tennessee and No. 5 Duke meet in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Saturday afternoon (2:40 p.m. Eastern Time, CBS) at Amway Center.
“Jon (was) a good player, is a good person,” Barnes said. “I think Jon could have gone anywhere he wanted to go, and he obviously picked Duke, and it’s worked out well for him. Terrific player.”
Jon Scheyer: Rick Barnes teams ‘are known for being incredibly tough and together’
Scheyer was a four-star prospect in the 2006 recruiting class out of Glenbrook North High School in Northbrook, Ill. He averaged 14.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 144 career games over four years at Duke, ending his time with the Blue Devils with a national championship in 2010.
“He’s a great coach,” Scheyer said of Barnes. “I have a lot of respect for him. His teams are known for being incredibly tough and together.”
Admittedly, Scheyer said he might have ended up in Texas colors had he known what Barnes had coming down the road in the 2006 recruiting cycle.
“At the time if I knew Kevin Durant was going there, I think I would have looked a little bit harder at it,” Scheyer joked, “but I didn’t know that at the time. The campus is beautiful, it’s obviously a great place down there.”
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Durant was a five-star prospect and the No. 2 overall player in the class out of Rockville, Maryland.
“Obviously,” Barnes said, “I didn’t know I was going to get (Durant) at the time.”
Up Next: No. 4 Tennessee vs. No. 5 Duke, Saturday, 2:40 p.m. Eastern Time, CBS
Scheyer started his coaching career at Duke in 2014, was promoted to associate head coach in 2018 and ultimately was the pick to replace Mike Krzyzewski when Krzyzewski announced his plans to retire last season.
“Always have great respect for him,” Barnes said of Scheyer, “and the way he handles himself. Saw him on the road last summer at the Peach Jam in Augusta, the first time I had seen him since he got the job and congratulated him. And certainly worth of it and really has done a terrific job.”
Scheyer won 23 games in the regular season in his first year as Duke’s new head coach and led the Blue Devils to the ACC Tournament championship. They enter Saturday’s game against Tennessee with 10 straight wins and 13 over their last 15.
The winning streak started after back-to-back losses at Miami and Virginia on February 6 and February 11, losses that dropped Duke to 17-8 overall and 7-6 over its previous 13 games.
“Always a tough situation when you follow someone that, what Mike did there,” Barnes said. “But Jon really has done a great job with this team. I think he’s done a great job getting through some injuries earlier in the year, but getting them to where they’re playing their best basketball.”
