Jeremy Roach Exhibiting Similarities to Former Duke Basketball Champ

Duke basketball veteran Jeremy Roach appears to be the "Cook" for this year's Blue Devils.

Photo credit: Melina Myers-USA TODAY Sports

Quinn Cook averaged 15.3 points, 3.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 1.0 steals, and only 1.2 turnovers as a senior captain for the 2014-15 Duke basketball national champions. Jeremy Roach is averaging 14.1 points, 2.4 boards, 3.2 dimes, 1.2 steals, and only 1.2 turnovers for the 2023-24 Blue Devils.

In short, they're both team-first competitors who developed into ultra-reliable shooters, from inside the arc, beyond the arc, and at the charity stripe. They are also gritty defenders and wise decision-makers.

Jon Scheyer, now in his second year as head coach in Durham, was in his first year as a full-fledged assistant under Mike Krzyzewski during Cook's last campaign in college. So, the 36-year-old is qualified to draw comparisons from that memorable ride nine years ago to the one Roach is enjoying with the No. 8 Blue Devils (21-5, 12-3 ACC).

Late in the first half of Wednesday night's 84-55 road win over unranked Miami (15-12, 6-10 ACC), Roach decided to "Cook" to ensure his squad reeled off its fifth straight victory without any complications beyond the first half.

After Duke posted a 13-0 run but then allowed four unanswered points, the former McDonald's All-American from Virginia responded with back-to-back threes to pad the lead at 35-18.

Every bucket from the win at Miami! Matched a season-high with 13 3pt FGM (most vs. an ACC opponent this season). pic.twitter.com/7OLWaycKqn

— Duke Men’s Basketball (@DukeMBB) February 22, 2024

The 22-year-old Roach finished with another Cook-like stat line: 16 points, three rebounds, three assists, and one steal, shooting 4-for-6 from three and 4-for-5 at the foul line in 24 minutes on the floor.

Following the game, Scheyer explained to the media that Roach's timely buckets, adding to the countless clutch plays that the even-keeled on-court leader has made this season despite drawing considerably fewer headlines than his underclassman counterparts, just provide more evidence of his similarities to Cook as a senior:

"I think Jeremy is having quietly, for whatever reason it is quiet, one of the just big-time senior seasons for a Duke guard, man. I want you guys to go back and look at Quinn Cook's stats as a senior and then look at Jeremy Roach. They're...I think it tells a story.

"And Jeremy's impact, though, is way more than just the numbers and the stats.

"You know, I hope for Duke fans they appreciate having a four-year player here who could've left at any point, whether it be transfer or going pro. And he's taken us to a Final Four already. You know, he's been through a tough season where we didn't go to the tournament.

"I'm just proud of him for what he's done this year. Like, he's made everyone around him better. He makes 'Flip' better. Jared has 35; he's right there supporting him. And along the way, he's close to having 50/40/90, two-to-one assist-to-turnover ratio. He's just been terrific.

"I don't know where we would be without him and his approach to the whole season."

NEXT DUKE BASKETBALL GAME: at unranked Wake Forest (17-9, 9-6 ACC), 2 p.m. ET Saturday (ESPN)

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