In his third year at the helm of Duke’s basketball program, Jon Scheyer has guided the Blue Devils to their first Final Four appearance since the retirement of legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Top-seeded Duke will face off against fellow No. 1 seed Houston at the Alamodome in San Antonio on Saturday, with a trip to the NCAA championship game on the line.
Scheyer acknowledged the foundation laid by his mentor: “Part of Coach K’s legacy will always be how he positioned our program for continued success. Being back in the Final Four in just Year 3 is a testament to him and how the transition was handled.”
Though freshman phenom Cooper Flagg is expected to draw major attention during Saturday’s game, Krzyzewski’s legacy—and presence—will also be a key narrative in San Antonio.
While he’s remained actively connected to the program, Krzyzewski hasn’t regularly attended games since stepping down. He was absent from all contests in Scheyer’s first two seasons but broke that trend this year, showing up for Duke’s matchup against Kansas in Las Vegas on Nov. 26—a narrow 75-72 loss and one of only three defeats Duke has suffered this season.
Coach K plans to be in the crowd for the showdown with Houston.
“I’m planning to be there to watch them,” Krzyzewski shared on his Sirius XM radio show, noting that his wife, Mickie, will accompany him. “I try to stay out of the spotlight so the program can move forward on its own. But I want to support Jon, and I want Duke to win—so I’ll be there cheering them on.”