Jon Scheyer Was Blunt About Duke’s Michigan State Loss

Duke head coach Jon Scheyer refrained from offering an excuse following his team's 79-73 defeat to the No. 5 Michigan State Spartans in the Champions Classic on Tuesday night. Instead, he credited Michigan State for their win and pointed the finger at his own team. Michigan State took an early 11-2 lead at the 17:30 mark of the first half, largely due to guard Jeremy Fears Jr., who scored 18 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished out 11 assists in the game.

This marked Duke's first loss of the season, putting them at 2-1, while Michigan State moved to 3-0.

Scheyer kicked off his postgame press conference by praising Michigan State, stating, "Congrats to Michigan State. They 100% deserved to win. I thought they outcompeted us. They played more together," according to Spartans Wire. He further added, "Credit all the world to Coach Izzo and Michigan State."

Fears was a standout performer for Michigan State, controlling the game from start to finish. Despite shooting poorly (3-of-9 from the field and making only 12 of 17 free throws), Fears' all-around play - including seven rebounds and controlling the game with his presence - was instrumental in the Spartans' victory. Scheyer acknowledged Fears' dominance, saying, "I think you’ve got to tip your cap to him.

He controlled the whole game. He plays with amazing control over the game, and it’s hard to stop a guy if you give him 17 free throws."

However, Scheyer was critical of his own team, admitting, "That wasn't Duke basketball. We did not play together. Bottom line, we weren’t connected, and we’re gonna fix it, I can promise you that much." He also expressed disappointment in his fans, stating, "Duke’s fans deserve better."