Duke head coach Jon Scheyer is excelling in roster building during portal season, successfully recruiting elite high school talent while retaining key players. His approach contrasts with several other coaches who are struggling in this area.
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GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 18: (EDITOR'S NOTE: This image was created using in-camera multiple exposures.) Head coach Jon Scheyer of the Duke Blue Devils speaks with the media during practice day ahead of the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 18, 2026 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) | Getty Images
As portal season begins to settle down a bit, something we predicted a few years ago is increasingly evident: some coaches really know what to do in portal season â which we might as well call roster building season â and some donât.
Guys like Jerome Tang, Scott Drew, Hubert Davis, and Mark Pope have struggled. On the other hand, coaches like Dan Hurley, Todd Golden, and Jon Scheyer have cracked it. And Scheyerâs model has proven really interesting.
On the one hand, he continues to recruit high school talent at a very elite level. And while guys like Cooper Flagg, Kon Knueppel and Cameron Boozer leave after a year, others, like Isaiah Evans, Tyrese Proctor, Dame Sarr and Pat Ngongba stick around longer.
Jon Scheyer is performing exceptionally well, particularly in roster building during portal season and recruiting elite high school talent.
Players like Isaiah Evans, Tyrese Proctor, Dame Sarr, and Pat Ngongba are sticking around longer under Jon Scheyer's coaching.
Coaches like Jerome Tang, Scott Drew, Hubert Davis, and Mark Pope are struggling with roster building during portal season.
Portal season is crucial for college basketball coaches as it involves building rosters and retaining talent, impacting team performance and success.
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Scheyer has taken the players he retains and the freshmen he brings in, and just added in strategic portal pieces around them.
In 2023, he brought in unknown Ryan Young from Northwestern, who turned out to be a brilliant addition. In 2024, he brought in Maliq Brown, Sion James, and Mason Gillis.
This past season, Scheyer brought in Jack Scott and Iffy Ufochukwu, and so far this month, he added Belmontâs Drew Scharnowski, and Wisconsinâs John Blackwell.
All of these guys have had or will have different roles. Some will play more than others, as weâve seen with Young, Brown and James.
But unlike Tang and Pope, Scheyer isnât just flashing a bankroll and targeting high-end talent. Heâs complementing a group thatâs already very good. Duke needed a frontcourt defender, and got one in Scharnowski. Duke needed a reliable offensive presence. They got one in Blackwell.
To be clear, being at Duke has a lot of advantages for a coach. You can compete with anyone financially, and you have other things to sell that are also valuable. We donât know the specifics, but weâre pretty sure that GM Rachel Baker is capable of putting together some very alluring deals for players, and while brand recognition alone wonât get you drafted, it doesnât hurt. Ask James about that.
That said, Kentucky hasnât done what Dukeâs done. Neither has UNC. Kansas is nowhere in sight. What Scheyer has done, both what we see and what is behind the scenes, is pretty incredible. As much as anyone, heâs reinventing college basketball.
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