Jon Scheyer played four seasons at Duke under legendary coach Mike Krzyzewski, contributing to the Blue Devils’ 2010 championship. He returned in 2013 as Krzyzewski’s assistant and was promoted to head coach in 2022 after Krzyzewski’s retirement.
Scheyer, drawing on his time under Krzyzewski, often motivates players by using tactics he learned from his mentor. This approach became evident recently with freshman and top prospect Cameron Boozer.
What Did Jon Scheyer Say Mid-Game That Riled Up Cameron Boozer After A Scoreless First Half?
Cameron Boozer, the No. 2 high school prospect in the Class of 2025, endured a rough first half. He missed all seven shot attempts, prompting Scheyer’s ire. The Duke coach called him “soft,” underscoring Boozer’s sluggish play.
That wake-up call had an immediate effect. Motivated by the tongue-lashing he received, the son of Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls star Carlos Boozer stepped up his game. Aggressive in the second half, he got to the free-throw line 12 times and made nine. The 6’9″ forward finished with 15 points, 13 rebounds, two assists, three steals, and one block in 36 minutes as he helped Duke beat Texas 75-60 and gained its first win of the 2025-26 men’s college basketball season.
After the game, Boozer reflected on his turnaround. He credited Scheyer for calling him out on his lackluster first-half performance and expressed gratitude to his teammates, who gave him better opportunities to score and contribute.
“Obviously, (it was) a tough first half,” Boozer said. “I think my teammates did a great job of picking me up. Scheyer challenged me at halftime. He said I played soft, which was true. So, in the second half, I changed my mentality, and my teammates did a great job finding me. I thought we were the tougher team in the second half as a unit and that obviously led to the win.”
Cameron Boozer told us after the game that Jon Scheyer challenged him after his scoreless 1st half, saying he played “soft”https://t.co/GvHVo79hWO pic.twitter.com/LADfJ8j3na
— Carolina Blitz (@KeepBlitzin) November 5, 2025
Coach K is known for being direct and honest with his players, an approach Scheyer may have adopted during his experience as part of the Duke coaching staff.
One instance in which Krzyzewski riled up one of his players to step up after a lackluster first half was in 2017, when Jayson Tatum was struggling against Virginia.
Tatum recalled he was passive and a non-factor in the first 20 minutes, angering Krzyzewski, who threw his jacket in his direction and said something that triggered him to step up and be a better player.
“He came in, took his jacket off, and threw it at me. He said, ‘You soft-a*s St. Louis kid. If I knew you were going to play like this, I would’ve left you back in St. Louis!'” Tatum recalled. “I’m talking about, he cussed me out for the whole 12 minutes. I don’t get mad, but I don’t like being called soft, and I don’t want anybody disrespecting where I’m from.”
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The expletive-laden comment helped Tatum, who exploded for 21 of his 28 points in the second half and helped Duke overcome Virginia, 65-55.
Being trained under the tutelage of Mike Krzyzewski, Jon Scheyer knew that sometimes you’ve got to get into the head of your player to flip his switch and play better in the second half.