“I am concerned for our player safety”: Duke HC Jon Scheyer sparks question about court storming for ACC after Clemson upset

Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer reflected on the surprise 77-71 loss to the Clemson Tigers. The loss was Duke's third of the season, Clemson's first win against a top-two side in the 2024/25 college basketball season.

Following the surprise loss, Scheyer expressed concern about fans storming the court and player safety issues that come with it.

He said regarding whether the ACC should address court storming:

"It was a tough situation, and I didn't want to say anything about it because I didn't want it to take away from the job Clemson did; they played a big-time game, which should have been the story. At the end of games, it's crossing my mind about ensuring our guys are safe. And that shouldn't be my responsibility in that moment.

"Security should have that taken care of, and I am debating... we can win the game still, down six with five seconds to go as a coach, you want to be thinking about how to win the game, and we were."

He continued:

"If Cooper hits that three, we are down three, and that is my mindset. And the officials tried to stop the rush for just a second. They should have rushed, but we had to get our players off the court for safety, and that wasn't a safe environment. I was put in a position where I shielded our guys from people running up and getting in their faces. So, we don't want anything to happen and then have to decide to do something.

He concluded:

"Again, I don't want anything... that is not for Brad to worry about or his staff; they did an incredible job, but yeah... I am concerned for our player safety in that situation."

Whether the ACC will adopt similar rules as the SEC did remains to be seen.

What next for the Duke Blue Devils and Clemson Tigers?

The Duke Blue Devils have little time to lament their surprise loss to the Clemson Tigers. They have a quick turnaround game against the California Golden Bears to bother about.

The game will occur at the Blue Devils' home ground and will see Scheyer's side attempt to restart their unbeaten streak.

The Clemson Tigers have a game against the North Carolina Tar Heels up next. They'll look to defeat the unranked Tar Heels and ascend the AP rankings. Tigers head coach Brad Brownell will fancy his chances after the statement win over the highly ranked Blue Devils.

The Duke Blue Devils and Clemson Tigers are enjoying impressive college basketball regular seasons. However, they'll be looking to ramp up preparations as "March Madness" approaches.