CHICAGO – Toughness and togetherness.
Those are two topics Duke basketball coach Jon Scheyer mentioned in the preseason when asked about the lessons the Blue Devils could take from their loss to Tennessee in the 2023 NCAA Tournament.
The second-year head coach touched those topics again after Duke’s loss to Arizona.
In Tuesday night’s 74-65 win against No. 18 Michigan State, the ninth-ranked Blue Devils checked both boxes at the United Center.
Following Duke’s loss to to the Wildcats, Scheyer said the Blue Devils didn’t play together and “didn’t play Duke basketball.” But he raved about his team’s performance in Chicago.
There was a sequence against the Spartans that showed the growth. Three Blue Devils dove on the floor to smother one Spartan and force a jump ball. Duke got possession – and got a bucket on its next trip down the court.
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In addition to hustle plays, the Blue Devils had 17 assists on 22 baskets, won the rebounding battle and drained 24 of 30 free throws in a grind-it-out performance against the hard-nosed Spartans.
“We stepped up in a big way,” Scheyer said. “I’ve learned more about this team in the first three games than maybe any team I’ve been with, as an assistant coach, as a head coach … to respond that quickly in a couple days, I think says a lot about their character.”
Duke basketball’s Ryan Young, Caleb Foster respond vs. Michigan State
Ryan Young, one of Duke’s three captains this season, is no stranger to Chicago or the Big Ten as a former player at Northwestern. Caleb Foster, a freshman, is a stranger to everything at this level.
Following the Arizona loss, Young and Foster were among the players receiving plenty of criticism on social media. Young responded with eight points, seven rebounds and two assists in 24 minutes against the Spartans.
“I thought the rebounding, the response, and just doing whatever it takes to win, that’s what it’s all about,” Scheyer said. “Doing whatever it takes to win, these guys did that.”
Foster’s performance was even better. After putting up zeroes against the Wildcats, Foster had 18 points on 7-for-8 shooting – including four 3-pointers – and three rebounds.
“I was definitely mad that we lost, but one thing my dad always told me is to stay steady,” Foster said. “There’s going to be ups and downs throughout the season, so just keep your head up and keep working.”
During his opening comments Tuesday, Scheyer made a point to mention Foster’s response after the rough outing against Arizona.
“He’s coming off a game on Friday, where he didn’t like the way it went,” Scheyer said.
“Whether he’s pissed at me, pissed at how he played or the game … going to play at Duke – or going to play anywhere – there’s going to be ups and downs. There’s going to be moments where you get knocked back, but the program that I know Duke to be, it’s all about how you respond.”
Playing against a Michigan State starting lineup that has a combined 500 games of experience, Foster, Young and the Blue Devils responded to the challenge. They also checked two boxes that could shape the rest of their season.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at [email protected] or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.