Why Duke basketball coach Jon Scheyer uses ‘98 percent’ mantra with Blue Devils
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Scheyer enforces a '98 percent' rule, stressing off-ball effort, rebounding, defense.
- Roster blends veterans and five-star recruits; playing time must be earned.
- Blue Devils' 98% focus drove 2025 ACC title and fuels push to return to Final Four.
Anyone entering Duke’s basketball program to play for Jon Scheyer is quickly indoctrinated in the coach’s’ “98 percent” rule.
Coaches in all sports urge their players to give a hundred percent. Scheyer’s way of thinking, of doing things, has a different twist to it.
“It’s about having consistency, we call it 98 percent, in the plays you’re making without the ball,” Scheyer said last week at the ACC Tipoff. “As a player and coach, the best teams I was on were the teams that embrace and excel at the 98 percent. It’s the rebounding, the next-play mentality, the defense.
“We teach it in real time in practice, we watch film of it, and we’re consistent in that message.”
The essence of the message is that in most cases, other than being a point guard, the ball is in the player’s hands only two percent of the time. Granted, any player can go off for 30 points and decide a game. But in most cases, winning and losing can be decided by the other 98 percent, the smaller things other than making a tough, contested 3-pointer or throwing down a massive jam that draws a second look on ESPN.
The devil is in the details
A year ago, the Blue Devils were as talented as any team in the country, headed by the nation’s best player, freshman Cooper Flagg. But Scheyer said it was a team that also embraced his 98 percent mantra, which might mean diving across the floor to get a loose ball, or getting a key deflection, or being aware and in the right spot defensively to help out.
“That’s a big adjustment for guys coming out of high school,” Scheyer said. “They have their hands on the ball a lot. That’s how they’re viewed, how they’re judged. Recruiting rankings are judged by when they have the ball in their hands.
“But high usage is a negative thing now. The NBA is looking for low usage guys, guys who can play without the ball.”
This year’s Duke team, the ACC preseason favorite ranked No. 6 in the AP poll, has an interesting blend of experienced older players – junior Caleb Foster and senior Maliq Brown being two of the leaders – along with five-star recruits such as the Boozer twins, Cameron and Cayden, plus Sebastian Wilkins, Nik Khamenia and freshman Dame Sarr from Italy.
“The freshmen know what the standard is at Duke, they know what the deal is,” Brown said.
Foster said with the new guys, a key was “not letting the 98 percent slip” and teaching them that in college basketball, the margin of error is slim for teams aspiring to win a national championship. He tries to lead by example by crashing the boards, rebounding, working hard on defense.
“You have to master the details to win at the highest levels,” Foster said at the ACC Tipoff.
Expanding ‘Slim’ Evans’ game
One of the more intriguing Duke players is Isaiah Evans, the slender 6-foot-6 sophomore everyone calls “Slim.” Evans can really shoot and made 41.6% of his 3-pointers last season. In Duke’s win over Auburn, then ranked No. 2, he nailed six 3’s and had 18 points in the first half at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
“He’s got an amazing weapon that we want to be not the same, but enhanced,” Scheyer said. “But the most important thing, and we’ve addressed this, is his defense, his off-the-ball activity, his rebounding. And also finding different ways to score, particularly getting to the free throw line.
“He’s going to be a key part of what we do. It’s a matter of him taking the next step and having a consistent impact in the areas of winning other than scoring and shooting.”
Those who embrace the “98 percent” rule and its demands likely will be the floor more. Last year’s team, the one that won the 2025 ACC championship and reached the Final Four, did that. And Scheyer has a lot of options this season.
Yes, the Boozers will play a lot and often together. Foster and Brown, when fully healthy, will get their minutes. Evans will have the chance to launch more 3’s and will.
“But there’s no such thing as ‘It’s my turn now’ or ‘It’s just going to happen now,’” Scheyer said. “Everybody has to earn what’s going to happen. Just because you’re here doesn’t mean you’re going to play now or you’re going to start.”
The Blue Devils have exhibition games against Central Florida (Oct. 21) and Tennessee (Oct. 26) before opening the 2025-26 season Nov. 4 against Texas in the Dick Vitale Invitational in Charlotte.
Eying a return to the Final Four
Brown and Foster said losing to Houston in the Final Four, in a tight semifinal loss, still stings. It’s also a motivator for this season, they said – to get back, make amends.
“The holy grail of college basketball is being in the Final Four,” Scheyer said. “There are two outcomes to a season. There’s either glory or there’s heartbreak. To me, there’s no in-between. Unfortunately for us, last year was heartbreak.”
But that was last season. Scheyer said the goal was to keep getting the “at-bats” in the Final Four and then “maxing out” once you’re there. For the record, the 2026 Final Four will be played at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis.
“If you keep putting yourself in that position, ultimately it’s going to happen,” Scheyer said.
This story was originally published October 16, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
