JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Duke guard Jon Scheyer scored seven points to increase his career scoring total to 2,001 points Sunday, but he was disappointed with his output.
Scheyer shot just 1-for-11 from the field in Duke's 68-53 victory against California in the second round of the NCAA tournament at Veterans Memorial Arena. Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski said he thinks Scheyer is putting too much pressure on himself.
"Jon wants it so badly that I think he's making every shot bigger than it is," Krzyzewski said.
Scheyer also shot just 13-for-40 from the field during the ACC tournament. Last week he said he planned to hunt his shot more in the NCAA tournament and not spend so much time thinking about running the team while he was shooting.
That didn't work, and he sounded as if he agreed with Krzyzewski's assertion that he is pressing too hard.
"That could be," Scheyer said. "I am putting a lot of pressure on each shot. You want to win. You don't want to go home. So I just need to find a way to relax out there."
Scheyer is the 10th player in school history to score 2,000 points.
Two in a row: Duke (31-5) has advanced to the regional semifinals for the second straight season and has posted its highest win total since 2005-06.
The Blue Devils haven't advanced past the regional semifinals since 2004, which was the last time they reached the Final Four.
Krzyzewski said this team is better than any of his previous three, including the team won that lost to Villanova in last year's regional semis.
But he said that's no guarantee Duke will win another game.
"You know, I hate when somebody compares those teams of the last couple years with our national championship teams and they say they underachieved," Krzyzewski said. "Are you kidding me? They won 30, 29 games. But they were limited teams, and they couldn't play the defense that this team can play because we have big guys."
Lesson from Kansas: On Saturday evening, Duke's team meeting began shortly after No. 1 seed Kansas was upset by No. 9 seed Northern Iowa.
The Blue Devils also are a No. 1 seed. Krzyzewski used Kansas' upset as a teaching point.
He told his players that Northern Iowa won because it drew two charges in the closing minutes. He also explained that Adam Koch's follow dunk - which occurred after he out-fought two Kansas players for a rebound - was the type of play that wins games.
"That was our theme to our kids," Krzyzewski said.
Cornell has N.C. connection: Forward Adam Wire out of Southern Pines Pinecrest High played a role in Cornell's shocking 87-69 win over Wisconsin in Sunday's opening game at Veterans Memorial Coliseum.
Wire, a 6-foot-5, 222-pound junior, had six rebounds and an assist for the Big Red.
As a high school player at Pinecrest, he averaged 13 points and 11 rebounds. In the voting for his conference player of the year, he finished second to N.C. State guard C.J. Williams. Wire's brother, Brent, is a member of the UNC football team.
"I was a big UNC fan in high school," Wire said. "I didn't get an offer, though. A few Division II and III schools in the state talked to me, but Cornell showed a lot more interest."
Asked how the Cornell coaches found him, Wire said, "My mom. She sent Pinecrest game films to schools all over the place. Cornell was about the only one that paid any attention. It's turned out great. This is the biggest thrill anyone could ever have."
