What Duke basketball coach Jon Scheyer said about UNC ahead of rivalry game vs. Tar Heels

DURHAM – Duke basketball coach Jon Scheyer has noticed several differences about UNC this season ahead of this weekend’s top-10 showdown in Chapel Hill.

The third-ranked Tar Heels (17-4, 9-1 ACC) are atop the ACC standings with the seventh-ranked Blue Devils (16-4, 7-2) sitting in second. It'll be the first ranked matchup between the teams since 2019.

After UNC went from preseason No. 1 to missing the 2023 NCAA Tournament, what’s different about this group of Tar Heels?

“I think the thing that you see with them this year … they have great togetherness, they really have great role definition for how they play,” Scheyer said Thursday inside the Bill Brill Media Room at Cameron Indoor Stadium.

“You can tell they have great confidence; that’s the biggest thing that I see with them. They’ve been in different moments – whether they’re down or it’s a tight game, they believe they’re supposed to win. You have two guys in (Armando) Bacot and (RJ) Davis who have been through a lot of wars; they’ve been through a lot of wars together.

“Then you add in great experience. They’re one of the oldest teams in the country. (Cormac) Ryan, (Harrison) Ingram and (Jae’Lyn) Withers – and the guys they’ve added – collectively they’ve played hundreds of games. I think that experience has really helped them.”

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Sixth in Division I experience, according to KenPom.com, UNC has leaned on its experience ahead of its 261st meeting with Duke on Saturday (6:30 p.m., ESPN) at the Dean E. Smith Center.

In addition to togetherness and confidence, Scheyer also highlighted the Tar Heels’ defense and the season RJ Davis is putting together.

Duke coach Jon Scheyer praises UNC’s defense

As of Thursday morning, UNC is fourth in defensive efficiency, according to KenPom.com. If the Tar Heels maintain that level, it would be their best finish in that category since at least 1997.

The Tar Heels are 21st in 3-point defense – limiting opponents to 29.9% from long range – and 34th in two-point defense (45.6%). UNC is also cleaning up on the boards, allowing teams to grab just 24.5% of misses for the 23rd-best mark in the nation.

“You’re gonna be successful if you defend the 3-point line that well. … They really put an emphasis on protecting their paint, while at the same time, defending the 3 – that’s what we try to do,” Scheyer said.

“I think it starts with great attention by their players, by their coaching staff, they’ve done a great job guarding the ball.You can’t have a good defense if you don’t guard the ball, and if you don’t guard pick-and-roll defense. … They all are capable defenders, and they have five guys that have defended together. And the last thing is, they hold you to one shot.”

What Jon Scheyer said about UNC’s RJ Davis

On track as arguably the favorite to win ACC Player of the Year and become an All-American, UNC senior RJ Davis is the ACC’s leading scorer at 21.5 points per game.

Davis has been even better in the last three games, averaging 29.3 points on 52.2% shooting.

“RJ Davis, he’s had a great year. He’s had as good of a year as anybody,” Scheyer said.

There are several things, Scheyer added, that make Davis such a dangerous scorer.

“He’s played with such a great pace,” Scheyer said. “He’s done it by being elite at shooting the 3 and getting to the foul line. That’s a great recipe for a guard that can score a lot of points.

“He’s got the total freedom to shoot any shot, so you can’t relax for one second. … He’s just a great player – a winning player. Plays both ends of the ball, not just offense. He’s had a terrific year and we know it’s gonna be a great challenge guarding him.”

Staff writer Rodd Baxley can be reached at rbaxley@fayobserver.com or @RoddBaxley on X/Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: The biggest difference Duke basketball's Jon Scheyer notices about UNC