Jon Scheyer Sums Up Key to Duke Basketball Success With One Word

Cayden Boozer tallied only two points across his 21 minutes as a starter in the preseason No. 2-ranked Duke basketball squad's 103-64 exhibition home win over the No. 8 Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday night. Even so, fifth-year Blue Devil head coach Jon Scheyer pointed to Boozer's "sacrifice" first during the opening statement of his postgame press conference when explaining what he anticipates being the key to his deep collection's success on the court this season.

"I think the story of this team is going to be more than just about statistics," Scheyer commented about the 2026-27 Blue Devils, whose loaded roster includes a dozen players widely deemed worthy of considerable playing time at pretty much any school in the country. "You know, Cayden Boozer is an example for me. Had a terrific game, and he only takes one shot.

"And I think you can look to just points or other things, but I think that's going to be the story of our team because you do have to sacrifice. It's not going to be where everybody is scoring 15-20 points a game."

Boozer finished with a game-high six assists and only one turnover. Plus, he grabbed five rebounds and came away with a steal.

Jon Scheyer Praises Another Blue Devil as Unselfishly Potent Scorer

By no means did Scheyer suggest he doesn't want his Duke basketball talents to score in bunches. What he did note, though, was the importance of shot selection given the high number of scoring threats in Durham this season. And he pointed to senior transfer guard John Blackwell's effort as an example of how to get the job done without taking ill-advised shots.

"John Blackwell goes on a run; John didn't force one shot tonight," Scheyer said. "I thought he set the tone of just making the right plays."

Blackwell totaled 18 points, shooting 6-for-8 from the field, 4-for-6 from three, and 2-for-2 at the charity stripe across his 21 minutes as a starter alongside Boozer in the backcourt. He added five rebounds and two assists, committing zero fouls and only one turnover.

One More Preseason Tune-Up for the Blue Devils

After mentioning the notable contributions from the Duke basketball bench, which accounted for 44 points in the contest thanks in large part to freshman guard Deron Rippey Jr.'s 21 points and second-year Blue Devil forward Sebastian Wilkins' 11, Scheyer wrapped up his opening statement to the media by joking, "I wish that counted as a game, but it doesn't."

"And so for us, we have to have humility," Scheyer added, "to keep growing and to keep getting better."

The Blue Devils, who tipped off their preseason action with a 102-62 home scrimmage home win over the Belmont Bruins on Oct. 8, complete their exhbition slate with a road bout against the No. 17 Kansas Jayhawks in Allen Fieldhouse at 1 p.m. ET Sunday (ESPN).