“Duke’s season could be altered by this one change before it even begins.” It wasn’t ostentatious. It wasn’t noisy. However, what specifically changed throughout summer practice? It is “the smartest move yet,” according to coaches. And if the initial indications are accurate, this
It wasn’t ostentatious. It wasn’t noisy. There wasn’t a media frenzy, nor did the move dominate the college basketball headlines. But for those within the program — the players, the coaching staff, and even the quietest voices tucked into the corners of Cameron Indoor Stadium — it was clear that something changed during summer practice, something fundamental. And for Duke basketball, a program steeped in history, expectation, and pressure, this seemingly modest shift might be the smartest move yet.
What specifically changed? Not a dramatic roster overhaul, not a new assistant with NBA credentials, and not some high-profile transfer portal surprise. The change came from within — subtle, methodical, and almost philosophical in nature. The Blue Devils have redefined the way they practice. This summer, Duke’s staff, led by head coach Jon Scheyer, implemented a wholly different approach to practice structure. Less time in traditional full-court scrimmages. More time in situational breakdowns. A sharp increase in the use of film mid-practice. Real-time feedback became not just an occasional teaching tool but a fundamental component of every drill. The players began each session not by running through warmups, but by watching footage of the previous day’s session. The idea was simple: sharpen the mind before the body even touched the floor.
It’s a shift that many teams talk about, but few truly commit to. Duke committed. The feedback loop between what players saw and what they did became shorter. Players weren’t just reacting; they were anticipating. Veterans like Tyrese Proctor and Caleb Foster were seen pointing out gaps in spacing during drills, correcting them on the fly before coaches could speak up. Communication ramped up. Accountability increased. The mental side of the game — always a hallmark of elite basketball — was brought to the forefront of Duke’s identity.
And it didn’t stop there. The coaching staff also shifted the tone of practice. Instead of high-decibel commands from the sideline, there was more guided inquiry. Players were asked what they saw. Why they made a decision. What they’d do differently. It created an environment where basketball IQ could grow organically, rather than be hammered in. The result was a summer where players weren’t just getting reps — they were understanding the why behind the reps.
A second, even more tactical shift involved the team’s approach to tempo and pace. Duke teams of the past have had varying degrees of speed, depending on their personnel. This year, with a core of athletic wings and versatile bigs, the coaching staff made a decisive commitment: transition offense would be emphasized more than it has in the past five years. That meant practices weren’t just designed around conditioning or shooting — they were designed around fast decision-making. Within two weeks, the shift in tempo was visible. Possessions in summer scrimmages were quicker, cleaner, and less reliant on one player having to create in isolation. Ball movement improved. Even freshmen, often overwhelmed early on, were getting the hang of it.
But perhaps the biggest revelation was the change in leadership structure. Duke’s teams traditionally leaned on captains, upperclassmen, or the most talented players to lead. This summer, leadership was decentralized. Players were encouraged — almost required — to lead from wherever they stood. This wasn’t symbolic. Practices were frequently split into mini-teams that rotated leadership responsibility. In one session, a sophomore would call out defensive rotations. In the next, a freshman would be tasked with initiating the offensive sets. The coaching staff sat back more often than before, letting the players manage mistakes and find solutions.
That autonomy was not without its struggles. The first few weeks of this new approach were messy. Turnovers spiked. Tempers flared. Some players were visibly uncomfortable taking on roles they weren’t used to. But rather than step in and correct immediately, the staff let them stumble. They were building problem-solvers, not just role-players. And slowly, the team began to gel. Summer practices evolved into laboratories of communication and collaboration. By mid-July, practices looked more like high-level scrimmages than development sessions. And that wasn’t accidental.
What made this shift even more remarkable was its underlying motivation. According to a staffer, Duke’s leadership team spent weeks studying other successful programs — not just in college basketball, but in the NBA and even elite European clubs. They examined how Real Madrid developed young players, how the Miami Heat instilled discipline without suffocating creativity, and how the San Antonio Spurs empowered role-players to lead. They borrowed pieces from each. The result was a hybrid system — one that emphasized structure without rigidity, freedom without chaos.
It’s also worth noting that this new method came with buy-in from players who might not even start this year. One of the clearest early signs of success was how second-unit players — those fighting for minutes — responded to the change. They began playing with a purpose not always seen in summers past. There was a clear understanding that intelligence, not just effort, would earn minutes this year. That message, echoed subtly in team meetings and reinforced in practice footage sessions, is what coaches are calling the program’s smartest move yet.
The early signs are encouraging. Scrimmages against outside competition — quietly scheduled and off the radar — showed a team that didn’t just move well but thought well. Opposing teams struggled to find rhythm. Duke’s defenders rotated with anticipation rather than reaction. Offensive sets didn’t collapse when the first option was denied; players instinctively moved into secondary and tertiary actions. This was not by accident. It was a reflection of hundreds of moments in summer practice when players were put in five-on-five situations and asked to play without instruction — with only the expectation that they use the principles they’d been internalizing.
Behind the scenes, coaches noticed another change. Players started staying late — not to shoot extra jumpers, but to review film. On several occasions, a group of players would watch 15 minutes of footage from the day’s scrimmage and then immediately walk back onto the practice court to replicate what they’d just watched. A player-driven culture was beginning to form. One assistant coach said it best: “The learning curve is shrinking because the players have taken over the process.”
That process, though still in its early stages, has already begun to alter how this Duke team will play when the season begins. The Blue Devils aren’t chasing style points. They aren’t aiming to be the flashiest offense or the most bruising defense. They are aiming to be the most thoughtful team in college basketball — a team that marries talent with intention. And that could make all the difference.
Of course, not everything can be predicted in July. Injuries, chemistry, and unforeseen challenges always loom. But the coaches aren’t claiming this change is a magic fix. They’re calling it a foundation. A better way to build the kind of team they want — one that doesn’t buckle under pressure or fade in March. One that can adapt in real time, lead from within, and rise when the season’s defining moments come.
So when the lights go up and the season begins, there might not be an obvious sign of this summer’s work. Fans will see the dunks, the big shots, the signature Cameron chaos. But beneath that, there will be something else — a subtle layer of decision-making, anticipation, and internal leadership that was born in the quiet days of summer practice. It wasn’t ostentatious. It wasn’t noisy. But if the early signs are right, it was everything.
