NCAAB News: John Scheyer praises Duke's secret weapon, and it's not Cooper Flagg

For most of their history, the Duke Blue Devils have hung their hats on having some of the best prospects in all of college basketball. This season isn’t the exception to that rule.

However, with that plethora of talent, some players often fall out of favor. That’s the case with freshman Isaiah Evans, who has been up and down and hasn’t started a single game all season.

Even so, Evans bounced back from a scoreless performance vs. Louisville to help his team secure a win with 14 points and three three-pointers vs. Incarnate Word on Tuesday. That’s why his coach, Jon Scheyer, wanted to show him some love and praised him for working hard to get back on track.

Jon Scheyer praises Isaiah Evans after bounce-back game

“I love just his work ethic has not changed one bit. His approach before the Auburn game was there, his approach after the Auburn game was there. I think it’s a natural thing,” the coach said.

Head coach Jon Scheyer of the Duke Blue Devils watches from the bench in the Elite 8 round of the NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament against the North Carolina State Wolfpack at American Airlines Center on March 31, 2024 in Dallas, Texas.

“To have a letdown at some time, and to bounce back tonight, I think he showed a lot of maturity, and the reality is his approach has stayed the same. Isaiah, just having him on the floor at times, even if he’s not hitting, you know he has to be guarded because he’s such a weapon,” he added.

Scheyer doesn’t want Cooper Flagg to do it all

Of course, all eyes have been set on Cooper Flagg this season, as he’s firmly expected to be the first-overall pick in the upcoming edition of the NBA Draft. His coach, however, wants them to play as a team:

“We put enough on him (Cooper Flagg) in the 37 minutes and it can’t just be him,” the coach said. “For me, coaching this team, I think maybe we got a little stagnant in the end of those games (losses). We have other really good players too.”

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At the end of the day, Duke might have more than just one NBA-caliber prospect, and the team needs to share the wealth to avoid becoming predictable and getting far in the tournament.