Jon Scheyer says 7'2 star Khaman Maluach plays like Duke veterans Wendell Carter Jr and Mark Williams

Duke coach Jon Scheyer compared 7-foot-2 freshman Khaman Maluach to former Blue Devils centers Wendell Carter Jr and Mark Williams when it comes to rim protection and interior defense.

During Friday's pre-game presser ahead of Duke's tip off against North Carolina, Scheyer was asked about his recruitment strategy this season, which focused on prioritizing rim protection and positional height.

Jon Scheyer admitted, he never initially valued rim protection as part of his coaching strategy as long as his team plays excellent defense. But he came to know its importance when his predecessor, Mike Krzyzewski, recruited talented bigs Wendell Carter and Mark Williams.

Scheyer, who worked as one of Krzyzewski's assistant coaches from 2014 to 2022, watched how Carter and Williams protected the rim to prevent the rival teams from scoring.

"I thought Wendell changed our team with his rim protection and then you realize, 'Oh this is what it feels like to have a guy that can really protect your rim," Scheyer said (10:59)

During his lone season with Duke, Carter averaged 2.1 blocks per game and was picked seventh overall in the first round of the 2018 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls. Williams, on the other hand, had 2.8 bpg in the 2021-22 season and was picked 15th in the 2022 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets.

Jon Scheyer believes Maluach is the current version of Carter and Williams and he has worked well in protecting the rim for the loaded Blue Devils. Although his block average pales in comparison with his predecessors at 1.2 bpg, he was able to alter inside shot attempts that mostly resulted in additional possessions for Duke.

"Khaman is like Mark and Wendell," Scheyer said (11:21). "Then the last couple of years, I think it just led to us making a decision;hthis is the direction we're going to go with positional size as long as you can have the skill, the feel (and) enough quickness."

During his lone season with Duke, Carter averaged 2.1 blocks per game, and he was picked seventh overall in the first round of the 2018 NBA draft by the Chicago Bulls. Williams, on the other hand, had 2.8 bpg in the 2021-22 season and was picked 15th in the 2022 NBA draft by the Charlotte Hornets.

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Jon Scheyer hails 'incredible' crop of Duke players for excellent two-way communication

Duke coach Jon Scheyer also hailed his players for sharing what he says is an incredible journey this season. He pointed out the openness of the 2024-25 squad when it comes to sharing their thoughts during film sessions and practices, and said it has helped him evolve as a coach.

"They've been incredible to coach and I've learned a lot from them," he said (12:55). They give me feedback and that's been something different than I think what I've done in our film sessions.

"I want them to shout out something they don't understand or something that they see and have more of a two-way back-and-forth relationship."

The two-way relationship between Jon Scheyer and his players worked wonders for the Blue Devils, who have won 14 straight games since starting the season at 4-2. The three-point loss against Kansas struck a chord with Duke and became one of the nation's best squads, even beating current No. 1-ranked Auburn during the winning streak.

Duke looks to stretch its winning streak to 15 when it takes on North Carolina on Saturday at the Cameron Indoor Stadium.