Jon Scheyer Identifies One Key for Duke to Survive Until April

Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer knows what it takes for Blue Devils to advance through March.

Duke basketball head coach Jon Scheyer / Elsa/GettyImages

Between four years as a Duke basketball guard, eight years as a full-fledged assistant to Mike Krzyzewski, and two years as head coach of the Blue Devils, Jon Scheyer has experienced almost every possible outcome in the NCAA Tournament. He lost in the Round of 64 as a freshman in 2007, lost in the Round of 32 three times, lost in the Sweet 16 twice, lost in the Elite Eight twice, lost in the Final Four once, and won it all twice.

The only outcome he hasn't experienced is a defeat in the championship game.

Following Friday's 64-47 win over No. 13 seed Vermont in Brooklyn's Barclays Center, Scheyer and his No. 4 seed Blue Devils are looking to survive to play another week by advancing to the Sweet 16 for his first time at the helm. On Saturday, ahead of Duke's showdown with No. 12 seed James Madison at 5:15 p.m. ET Sunday (CBS), Blue Devil Country on SI asked the 36-year-old to reflect on his Big Dance appearances and pinpoint one common trait of Duke basketball teams that make deep runs compared to the ones that flame out in the early rounds.

Scheyer brought up the Blue Devils' strong response to Vermont's second-half comeback attempts, along with moments in the 2010 and 2015 championship journeys, to explain what the program's successful squads in March Madness have in common:

"I think the most important thing when you're playing in the tournament, you're playing teams that at some point in each game they're gonna make a run. And you have to be connected enough and tough enough to handle the run. And, you know, if you look at the Vermont game, they cut it to two a couple of times. But, like, those are the moments where you need to respond.

"And you're playing teams, especially as you advance in the tournament, the desperation is incredible. And tomorrow, it's going to be that same feeling. So, you have to respond to runs, and you have to have the mental toughness to handle those moments.

"I can go through each season, whether if you want to bring up the worst ones early [in my playing career] or if you want to bring up the best ones at different moments, where 2010, you're playing Baylor in the Elite Eight and you're down four with a few minutes to go, you have to respond. National championship in 2015, you're down nine to Wisconsin, second half, you have to respond.

"And I can go down the list. But to me, that's the difference: it's the mental toughness to handle those moments."

Stay tuned to Blue Devil Country on SI for more Duke basketball news.