Duke’s Defense Next Season Is Going To Be Incredible
Get ready: this is going to be fun to watch.
DURHAM, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 07: Dame Sarr #7 of the Duke Blue Devils blocks a shot from Zayden High #1 of the North Carolina Tar Heels during the first half of the game at Cameron Indoor Stadium on March 07, 2026 in Durham, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) | Getty Images O ne of the interesting and defining differences between Jon Scheyer’s Duke teams and those of his GOAT predecessor, Mike Krzyzewski is that Coach K tended to focus on athleticism over size.
For his part, Scheyer has a clear preference for taller players. Still athletic, but taller. From what we’ve seen, Scheyer’s defense is more conservative.
Coach K wanted a pit bull mentality for his defenders, especially on the perimeter and in the passing lanes. Scheyer prefers to control the interior, where the higher-percentage shots are. And arguably, he’s a better defensive coach than Krzyzewski, although in fairness, Coach K’s earlier system used more experienced players.
Once he embraced the one-and-done era, he didn’t have the luxury of having a guy, say Sean Dockery, who spent four years mastering the craft. So what will Duke’s defense look like next year? In a word: it’s going to be tough.