Scheyer explains why he spurned Mavericks to stay at Duke — SkimNews
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- Jon Scheyer said on the Glue Guys Podcast he "wouldn't be able to live with myself not seeing this thing through" at Duke, calling the position his "one-of-one" dream job that came at age 33 and where his family is rooted.
- Dallas Mavericks held "exploratory" conversations with Scheyer — who coached former No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg — before hiring Dusty May, per NBA insider Marc Stein.
- Dusty May was plucked from Michigan on the eve of the 2026 NBA Draft, less than three months after leading the Wolverines to the national title, succeeding Jason Kidd in Dallas.
- Scheyer enters his fifth season at Duke with a 124-25 record, three Elite Eight berths, and a 2025 Final Four appearance, but no national title since he was an assistant on Mike Krzyzewski's 2015 staff.
- Duke's last two seasons ended in second-half collapses — a blown 13-point lead to Houston with under nine minutes left in the 2025 national semifinals, and a squandered 19-point edge against UConn when Braylon Mullins hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with under a second remaining.
- Duke is ranked No. 2 in Gary Parrish's CBS Sports Top 25 And 1 and is among the top favorites for the 2026-27 title, returning Dame Sarr, Cayden Boozer, Patrick Ngongba II, and Caleb Foster while adding Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell.
Why it matters: Scheyer's 124-25 tenure survives the Mavericks' courtship, keeping a No. 2-ranked 2026-27 roster intact. Two straight seasons ended in blown double-digit second-half leads — 13 to Houston, 19 to UConn — leaving unfinished business for a coach who picked Durham over Dallas.
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