“San Antonio sounds great,” Jon Scheyer said after Duke’s Elite Eight win over Alabama. He wasn’t talking about the Final Four location—he was talking about his team’s journey, their transformation, and the destination they’ve fought for all season. For a program that faced an identity crisis just three years ago, this moment wasn’t guaranteed. But, here they are—Scheyer just win away from history.

When a coach like Mike Krzyzewski retires, it isn’t easy to deal with obvious questions. How do you replace a legend? Who could possibly follow one of the greatest coaches in men’s college basketball history? But for Duke, the answer couldn’t have been easier. They didn’t look for a flashy hire. They simply handed the keys to a 34-year-old first-time head coach—one who had bled Duke blue for nearly two decades as a player, assistant, and associate head coach.

It goes without saying that the pressure was immense. Scheyer knew it. But in reminding himself to remain authentic, the young head coach has risen to the occasion like no big task. Now, just three years in, he is on the brink of penning history. Yes, Scheyer might just surpass a young Coach K in the next couple of days, and ‘impressed’ might not begin to describe what John Fanta’s words reflected on the Field of 68: After Dark podcast.

“It’s so hard to continue to run and elite restaurant the same way without that magic touch of an owner,” the broadcaster begins, referring to Coack K and his Duke. “Scheyer takes the ingredients and raises the bar. He assembles a roster that has just been superb because of the length. No rotation player under 6-foot-5. And now, Rob Doster, Jon Scheyer is 89-21 as the coach at Duke.” That isn’t just another number. We’ll get to it soon.

But first, we’ve seen how difficult it is to replace legendary coaches. Kyle Neptune struggled at Villanova after Jay Wright. Syracuse had to publicly back Adrian Autry just two years after replacing Jim Boeheim. Could Scheyer break the trend? Three years later, the answer is clear. “This hasn’t been about outside noise for me. My energy has gone into everybody that’s in our building, our team, what we can control.” Scheyer isn’t trying to be Coach K. He’s creating his own path.

And it’s working.

“His next win would make him the winningest coach in the first three years on a job in the history of college basketball,” John Fanta adds. With an 89-21 record in three seasons, he has already tied the NCAA record for most wins by a coach in that span. But his next victory will set a new benchmark—making him the winningest coach in NCAA history through three seasons. Not just Duke history. Not just ACC history. NCAA history.

Coach K set the standard for sustained greatness, winning 1,202 games over 42 seasons—the most in men’s NCAA history. Now, Scheyer is proving that he was the right successor. His impact was immediate. In his very first season, he led Duke to: A 27-9 record, the ACC Tournament Championship, and an undefeated home record—something no other first-year ACC coach had ever done. He built a team without a single rotation player under 6’5”—a roster designed for modern, positionless basketball.

And it’s paying off. Duke is now one win away from cementing Scheyer’s name in the record books. One win away from proving, once again, that he wasn’t just the right hire—he was the only choice. Houston better watch out.

Despite their defensive edge, Houston faces a serious threat from Jon Scheyer and Duke—for one key reason!

As Duke and Houston gear up for their highly anticipated Final Four showdown, one concern stands out among analysts—Houston’s size disadvantage. “They have a staff that’s just the game plan. I think Houston’s too small too,” an analyst pointed out. “We know Tugler and Jerome Roberts, those guys, they’re fine. But I think their guards are too small. I think they’re going to have major problems on that perimeter, defensively and offensively.”

Houston doesn’t have the traditional size of other powerhouse teams. Joseph Tugler (6’8″) and J’Wan Roberts (6’8″) provide a strong interior presence, but they’ll have their hands full against Duke’s 7’2” freshman Khaman Maluach, a shot-blocking machine with a growing offensive game.

While Duke might have the length advantage, Houston is no ordinary opponent. They own the nation’s most efficient defense, allowing just 56.5 points per game in the NCAA Tournament. Their ability to pressure the ball, force turnovers, and contest shots is second to none. Duke, on the other hand, boasts the most efficient offense in the tournament, averaging nearly 92 points per game in March Madness. Will Duke’s length overwhelm Houston, or will Houston’s defense grind this game into their style?