“We didn’t play Duke basketball”: Jon Scheyer on the loss to Arizona
Duke basketball coach Jon Scheyer wasn’t happy with the Blue Devils’ performance against Arizona.
DURHAM – Caleb Love made one final memory against Duke basketball.
The second-ranked Blue Devils and No. 12 Arizona played a classic in a game that featured 11 ties and 10 lead changes, but the Wildcats made winning plays in a 78-73 victory at Cameron Indoor Stadium on Friday night.
“But the thing about this game is that you learn so much more about yourself when you play it. “It’s a great reality check,” said Duke coach Jon Scheyer, who lost for the first time at Cameron after winning 17 straight home games.
“Even if we won this game, there’s a lot we can clean up and do better. As long as I train, as long as I compete, I will always hate losing. That’s who I am as a competitor,” but I also know that I’m grateful for this opportunity. To play a team like Arizona so early in the year, I think it’s a great thing for our program.
Arizona’s Keshad Johnson gave the Wildcats a one-point lead with a three-point play in the final minute, and Love, a former Tar Heel, made four free throws in the final 20 seconds to help the visitors win.
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With former Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski standing at the baseline in his second appearance at Cameron since his retirement, Duke twice rallied from an eight-point deficit but couldn’t close the gap.
Sophomore star Kyle Filipowski had 25 points and seven rebounds for the Blue Devils. Senior guard Jeremy Roach had 17 points. Duke hasn’t beaten a top-15 non-conference opponent since 2010 in Cameron.
What did Caleb Love do against Duke basketball?
In his return to Cameron Indoor Stadium, where he began his career with back-to-back 20-point performances at North Carolina, Caleb Love had 11 points, three rebounds and six turnovers.
The former Tar Heel hit a three-pointer at the end of the first half to give Arizona a 41-33 lead. He made four free throws in the final 17.4 seconds to help the Wildcats win. It was Duke’s first loss at Cameron since Mike Krzyzewski’s final regular-season game in 2022 against Love and North Carolina.
How Blue Devils’ Kyle Filipowski responded to Arizona’s physicality
Filipowski had 11 points and four rebounds in the first half, but the Blue Devils as a group struggled to find their footing on offense. While Arizona went all out, Duke’s offense often started well beyond the 3-point line.
When the Devils got to the rim, they missed five of their nine layups in the first half. Things changed in the second half as Filipowski scored 10 points in the first five minutes, but Scheyer wasn’t happy with Duke’s offense at times. The Blue Devils’ bench was outscored 16-5 and Duke hit 43%.
“I thought they were more aggressive in the first half. We didn’t do our best. Nevertheless, we are there at the end of the game,” said Scheyer.
“. … I think the biggest thing for me: We didn’t play together. This is difficult for me to digest. This is not okay for us. We didn’t play Duke basketball. I take full responsibility for this. There are too many games where we just have zero-pass and one-pass possessions, where we just give up the ball.”
Arizona collects rebounds against Duke Basketball
Shooting was poor in the first half for both teams as they shot a combined 42.5% from the floor, but Arizona was relentless on the glass with a 29-15 rebounding advantage. The Wildcats had 10 second-chance points and 11 offensive rebounds, including 10 before Duke grabbed its first offensive board. Oumar Ballo was one of five Wildcats in double figures with 13 points and five rebounds. Arizona was plus-12 in rebounds and had 13 second-chance points.
Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at [email protected] or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.