Duke-UNC basketball rivalry: Jon Scheyer's top moments as a player
The historic Duke-UNC basketball rivalry has entered a new era.
When the Tar Heels (15-6, 7-3 ACC) take the floor against the Blue Devils (16-6, 7-4 ACC) on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ESPN), it will be the first time since 1980 that they won’t see Mike Krzyzewski standing near the opposing bench at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
Two years ago, this game featured coaches — Roy Williams and Krzyzewski — with over 70 years of experience. Now, UNC’s Hubert Davis and Duke first-year coach Jon Scheyer will have less than three.
That said, Scheyer has a rich history against North Carolina – one that began as a player under Coach K in the late 2000s.
Here’s a look at his top moments as a player against the Tar Heels:
A LOOK BACK: Final Four: Duke and UNC will clash in first NCAA Tournament meeting during Coach K's final season
RETIREMENT: Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim on Coach K's retirement from Duke basketball: 'He's gardening and stuff'
STRUGGLES: What is wrong with Duke basketball and can Jon Scheyer fix it before NCAA Tournament?
Demolition Devils
On their way to an eventual national championship in 2010, the Blue Devils ended the regular season with an 82-50 rout over UNC on March 6 as Scheyer, Kyle Singler and Nolan Smith all scored over 20 points.
It was one of four times in this 258-game series that a team won by 31 points or more. Eight days later, Scheyer went on to make a 3-pointer with 18 seconds left to seal an ACC championship win over Georgia Tech. He scored five of Duke’s last 10 points in the 61-59 national title victory over Butler and finished his career as the only player in school history to record at least 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, 400 assists, 250 3-pointers and 200 steals in a career.
Freshman Phenom
Scheyer started all 33 games as a freshman during the 2006-07 season and dropped a then-career-high 26 points in a Feb. 7 regular-season loss to the Tar Heels.
He finished the game 8 of 18 from the field including 4 of 10 from 3-point range. That began a streak of nine straight games in double figures for Scheyer before the No. 6 seeded Blue Devils were eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 79-77, by No. 11 VCU.
Scheyer was named ACC Rookie of the Week three times that season and he was named to the ACC All-Freshman team.
Coming off the bench
During his sophomore season, Coach K chose to start Gerald Henderson Jr. over Scheyer at point guard. Coming off the bench, Scheyer still contributed, especially during an 89-78 win on Feb. 7 over UNC with both teams ranked in the top 3 in the country.
He dropped 17 points, six rebounds, three assists and three steals that day, going 7 of 8 from the free throw line as the Blue Devils outdueled UNC’s Tyler Hansbrough and moved to 20-1 overall and 8-0 in conference play.
On Feb. 20, Scheyer would score 27 points against Miami, matching the most points by a player off the bench in school history. His time on the bench was quickly coming to an end.
Duke would go 0-2 against UNC in 2009 as the Tar Heels won their fifth national championship. Scheyer scored a combined 44 points in the losses.
In four years as a player against the Tar Heels, Scheyer went 3-6, but finished with back-to-back wins as a senior.
How to watch Duke-UNC
Date: Saturday
Location: Cameron Indoor Stadium (Durham)
Time: 6:30 p.m. ET
TV channel: ESPN
This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: Duke-UNC basketball rivalry: Jon Scheyer's top moments as a player
