Duke HC Jon Scheyer shares his thoughts on how "White Mike" days helped his coaching philosophy

Duke coach Jon Scheyer has led his team into the Final Four of this year's NCAA Tournament. The Blue Devils are now just two wins away from winning the national title, and Scheyer has spilled the beans on how his unique "White Mike" nickname helped shape his coaching philosophy.

During an appearance on the "Pat McAfee Show" on Tuesday, Scheyer traced the origins of his "White Mike" nickname and his desire to learn more about basketball.

"You know what, Pat, I think the biggest thing for me is, I had to get outside my environment growing up." Scheyer said (1:25). "And so anywhere there was a game in Chicago, I don't care where it was, I would go. And, you know, I think the biggest pride I found was having to find your own footing. You know, for me, it was just showing my game. And so I would go everywhere and play.

"There was nice of Pat Bev to give me that love and to share those stories. I don't know if they called me White Mike, but I think they did have respect for the way I played. And so for me, the fact that I coach guys from all over the world, play with different guys from everywhere, I think that's just helped me understand different perspectives and connect with different people."

Per reports, former NBA star Patrick Beverley suggested that Scheyer's "White Mike" originated when he played college basketball at Duke. Since Scheyer was born in Illinois, Chicago, he was called "Mike" in reference to six-time NBA champion with the Chicago Bulls, Michael Jordan.

Scheyer was part of the Duke team that won the national title in 2010. He now aims to repeat that success with the team as a coach this year.

Jon Scheyer's Duke will face Houston in Final Four of 2025 NCAA Tournament

Jon Scheyer's top-seeded Duke will face fellow top-seed Houston in the Final Four of this year's March Madness. The game will tip off at 8:49 p.m. ET on Saturday from Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

The Duke vs. Houston game will be broadcast live on CBS. Fans can also live stream the NCAA Tournament semi-final clash on Fubo or Paramount+.

About the author

Arnold is a journalist covering College Sports and the NFL at Sportskeeda. He has been with the company since August 2022.

Arnold graduated with a degree in Mass Media from MIC. As a sports fanatic, he pursued writing to express his thoughts and opinions on sports events across the globe. He has also worked at Wizcraft and Publicis.

Arnold began supporting the Kansas City Chiefs after watching Patrick Mahomes lead them to Super Bowl glory in 2020. He also has a soft corner for the New York Yankees since he's lived in New York for two years. Arnold's favorite coach of all time is Andy Reid, and the Chiefs dynasty looks far from over.

In his free time, Arnold enjoys reading, exercising, and traveling. He follows several other sports including football, cricket, tennis, basketball, boxing and F1.

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Edited by Gio Vergara