Jon Scheyer is two victories shy of winning his third NCAA Division I national championship with the storied Duke men’s basketball program: one as a player, one as an assistant coach, and — with wins in San Antonio on Saturday and Monday — one as a head coach.
He’s also a north suburban native who happens to be one of the most prolific players in Chicagoland prep basketball history.
Scheyer, who’s from Northbrook and starred at Glenbrook North High School, is in his third season leading the Duke men’s basketball team after taking over following the retirement of legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski.
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Scheyer has guided the top-seeded Blue Devils to their 18th Final Four, which kicks off Saturday evening at the Alamodome with the national semifinals, and their first since Krzyzewski’s final season in 2022.
Duke players dump confetti on head coach Jon Scheyer after defeating Alabama in an NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Elite Eight game on Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Scheyer had a standout playing career at Duke under “Coach K,” becoming the only player in program history — and that includes a number of college basketball legends — to record at least 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, 400 assists, 250 3-pointers made and 200 steals.
As a senior in 2010, Scheyer helped lead Duke to the fourth of its five national championships under Krzyzewski. He was then part of Krzyzewski’s coaching staff when the Blue Devils won their fifth national title in 2015.
But before all his success playing and coaching at Duke, Scheyer was a prep legend at Glenbrook North from 2002-06. He poured in 3,034 points in four seasons with the Vikings, joining just four other players in Illinois high school boys basketball history in the 3,000-point club.
Scheyer ranks behind only Charles Vaughn (3,358 points at Tamms from 1954-58), Andy Kaufmann (3,160 points at Jacksonville Routt/Jacksonville from 1984-88) and Jamie Brandon (3,157 points at Chicago King from 1987-90) in state basketball annals.
Breaking down his scoring, Scheyer is tied for 12th in state history in career scoring average (23.7 points per game), third in career field goals made (966) and second in most career free throws made (814). Additionally, Scheyer ranks 11th in state history with 333 career steals.
But Scheyer was more than just a prep gunner who lit up scoreboards at Glenbrook North. His teams won, too, reaching the Illinois High School Association Class AA State Tournament three times in Scheyer’s four seasons.
Scheyer burst onto the scene as a freshman, helping lead Glenbrook North to a third-place finish at state in 2003.
Two seasons later, as a junior team co-captain, Scheyer averaged 25 points per game and led Glenbrook North to the 2025 Class AA state title, the program’s lone state championship. Scheyer scored 27 points in a 63-51 victory over Carbondale in the state title game
He led Glenbrook North back to the State Tournament as a senior in 2006, but this time the trip ended in the state quarterfinals with a loss to Chicago Simeon — which had one Derrick Rose on its roster.
Nonetheless, Scheyer garnered major national attention as a senior, earning both Parade and McDonald’s All-American honors. He was also a two-time Gatorade Illinois State Player of the Year in high school and in 2007 was named to the 100 Legends of Illinois Basketball.
Following his career at Duke, Scheyer played professionally with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers in the NBA D League and overseas with Maccabi Tel Aviv and Gran Canaria.
When Scheyer was named Duke’s head coach on June 4, 2021, succeeding Krzyzewski, he became one of the youngest head coaches in NCAA Division I men’s basketball, at just 35 years old. But he was well-prepared by “Coach K.”
Scheyer first joined Duke’s coaching staff in 2013-14 following his playing career and was the associate head coach for three seasons before becoming head coach.
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When he passed the torch to Scheyer, Krzyzewski offered major praise for his former pupil. And that’s not something to be taken lightly from one of the greatest basketball coaches ever.
“I’ve said many times that Jon Scheyer is one of the smartest coaches in the country,” Krzyzewski said in a comment posted to Scheyer’s bio on the Duke athletics website. “He showed that repeatedly as a member of our staff the past eight seasons. He is ready for this amazing opportunity and clearly recognizes the significance of the position in which he finds himself.
“He understands the unique culture of Duke Basketball, and he and his staff will carry it forward in an ever-changing college athletics environment. Jon is a rising star in the profession, and Duke could not be in better hands moving forward.”
Duke head coach Jon Scheyer waves the net after cutting the last piece after Duke defeated Alabama in an NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Elite Eight game on Saturday, March 29, 2025, in Newark, N.J. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Three seasons later, with Duke in its 18th Final Four and two wins from its sixth national championship, it appears Krzyzewski was exactly right about the former Glenbrook North prep basketball star.
And Scheyer has another area native on his staff after hiring Chicago native Emanuel Dildy as an assistant coach in August 2023. Dildy began his coaching career in the city, at Kennedy-King College, serving as an assistant there from 2008-10 and as head coach from 2010-12.
Dildy went on to assistant coaching positions at several NCAA Division I schools, including as an assistant under Porter Moser at Loyola Chicago from 2013-16 and as an assistant under Chris Collins at Northwestern from 2018-21.
“I have known Emanuel for quite some time and have great respect for his recruiting and on-court coaching abilities,” Scheyer said on the Duke athletics website after adding Dildy to his staff. “What stands out is his tireless work ethic, having most recently been on staff with two highly-regarded head coaches in Chris Collins and Porter Moser.
“He’s a Chicago guy and someone that will bring tremendous energy and passion to Duke.”
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