Jon Scheyer
Encyclopedia
Jonathan James "Jon" Scheyer (born August 24, 1987, in Northbrook, Illinois
) is an American-Israeli 6 in 5 in (195.58 cm) professional basketball player. He plays shooting guard
for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Super League in that competition, the Adriatic League, and the Euroleague. Scheyer led his high school team to an Illinois
state basketball championship as a high school All American, and the 2009–10 Duke Blue Devils
to the 2010 NCAA Basketball Championship
as a college All American. He was a prolific high school scorer, and later an Atlantic Coast Conference
(ACC) leader in numerous statistical categories, ranging from free throw
percentage and three point shots/game to assists
/turnover
ratio.
A high school All American, he once scored 21 points in a game's final 75 seconds of play in an attempt to spark a comeback. The 4th-leading scorer in Illinois high school history, he led his team to a state championship in 2005, and was named Illinois Mr. Basketball
in 2006. He chose to attend Duke for college, for whom he moved from shooting guard
to point guard
towards the end of the 2008–09 season, and was the Most Valuable Player (MVP)
of the 2009 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
.
In his senior year in 2009–10 as Duke's captain
, he led the team to ACC regular season and Tournament championships, and to the NCAA National Championship. He led the championship team in points per game, assists, free throw percentage, and steals per game. Scheyer was a 2010 consensus All-American
(Second Team), a unanimous 2009–10 All-ACC First Team selection, and was named to the 2010 ACC All-Tournament First Team.
He played the most consecutive games in Duke history (144), shot the third-highest free throw percentage (.861), shot the third-most free throws (608), shot the fourth-most 3-pointers (297), and is ranked ninth in scoring (2,077 points). He holds the ACC single-season record for minutes (1,470; in 2009–10) and the Duke freshman free throw record (115), shares the Duke record for points off the bench in a game (27), and had the third-longest streak of consecutive free throws in Duke history (40). He was not drafted in the 2010 NBA Draft
, was a 2010 Los Angeles Clippers
training camp invitee but was waived in the team's reduction to its final roster, and in 2011 played shooting guard for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers
of the NBA D-League.
and is the youngest of three children of Laury and Jim Scheyer, who is the president of MCS Industries. He is Jewish
. He began dribbling a basketball at age three and played in his first AAU
national tournament six years later. As a youth, he played in a league called the Fellowship of Afro-American Men (FAAM), in Evanston, Illinois. He received a scholarship offer from Marquette University
's Tom Crean as an 8th grader.
Scheyer attended Glenbrook North High School
and led the Spartans to an Illinois High School Association
Class AA state basketball championship as a junior, a 3rd-place finish in 2003 as a freshman, and an Elite Eight
appearance in the state playoffs three out of four years from 2003–06. Scheyer was known as the "Jewish Jordan", and the Spartans' state championship team is the only high school state championship basketball squad in the nation known to have included an all-Jewish starting line-up.
As a freshman, Scheyer led Glenbrook North in scoring and assists and was First Team All-State as a sophomore in 2004. Scheyer was the only non-senior among those First Team All-State selections and was the only underclassman on any of the first three All-State squads. As a junior, he averaged 26 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. His coach David Weber said: "I call him a combination of Larry Bird
and 'Pistol' Pete (Maravich)
. He's got the flair, the passing abilities. He's got good size. He's a rare player in this day and age." Scheyer rose to national fame in his senior year by scoring 21 points in 75 seconds of play during a one-man comeback effort in the last minute and a half of a high school game against Proviso West High School
, in an effort to keep alive his team's 35-game winning streak. It has been called one of the best performances ever on a high school court. He averaged 32 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals for the Spartans as a senior.
One example of his dogged pursuit of excellence is that while in high school, Scheyer refused to leave the gym one night until he made 50 consecutive free throws. After finally hitting 49 in a row, he missed on his final attempt. His father encouraged him to join him and go home, but – as his coach recalled – “Jon looked at him and said, ‘No. I’m starting over.’ Then he stayed until he made 50 in a row.”
Scheyer is the 4th-leading scorer in Illinois history with 3,034 points, and he is the only player in state history to finish his career ranked in the all-time top 10 in points (4th), rebounds, assists (6th), and steals (7th). He was named Illinois Mr. Basketball
in 2006 by an overwhelming margin (receiving 217 votes, to 17 for the 2nd-place finisher), a high school All-American, a two-time Gatorade state Player of the Year, and a three-time All-State selection. He had a reputation as an exceptional 3-point shooter, a rangy, slick passer, a good defensive rebounder, and a big-game performer. In naming him to the Illinois First-Team for the decade, ESPN
wrote that he was "one of the greatest Illinois high school players of all-time". He was also named to the century-list, the "100 Legends of Illinois Basketball (1908–2007)". Illinois Warriors coach Larry Butler said: "Jon Scheyer is one of the most prolific scorers I've seen in Illinois high school basketball. He was just the ultimate team player. Jon Scheyer would take the shirt off his back to win a game." A Chicago Sun-Times
article observed:
, Duke
, Illinois
, and Wisconsin
. On the one hand, his connection with Illinois was strengthened by the fact that his high school coach was Illinois coach Bruce Weber
's brother. In addition, when he had been in junior high school, he had really disliked Duke's team, because all his friends liked Duke and he wanted to be different. Militating in favor of Duke, however, was the fact that its assistant coach Chris Collins
had also attended Glenbrook North. He also believed that playing for the Blue Devils provided him with the best chance of playing in the Final Four. He ultimately chose to attend Duke, where he majored in History.
on February 7, 2007. He led all freshmen in the ACC with an .846 free throw percentage, and was eighth in the ACC in minutes per game (33.7). He was an ACC All-Freshman Team selection, and was named "ACC Rookie of the Week" three times. He tied for second on the team with 39 steals, and averaged 12.2 points per game (third-best on the team). He also tied the Duke freshman record by making 115 free throws, and holds the third-longest streak for consecutive free throws made in Duke history at 40. Though not naturally a point guard
, Scheyer spent some time playing the point due to lack of depth at that position. He felt it made him more of a complete player, and was a learning experience that made him more confident bringing the ball up court.
, in Scheyer's place for the majority of the season. Scheyer started only once during his sophomore year, but played in all 34 games. On December 20, 2007, he grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds against Pittsburgh
. He scored 27 points at Miami
on February 20, 2008, matching the most points by a player off the bench in Duke history. His free throw percentage (.889) was 2nd in the ACC for the season, 12th in the nation, and 5th-best in school history. He had a team-best 2.24:1 assist-to-turnover ratio, averaged the third-most minutes-per-game on the team (28.3), was fourth in scoring (11.7), and was widely hailed as one of the country's top sixth men
. He averaged 3.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.
on February 22, 2009. On February 19, Scheyer was moved from shooting guard, where he had played 91 games, to point guard; there he played well for the last 9 games of the season and into the post-season. As a point guard, he averaged 19.7 points and 2.5 assists per game, and committed 1 turnover a game. Florida State Seminoles men's basketball coach Leonard Hamilton
said he thought Scheyer had a "calming" influence on the team's offense. He was big enough, when pressured, to put a smaller defender on his hip, and still bring the ball up court. Once he got up court and gave up the ball, he became an option himself on the perimeter for other driving players. And on defense he was big enough to bother most guards attempting to shoot over him.
Scheyer was 7th in the ACC in free throw percentage (.841) for the season, 8th in minutes per game (32.8), tied for 8th in steals per game (1.6) and three-point field goals made per game (2.1), and 18th in points per game (14.9). In the team's 36 games, Scheyer led the Blue Devils in minutes, free throws, free throw percentage, 3-point field goals, 3-point field goal percentage (.395), assists, and assists per game (2.8). He was named the MVP of the 2009 ACC Tournament after scoring 29 points in the championship game. Krzyzewski said after the season: "He's a great competitor. He handles the ball real well. He scores—he scored more when he was bringing the ball up than when he didn't bring the ball up. I think the more the ball is in Jon's hands, the better." Reflecting his off-the-court accomplishments, Scheyer was a 2009 ACC Academic Honor Roll selection.
Scheyer was again named captain along with Lance Thomas
. Commenting on his play, Coach Krzyzewski said: "He understands, which most kids, believe me, do not, the value of the ball. He makes really good decisions with the ball, whether it's a pass, a shot, or the time on the clock." And: "Some of the plays he makes—you might not think he's that fast, but he has great body control." On December 2, 2009, he became the first Duke player to record 1,400 points, 400 rebounds, 250 assists, 200 3-point field goals, and 150 steals for a career. On December 16, he scored 24 of a career-high 36 points in the first half to lead Duke past Gardner-Webb. He shot 11-of-13 and hit a career-best seven 3-pointers while grabbing eight rebounds and getting nine assists. Jay Bilas
of ESPN picked Scheyer as starting guard on his mid-season First-Team All-American team in January 2010, writing:
ESPN play-by-play announcer Dan Schulman said: "He's not your prototypical break-you-down-off-the-dribble with blow-by-speed kind of point guard. I would describe him as a very cerebral player, a very unselfish player ... He's been one of the most effective point guards in America." ESPN's Doug Gottlieb
said Scheyer was making an interesting case for national player of the year. On February 15, Scheyer became the first player to win the ACC Player of the Week award three times in the 2009–10 season; it was the fourth time he had won the award in his career. After facing him, North Carolina point guard Larry Drew said: "He's as crafty as you can get. You just don't like playing against players like that. He can shoot the ball well. He's quick enough. He's smart. He knows about angles. He's a good actor. And he can shoot." University of Maryland
coach Gary Williams
observed:
ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Williams
said in March that Scheyer had been great and was deserving of being the NCAA Player of the Year or perhaps a co-Player of the Year with Greivis Vasquez
. Commenting on his demeanor, Sports Illustrated
sportswriter Stewart Mandel
wrote: "Scheyer is one of the shyest Duke stars in recent memory. The next time he brags or trash-talk
s will be the first."
After sinking a 3-pointer with 18 seconds left to seal a win for Duke over Georgia Tech
for the ACC championship, Scheyer said: "This is really exciting. I could do this 100 times. This could never get old." Despite having struggled with his 3-point shot all game on 1–8 shooting, he said: "“Even though I wasn’t hitting, I still wanted the opportunity in the end to shoot the ball." "Scheyer made an unbelievable shot," said Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt
. "If you’re a basketball fan, enjoy it for what it is." Coach Krzyzewski noted: "There’s something about Scheyer that produces wins.... He’s never afraid." Playing Baylor
on March 28 in the Elite Eight, he recalled:
With 2:37 remaining, he hit a 3-pointer to put Duke ahead 67–61. The Blue Devils won as he finished with 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. In Duke's Final Four win over West Virginia
, he led the team with 23 points while shooting 5 for 9 from 3-point range, with 6 assists, no turnovers, and 2 steals.
Duke won the national championship with a 61–59 victory over Butler
, as Scheyer scored 5 of the team's last 10 points. After Butler's Gordon Hayward
missed a last-second shot, a media member said to Scheyer: "In the movies, that goes in." Scheyer laughed, and responded: "Good thing this wasn't the movies then." Scheyer had 15 points in the win, and led the team with 5 assists. He became the second player to win an Illinois high school state championship and an NCAA Division I championship, the other having been Quinn Buckner
, who won state titles at Thornridge High School
in 1971 and 1972, and then was a champion with Indiana
in 1976. Scheyer played a prank after Duke's win. He tweeted
his more than 6,700 Twitter
followers: "Hollerrrrr at me!!! 847-970-....!". But instead of including his own cell number, it was the cell number of his former high school teammate Zach Kelly. Even Sports Illustrated
was taken in by the ruse. After Kelly had received more than 2,000 text messages and several hundred calls, Scheyer tweeted his fans, begging them to stop texting and calling his friend. Sports Illustrated featured Scheyer on the cover of their April 12, 2010, issue.
When the Duke team went to the White House
in honor of their championship in late May, President Obama caught Scheyer off guard by calling him “my homeboy
,” when he introduced himself to Scheyer, and then saying it again ("my homeboy from the Chicago area") when he said he had been following Scheyer since his high school days in Chicago. Scheyer said: “that was probably the coolest moment of my life." Obama also noted that Scheyer, Kyle Singler
, and Nolan Smith
were the top-scoring trio in the NCAA for the year (at 52.4 points per game).
). Scheyer said: "I feel as though this is what I've prepared my whole life to do. There's never a time in a game when I feel I'm winded." In the 2009–10 season, he also led the ACC in assist/turnover ratio (3.0; 2nd-best in Duke history to Steve Wojciechowski
in 1997), free throw percentage (.878; 7th-best in Duke history), and 3-point FGs made (2.8 per game). He also tied for 2nd in games with 20 or more points (17), and was 3rd in scoring (18.2 points per game), 4th in assists (4.9 per game) and 3-point FG percentage (.383), and 7th in steals (1.6 per game).
For the season, he has also led the nation in assist/turnover ratio. He had 38 double-figure scoring games in the single season (tied for 3rd-most in Duke history with Elton Brand
), 110 3-point field goals (the 6th-highest Duke season total; behind Trajan Langdon
), 194 free throws (10th in Duke history, behind J.J. Redick
), and was the 9th player in Duke history to average double figures for four seasons. Freshman guard Andre Dawkins
said: "Jon’s the glue. He takes the big shots."
In his career, he played in 144 consecutive games (most in team history, tied with Chris Duhon
), played 4,759 minutes (3rd in both Duke and ACC history, behind Bobby Hurley
), had an .861 free throw percentage (3rd in Duke history, and 6th in ACC history), sank 604 free throws (3rd in Duke history, behind Christian Laettner
and Redick), 297 3-pointers (4th in school history, ahead of Bobby Hurley
, and 10th in ACC history), played 144 games (tied for 4th on Duke's all-time list with Duhon), and had 114 double-figure scoring games (5th all-time at Duke, ahead of Mike Gminski
and Grant Hill
). In addition, he had 208 steals (8th in school history, behind Grant Hill), and had scored 2,077 points (9th on Duke’s all-time list, behind Jason Williams and Gene Banks
). Asked to comment on his having passed the career 2,000-points mark, he said: "That's a pretty cool thing. I don't know all the names [of those] who have hit 2,000, but it's a great list to be part of. It's not better than a win tonight, and going to the Sweet 16, but it's still a great honor."
He is the only player in Duke history to record at least 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, 400 assists, 250 3-pointers, and 200 steals in a career.
(Second Team), a Wooden and Lowe’s Senior First Team All-American, and was named to the 2009–10 All-America Second Teams of the AP
, National Association of Basketball Coaches
(NABC), Sporting News, and U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). In 2010 he was also a unanimous All-ACC First Team selection, an ACC All-Tournament First Team pick, and an NCAA South All-Regional and All-Final Four Team selection. In addition, he was named to the NABC and USBWA 2009–10 All-District teams, and the Jewish Sports Review
Division 1 All-America team. He was also awarded the NABC Senior Achievement Award. He was second in voting for the ACC Player of the Year Award, to Maryland's Greivis Vasquez.
(as top college point guard; awarded to Greivis Vasquez), and one of 10 finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award (as top NCAA Division I basketball senior; awarded to West Virginia
's Da'Sean Butler
). He was also one of 10 finalists for the John R. Wooden Award
, one of 16 finalists for the 2010 Oscar Robertson Trophy
, and one of 30 mid-season candidates for the 2010 Naismith Trophy
, each a national player of the year award that in the end was awarded to Ohio State
's Evan Turner
.
, and he would be one of the most coveted players EVER for a team like Maccabi Tel Aviv."
David Thorpe
, ESPN's resident expert on NBA rookies and noted trainer of NBA prospects, differed with Gottlieb. He noted most NBA teams would benefit by having Scheyer on their team as a sixth man. Chad Ford
, ESPN's draft expert, rated Scheyer within the top-60 NBA prospects. Asked in March 2010 whether he feels he can make it in the NBA, Scheyer said he was confident he can.
By early April, most NBA draft analysts had him going somewhere in the second round, but Larry Butler, his former AAU coach with the Illinois Warriors who has also coached Andre Iguodala
, Quentin Richardson
, and Dwyane Wade
, said:
Eamonn Brennan of ESPN announced the results of his College Basketball Production-Only Mock Draft in late May, meant to indicate how NBA teams would draft if they focused only at how college basketballs players played in college. He ranked Scheyer 6th, saying that as a college player, Scheyer was "ruthlessly effective".
The Chicago Sun Times opined that coaches Phil Jackson
of the Los Angeles Lakers
and Gregg Popovich
of the San Antonio Spurs
might value Scheyer's ability to move without the ball, pass, and spot up for jumpers. And one scout pointed to his poise, leadership, feel for the game, threat from the perimeter, smooth stroke, textbook form, and the vital role he played in the championship run, saying Scheyer can hold his own in the NBA and could be a solid backup point guard/no-stats-All-Star similar to Shane Battier.
Scheyer signed with Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports. Scheyer missed the NBA draft combine
in late May and lost 10 pounds as he battled mononucleosis
, which had him out for approximately three weeks and also forced him to miss his graduation. In June he participated in pre-draft workouts for ten teams, including the Chicago Bulls
, Los Angeles Lakers
, Milwaukee Bucks
, New Jersey Nets
, San Antonio Spurs
, Utah Jazz
, Portland Trail Blazers
, Sacramento Kings
, and Phoenix Suns
. "I've spent more time at airports than with teams", said Scheyer, "but it's such a great opportunity."
The Dallas Morning News
reported in May 2010 that a NBA draft projection of NBADraft.net had the Dallas Mavericks
selecting Scheyer with their first pick of the draft (the draft's 50th overall pick). Bleacher Report carried a mock draft article predicting him being drafted 51st by Oklahoma City, and Yahoo carried one predicting he would be drafted 53rd by the Atlanta Hawks
.
Draft Express compared 19 top shooting guards in the draft, on the basis of detailed points-per-possession statistics generated by Synergy Sports Technology
. It found that Scheyer ranked as the most efficient overall scorer (at 1.054 PPP). His jump shooting ability when open gave him success in spot-up situations (1.16 PPP), but he also ranked well above average in isolation (.938 PPP; 3rd), and was the most effective pick and roll
player on the list (1.16 PPP).
Duke Coach K said he could be a second-round pick,
He was not drafted, however, in the 2010 NBA Draft
. Coach K elaborated on what he had said before the draft: "In the second round, it's better not to be drafted. As soon as the draft is over, if you are good enough, you will be invited by five or six teams, and you will have a chance to choose who you will play summer league ball with. I would be a little bit surprised if [Scheyer is] not on an NBA roster playing next season."
's 19-man 2010 NBA Las Vegas Summer League
team. He hit the game-winning shot in the team's first game. In the team's second game, however, in mid-July, he was poked in the eye by Golden State's Joe Ingles
. He suffered a serious, life-changing right eye injury. He needed five stitches to close a cut to his right eyelid, his eye's optic nerve
was injured, and he suffered a tear in its retina
, which was re-attached surgically.
Sidelined initially with an eye-patch and incapacitating headaches, he ultimately returned to the court wearing protective goggles to protect his eyes. Maccabi Tel Aviv coach David Blatt
also approached Scheyer about playing in Europe.
. Coach Vinny Del Negro
observed:
It was just two months following his serious eye injury, however, and he was not 100%. On October 9, he was waived.
, the Houston Rockets
D-League team, which had 16 games left in their season. He had turned down several offers from overseas, and offers from other D-League teams.
Scheyer said his eye had healed from the traumatic injury that he suffered in the NBA Summer League. He wore goggles on the court, but said that he didn't notice them, for the most part. On March 14, he had a D-League career-high 21 points and 7 assists against Sioux Falls Skyforce
, the next night he broke those personal records with 24 points and 8 assists, and four nights later he scored a new career-high 27 points which included five three-pointers. In 24 regular and post-season games, he averaged 13.1 points, 4.0 assists, and 4.0 rebounds as the team finished the season as runner-up in the championship. Coach K said: "He got back on the horse. He did very well.... I'd like to see him go play internationally and be a key guy."
contender Maccabi Tel Aviv, the European league's 2011 runner-up and five-time champion. Maccabi Tel Aviv was 26–1 in 2010–11, and includes NBA guard Jordan Farmar
and former American college players Richard Hendrix
(Alabama), Shawn James
(Duquesne), and David Blu (University of Southern California). He began playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv when its season started on October 1, 2011.
The team is limited to no more than four players who are non-Israeli, but because Scheyer is Jewish he had the ability to obtain Israeli citizenship relatively quickly, and did so in September 2011. As an Israeli citizen, Scheyer does not count towards that limit. "I am really excited to take the next step in my basketball career and go play for Maccabi Tel Aviv," said Scheyer. "I am looking forward to the opportunity to play for a team with such great tradition."
College
wrote for ESPN in 2007: "Scheyer, is an honest-to-goodness M.O.T. If he continues to develop his Redick Lite repertoire, he could eventually become one of the all-time great Jewish basketball stars, right there with Dolph Schayes
..."
Northbrook, Illinois
Northbrook is a village located at the northern edge of Cook County, Illinois, which is also a North Shore suburb of Chicago. The population was 33,170 at the 2010 census....
) is an American-Israeli 6 in 5 in (195.58 cm) professional basketball player. He plays shooting guard
Shooting guard
The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...
for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Super League in that competition, the Adriatic League, and the Euroleague. Scheyer led his high school team to an Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
state basketball championship as a high school All American, and the 2009–10 Duke Blue Devils
2009–10 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team
The 2009–10 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team represented Duke University in the 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski, the Blue Devils won the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, claiming the school's fourth national title.Duke led...
to the 2010 NCAA Basketball Championship
2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament
The first and second round games were played at the following sites:*March 18 / 20*March 25 / 27*March 26 / 28Each regional winner advanced to the Final Four, held on April 3 and 5 in Indianapolis, Indiana at Lucas Oil Stadium, hosted by the Horizon League and Butler University, as per the NCAA's...
as a college All American. He was a prolific high school scorer, and later an Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
(ACC) leader in numerous statistical categories, ranging from free throw
Free throw
In basketball, free throws or foul shots are unopposed attempts to score points from a restricted area on the court , and are generally awarded after a foul on the shooter by the opposing team...
percentage and three point shots/game to assists
Assist (basketball)
In basketball, an assist is attributed to a player who passes the ball to a teammate in a way that leads to a score by field goal, meaning that he or she was "assisting" in the basket. There is some judgment involved in deciding whether a passer should be credited with an assist...
/turnover
Turnover (basketball)
In basketball, a turnover occurs when a player from one team gives possession to a member of the opposing team by losing the ball. This can result from the ball being stolen, the player making mistakes such as stepping out or throwing the ball out of bounds, or committing a violation or committing...
ratio.
A high school All American, he once scored 21 points in a game's final 75 seconds of play in an attempt to spark a comeback. The 4th-leading scorer in Illinois high school history, he led his team to a state championship in 2005, and was named Illinois Mr. Basketball
Illinois Mr. Basketball
Each year the Illinois Mr. Basketball award is given to the person chosen as the best high school boys basketball player in the U.S. state of Illinois....
in 2006. He chose to attend Duke for college, for whom he moved from shooting guard
Shooting guard
The shooting guard , also known as the two or off guard, is one of five traditional positions on a basketball team. Players of the position are often shorter, leaner, and quicker than forwards. A shooting guard's main objective is to score points for his team...
to point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
towards the end of the 2008–09 season, and was the Most Valuable Player (MVP)
Most Valuable Player
In sports, a Most Valuable Player award is an honor typically bestowed upon the best performing player or players on a specific team, in an entire league, or for a particular contest or series of contests...
of the 2009 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
2009 ACC Men's Basketball Tournament
The 2009 Atlantic Coast Conference Men's Basketball Tournament, the culmination of the 2008–09 Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball season and a part of the 2008-09 NCAA Division I men's basketball season, took place from March 12–March 15, 2009, at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Georgia...
.
In his senior year in 2009–10 as Duke's captain
Captain (sports)
In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
, he led the team to ACC regular season and Tournament championships, and to the NCAA National Championship. He led the championship team in points per game, assists, free throw percentage, and steals per game. Scheyer was a 2010 consensus All-American
2010 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans
An All-American team is an honorary sports team composed of the best amateur players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply "All-Americans". Although the honorees generally do not...
(Second Team), a unanimous 2009–10 All-ACC First Team selection, and was named to the 2010 ACC All-Tournament First Team.
He played the most consecutive games in Duke history (144), shot the third-highest free throw percentage (.861), shot the third-most free throws (608), shot the fourth-most 3-pointers (297), and is ranked ninth in scoring (2,077 points). He holds the ACC single-season record for minutes (1,470; in 2009–10) and the Duke freshman free throw record (115), shares the Duke record for points off the bench in a game (27), and had the third-longest streak of consecutive free throws in Duke history (40). He was not drafted in the 2010 NBA Draft
2010 NBA Draft
The 2010 NBA Draft was held on June 24, 2010 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The draft, which started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur...
, was a 2010 Los Angeles Clippers
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
training camp invitee but was waived in the team's reduction to its final roster, and in 2011 played shooting guard for the Rio Grande Valley Vipers
Rio Grande Valley Vipers
The Rio Grande Valley Vipers are a 2007-08 expansion team in the NBA Development League. They play their home games at the State Farm Arena, in Hidalgo, Texas....
of the NBA D-League.
Early life
Scheyer was born in Northbrook, IllinoisNorthbrook, Illinois
Northbrook is a village located at the northern edge of Cook County, Illinois, which is also a North Shore suburb of Chicago. The population was 33,170 at the 2010 census....
and is the youngest of three children of Laury and Jim Scheyer, who is the president of MCS Industries. He is Jewish
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
. He began dribbling a basketball at age three and played in his first AAU
Amateur Athletic Union
The Amateur Athletic Union is one of the largest non-profit volunteer sports organizations in the United States. A multi-sport organization, the AAU is dedicated exclusively to the promotion and development of amateur sports and physical fitness programs.-History:The AAU was founded in 1888 to...
national tournament six years later. As a youth, he played in a league called the Fellowship of Afro-American Men (FAAM), in Evanston, Illinois. He received a scholarship offer from Marquette University
Marquette University
Marquette University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1881, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities...
's Tom Crean as an 8th grader.
High school career
Because Scheyer's talent was obvious by the time he was set to start high school, many people encouraged his parents to move so he could attend a high school with a powerhouse basketball program. The move was recommended so that he would have a greater chance of success. Scheyer shrugged off the suggestion, telling his parents: "We'll just do it here. We'll build the success at Glenbrook North." His father said: "I get chills thinking about it. That wasn't my vision. It wasn't Laury's. It wasn't his coaches'. That was Jon's vision, and it never occurred to him that anything else would happen."Scheyer attended Glenbrook North High School
Glenbrook North High School
Glenbrook North High School, or GBN, is a public four-year high school located in Northbrook, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, Illinois, in the United States...
and led the Spartans to an Illinois High School Association
Illinois High School Association
The Illinois High School Association is one of 521 state high school associations in the United States, designed to regulate competition in most interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level. It is a charter member of the National Federation of State High...
Class AA state basketball championship as a junior, a 3rd-place finish in 2003 as a freshman, and an Elite Eight
Elite Eight
The term Elite Eight, or less commonly called "Great Eight", refers to the final eight teams in the NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship or the NCAA Women's Division I Basketball Championship; and, thus, represents the national quarterfinals. In Division I, the Elite Eight consists of the...
appearance in the state playoffs three out of four years from 2003–06. Scheyer was known as the "Jewish Jordan", and the Spartans' state championship team is the only high school state championship basketball squad in the nation known to have included an all-Jewish starting line-up.
As a freshman, Scheyer led Glenbrook North in scoring and assists and was First Team All-State as a sophomore in 2004. Scheyer was the only non-senior among those First Team All-State selections and was the only underclassman on any of the first three All-State squads. As a junior, he averaged 26 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists. His coach David Weber said: "I call him a combination of Larry Bird
Larry Bird
Larry Joe Bird is a former American NBA basketball player and coach. Drafted into the NBA sixth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1978, Bird started at small forward and power forward for thirteen seasons, spearheading one of the NBA's most formidable frontcourts that included center Robert Parish...
and 'Pistol' Pete (Maravich)
Pete Maravich
Peter "Pistol Pete" Press Maravich was an American professional basketball player. Born and raised in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, Maravich starred in college at Louisiana State University and played for three NBA teams until injuries induced him to retire in 1980...
. He's got the flair, the passing abilities. He's got good size. He's a rare player in this day and age." Scheyer rose to national fame in his senior year by scoring 21 points in 75 seconds of play during a one-man comeback effort in the last minute and a half of a high school game against Proviso West High School
Proviso West High School
Proviso West High School is a public high school located in Hillside, Illinois, United States. Proviso West is a part of Proviso Township High Schools District 209, and was opened in 1958. Its sister school is Proviso East High School....
, in an effort to keep alive his team's 35-game winning streak. It has been called one of the best performances ever on a high school court. He averaged 32 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and 3 steals for the Spartans as a senior.
One example of his dogged pursuit of excellence is that while in high school, Scheyer refused to leave the gym one night until he made 50 consecutive free throws. After finally hitting 49 in a row, he missed on his final attempt. His father encouraged him to join him and go home, but – as his coach recalled – “Jon looked at him and said, ‘No. I’m starting over.’ Then he stayed until he made 50 in a row.”
Scheyer is the 4th-leading scorer in Illinois history with 3,034 points, and he is the only player in state history to finish his career ranked in the all-time top 10 in points (4th), rebounds, assists (6th), and steals (7th). He was named Illinois Mr. Basketball
Illinois Mr. Basketball
Each year the Illinois Mr. Basketball award is given to the person chosen as the best high school boys basketball player in the U.S. state of Illinois....
in 2006 by an overwhelming margin (receiving 217 votes, to 17 for the 2nd-place finisher), a high school All-American, a two-time Gatorade state Player of the Year, and a three-time All-State selection. He had a reputation as an exceptional 3-point shooter, a rangy, slick passer, a good defensive rebounder, and a big-game performer. In naming him to the Illinois First-Team for the decade, ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
wrote that he was "one of the greatest Illinois high school players of all-time". He was also named to the century-list, the "100 Legends of Illinois Basketball (1908–2007)". Illinois Warriors coach Larry Butler said: "Jon Scheyer is one of the most prolific scorers I've seen in Illinois high school basketball. He was just the ultimate team player. Jon Scheyer would take the shirt off his back to win a game." A Chicago Sun-Times
Chicago Sun-Times
The Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
article observed:
Scheyer's offensive game is amazing ... He hits jumpers from all manner of pogo-stick angles. He can hit runners while shooting back across his body. He can drive and finish in acrobatic ways. His offensive repertoire of ways to score is like a magician's bag of tricks. Offensively, he is a modern-day 'Pistol' Pete MaravichPete MaravichPeter "Pistol Pete" Press Maravich was an American professional basketball player. Born and raised in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, Maravich starred in college at Louisiana State University and played for three NBA teams until injuries induced him to retire in 1980...
.
College career
Scheyer's final four college choices were ArizonaUniversity of Arizona
The University of Arizona is a land-grant and space-grant public institution of higher education and research located in Tucson, Arizona, United States. The University of Arizona was the first university in the state of Arizona, founded in 1885...
, Duke
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
, Illinois
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
The University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is a large public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois, United States. It is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system...
, and Wisconsin
University of Wisconsin–Madison
The University of Wisconsin–Madison is a public research university located in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1848, UW–Madison is the flagship campus of the University of Wisconsin System. It became a land-grant institution in 1866...
. On the one hand, his connection with Illinois was strengthened by the fact that his high school coach was Illinois coach Bruce Weber
Bruce Weber (coach)
Bruce Brett Weber is an American college basketball coach. Weber is the head coach of the University of Illinois men's basketball team...
's brother. In addition, when he had been in junior high school, he had really disliked Duke's team, because all his friends liked Duke and he wanted to be different. Militating in favor of Duke, however, was the fact that its assistant coach Chris Collins
Chris Collins (basketball)
Chris Collins is a basketball player and coach from Northbrook, Illinois. He is currently the associate head coach of the Duke University men's basketball team and is the son of NBA coach Doug Collins....
had also attended Glenbrook North. He also believed that playing for the Blue Devils provided him with the best chance of playing in the Final Four. He ultimately chose to attend Duke, where he majored in History.
2006–07
In the 2006–07 season he started all 33 Blue Devils games as a freshman, and scored a season-high 26 points in a loss to North CarolinaNorth Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball
The North Carolina Tar Heels men's basketball program is the intercollegiate men's basketball of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and is considered one of the most successful programs in NCAA history...
on February 7, 2007. He led all freshmen in the ACC with an .846 free throw percentage, and was eighth in the ACC in minutes per game (33.7). He was an ACC All-Freshman Team selection, and was named "ACC Rookie of the Week" three times. He tied for second on the team with 39 steals, and averaged 12.2 points per game (third-best on the team). He also tied the Duke freshman record by making 115 free throws, and holds the third-longest streak for consecutive free throws made in Duke history at 40. Though not naturally a point guard
Point guard
Point guard , also called the play maker or "the ball-handler", is one of the standard positions in a regulation basketball game. A point guard has perhaps the most specialized role of any position – essentially, he is expected to run the team's offense by controlling the ball and making sure that...
, Scheyer spent some time playing the point due to lack of depth at that position. He felt it made him more of a complete player, and was a learning experience that made him more confident bringing the ball up court.
2007–08
Despite the fact that he was a starter as a freshman, Coach Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K) chose to start Gerald Henderson, Jr.Gerald Henderson, Jr.
Jerome McKinley "Gerald" Henderson, Jr. is an American basketball player who was drafted 12th overall in the 2009 NBA Draft by the Charlotte Bobcats of the National Basketball Association...
, in Scheyer's place for the majority of the season. Scheyer started only once during his sophomore year, but played in all 34 games. On December 20, 2007, he grabbed a career-high 12 rebounds against Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball
Pittsburgh Panthers men's basketball is the NCAA Division I intercollegiate men's basketball program of the University of Pittsburgh, often referred to as "Pitt", located in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Pitt men's basketball team competes in the Big East Conference and plays their home games in...
. He scored 27 points at Miami
Miami Hurricanes
The Miami Hurricanes, of Coral Gables, Florida, are the varsity sports teams of the University of Miami. They compete in the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference . The university fields 15 athletic teams for 17 varsity sports...
on February 20, 2008, matching the most points by a player off the bench in Duke history. His free throw percentage (.889) was 2nd in the ACC for the season, 12th in the nation, and 5th-best in school history. He had a team-best 2.24:1 assist-to-turnover ratio, averaged the third-most minutes-per-game on the team (28.3), was fourth in scoring (11.7), and was widely hailed as one of the country's top sixth men
Sixth man
The sixth man in basketball is a player who is not a starter but comes off the bench much more often than other reserves, often being the first player to be substituted in. The sixth man often plays minutes equal to or exceeding some of the starters and posts similar statistics. He is often a...
. He averaged 3.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.4 steals per game.
2008–09
Scheyer was named one of three captains for the Blue Devils for the 2008–09 season. He scored a then-career-high 30 points against Wake ForestWake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball
The Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's basketball team participates in the Atlantic Coast Conference and their homecourt is the Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum. Their only Final Four appearance was in 1962 and through the years they have produced several NBA players. The Demon Deacons have...
on February 22, 2009. On February 19, Scheyer was moved from shooting guard, where he had played 91 games, to point guard; there he played well for the last 9 games of the season and into the post-season. As a point guard, he averaged 19.7 points and 2.5 assists per game, and committed 1 turnover a game. Florida State Seminoles men's basketball coach Leonard Hamilton
Leonard Hamilton
Leonard Hamilton is the current head basketball coach at Florida State University. He is a former coach at Oklahoma State University, the University of Miami, and the NBA's Washington Wizards...
said he thought Scheyer had a "calming" influence on the team's offense. He was big enough, when pressured, to put a smaller defender on his hip, and still bring the ball up court. Once he got up court and gave up the ball, he became an option himself on the perimeter for other driving players. And on defense he was big enough to bother most guards attempting to shoot over him.
Scheyer was 7th in the ACC in free throw percentage (.841) for the season, 8th in minutes per game (32.8), tied for 8th in steals per game (1.6) and three-point field goals made per game (2.1), and 18th in points per game (14.9). In the team's 36 games, Scheyer led the Blue Devils in minutes, free throws, free throw percentage, 3-point field goals, 3-point field goal percentage (.395), assists, and assists per game (2.8). He was named the MVP of the 2009 ACC Tournament after scoring 29 points in the championship game. Krzyzewski said after the season: "He's a great competitor. He handles the ball real well. He scores—he scored more when he was bringing the ball up than when he didn't bring the ball up. I think the more the ball is in Jon's hands, the better." Reflecting his off-the-court accomplishments, Scheyer was a 2009 ACC Academic Honor Roll selection.
2009–10
| College Career | |||||||
| Year | G | PPG | RPG | APG | FG% | FT% | 3P% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–07 | 33 | 12.2 | 3.3 | 1.8 | 39.8 | 84.6 | 36.3 |
| 2007–08 | 34 | 11.7 | 3.9 | 2.4 | 44.4 | 88.9 | 38.8 |
| 2008–09 | 37 | 14.9 | 3.6 | 2.8 | 39.7 | 83.6 | 38.5 |
| 2009–10 | 40 | 18.2 | 3.6 | 4.9 | 39.9 | 87.8 | 38.3 |
Scheyer was again named captain along with Lance Thomas
Lance Thomas
Lance Thomas is a 6'8" former forward on the Duke University's men's basketball team. He is from Scotch Plains, New Jersey. He started at power forward for Duke's national champion 2010 team. Currently for the NBA D-League 2010-11 season, Thomas is playing for the Austin Toros.- High school...
. Commenting on his play, Coach Krzyzewski said: "He understands, which most kids, believe me, do not, the value of the ball. He makes really good decisions with the ball, whether it's a pass, a shot, or the time on the clock." And: "Some of the plays he makes—you might not think he's that fast, but he has great body control." On December 2, 2009, he became the first Duke player to record 1,400 points, 400 rebounds, 250 assists, 200 3-point field goals, and 150 steals for a career. On December 16, he scored 24 of a career-high 36 points in the first half to lead Duke past Gardner-Webb. He shot 11-of-13 and hit a career-best seven 3-pointers while grabbing eight rebounds and getting nine assists. Jay Bilas
Jay Bilas
Jay Scot Bilas is an American lawyer and basketball analyst for ESPN and CBS Sports. He is also a former college basketball player.-Playing career:...
of ESPN picked Scheyer as starting guard on his mid-season First-Team All-American team in January 2010, writing:
Scheyer had one of the best assist to turnover ratios in the NCAA. No player in the country has been as efficient with the ball as Scheyer has been ... [H]e consistently makes good passes and good decisions. Scheyer leads the nation with a 4.8-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, and when guarded by smaller point guards he will work off the ball, and take advantage of defenders not used to playing off the ball.... There are several other guards who are having great seasons ... but there aren't many who have had comparable seasons to date.
ESPN play-by-play announcer Dan Schulman said: "He's not your prototypical break-you-down-off-the-dribble with blow-by-speed kind of point guard. I would describe him as a very cerebral player, a very unselfish player ... He's been one of the most effective point guards in America." ESPN's Doug Gottlieb
Doug Gottlieb
Douglas Michael Gottlieb is a former NCAA collegiate basketball player for the University of Notre Dame and Oklahoma State University, and the Russian Basketball Super League...
said Scheyer was making an interesting case for national player of the year. On February 15, Scheyer became the first player to win the ACC Player of the Week award three times in the 2009–10 season; it was the fourth time he had won the award in his career. After facing him, North Carolina point guard Larry Drew said: "He's as crafty as you can get. You just don't like playing against players like that. He can shoot the ball well. He's quick enough. He's smart. He knows about angles. He's a good actor. And he can shoot." University of Maryland
Maryland Terrapins men's basketball
The Maryland Terrapins men's basketball team represents the University of Maryland in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...
coach Gary Williams
Gary Williams
Gary B. Williams is an American university administrator and former college basketball coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Maryland, Ohio State University, Boston College, and American University. In 2002, he led Maryland to the NCAA Tournament Championship...
observed:
Scheyer’s like an old-time guard ... in that he does everything, in terms of handling the ball, shooting the ball, playing defense.... that’s what makes him so tough, because he can do all those things and do them at a very high level for almost 40 minutes every game ... It's almost like having more than one player on the court.
ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Williams
Jay Williams (basketball)
Jason David Williams , professionally known as Jay Williams, is a former American professional basketball player with the NBA Chicago Bulls. He last signed with the Austin Toros of the NBA Development League, but was waived by the Toros on December 30, 2006 to rehabilitate a nagging injury...
said in March that Scheyer had been great and was deserving of being the NCAA Player of the Year or perhaps a co-Player of the Year with Greivis Vasquez
Greivis Vasquez
Greivis Vásquez is a Venezuelan basketball player with the Memphis Grizzlies, who selected him in the first round of the 2010 NBA Draft. He was chosen after a stellar U.S. college career with the University of Maryland men's basketball team...
. Commenting on his demeanor, Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
sportswriter Stewart Mandel
Stewart Mandel
Stewart Lance Mandel is an American sports writer who focuses on college football and college basketball. Mandel was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, attending Sycamore High School, and is a graduate of Northwestern University with a degree in Journalism....
wrote: "Scheyer is one of the shyest Duke stars in recent memory. The next time he brags or trash-talk
Trash-talk
Trash-talk is a form of boast or insult commonly heard in competitive situations , primarily in the US. It is often used to intimidate the opposition, but can also be used in a humorous spirit...
s will be the first."
After sinking a 3-pointer with 18 seconds left to seal a win for Duke over Georgia Tech
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball
The Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets men's basketball team represents the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in NCAA Division I basketball. The team plays its home games in Alexander Memorial Coliseum. Under the tenure of Bobby Cremins, Georgia Tech established itself as a national force in basketball...
for the ACC championship, Scheyer said: "This is really exciting. I could do this 100 times. This could never get old." Despite having struggled with his 3-point shot all game on 1–8 shooting, he said: "“Even though I wasn’t hitting, I still wanted the opportunity in the end to shoot the ball." "Scheyer made an unbelievable shot," said Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt
Paul Hewitt
-External links:**...
. "If you’re a basketball fan, enjoy it for what it is." Coach Krzyzewski noted: "There’s something about Scheyer that produces wins.... He’s never afraid." Playing Baylor
Baylor Bears men's basketball
The Baylor Bears basketball team represents Baylor University in Waco, Texas, in NCAA Division I men's basketball competition. The Bears compete in the Big 12 Conference. The team plays its home games in Ferrell Center and is currently coached by Scott Drew....
on March 28 in the Elite Eight, he recalled:
There was a TV timeout with under four minutes in the second half. ...[W]e were tied, or down by one. There was 3:39 on the clock.... I came to the bench, and was kind of looking around. I thought: 'This is it. It is a three-minute game for our season, everything you've been working for your whole life.' I smiled, and went for it. That was the most surreal moment. That is a moment I'll never forget.
With 2:37 remaining, he hit a 3-pointer to put Duke ahead 67–61. The Blue Devils won as he finished with 20 points, 5 rebounds, and 4 assists. In Duke's Final Four win over West Virginia
West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball
The West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team represents West Virginia University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. It is a member of the Big East Conference. West Virginia most recently reached the Final Four of the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, led by...
, he led the team with 23 points while shooting 5 for 9 from 3-point range, with 6 assists, no turnovers, and 2 steals.
Duke won the national championship with a 61–59 victory over Butler
Butler Bulldogs men's basketball
The Butler Bulldogs men's basketball team represents Butler University in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States. The school's team currently competes in the Horizon League, of which it has been a member since 1979...
, as Scheyer scored 5 of the team's last 10 points. After Butler's Gordon Hayward
Gordon Hayward
Gordon Daniel Hayward , is an American basketball player for the Utah Jazz. He played college basketball at Butler University in Indianapolis for two seasons before leaving for the NBA. Hayward emerged as a superstar in his sophomore year, leading his team to a runner-up finish in the 2010 NCAA...
missed a last-second shot, a media member said to Scheyer: "In the movies, that goes in." Scheyer laughed, and responded: "Good thing this wasn't the movies then." Scheyer had 15 points in the win, and led the team with 5 assists. He became the second player to win an Illinois high school state championship and an NCAA Division I championship, the other having been Quinn Buckner
Quinn Buckner
William Quinn Buckner, commonly known as Quinn Buckner is a former American professional basketball player and coach. He played collegiately at Indiana University, and was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 7th pick of the 1976 NBA Draft...
, who won state titles at Thornridge High School
Thornridge High School
Thornridge High School is a public high school located in Dolton, Illinois. It was built as part of Thornton Township High Schools District 205. It is sometimes confused with the similar sounding schools in the same district: Thornton Township High School and Thornwood High...
in 1971 and 1972, and then was a champion with Indiana
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
in 1976. Scheyer played a prank after Duke's win. He tweeted
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
his more than 6,700 Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
followers: "Hollerrrrr at me!!! 847-970-....!". But instead of including his own cell number, it was the cell number of his former high school teammate Zach Kelly. Even Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated
Sports Illustrated is an American sports media company owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. Its self titled magazine has over 3.5 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men. It was the first magazine with circulation over one million to win the...
was taken in by the ruse. After Kelly had received more than 2,000 text messages and several hundred calls, Scheyer tweeted his fans, begging them to stop texting and calling his friend. Sports Illustrated featured Scheyer on the cover of their April 12, 2010, issue.
When the Duke team went to the White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
in honor of their championship in late May, President Obama caught Scheyer off guard by calling him “my homeboy
Homie
Homie or homey is a slang term in urban culture whose origins etymologists generally trace to African American language from the late 19th century. This was a time when many African Americans were migrating to cities in larger numbers, and "homeboy" meant a male friend from back home. It was...
,” when he introduced himself to Scheyer, and then saying it again ("my homeboy from the Chicago area") when he said he had been following Scheyer since his high school days in Chicago. Scheyer said: “that was probably the coolest moment of my life." Obama also noted that Scheyer, Kyle Singler
Kyle Singler
Kyle Edward Singler is a professional basketball player for the Real Madrid in Spain. He was a four-year starter for the Duke men's basketball team and was instrumental in their 2010 NCAA Championship run, earning MVP of the Final Four.-High school:Singler attended South Medford High School and...
, and Nolan Smith
Nolan Smith
Nolan Derek Smith is an American professional basketball player for the NBA's Portland Trail Blazers, having been selected with the 21st pick in the 2011 NBA Draft after four years at Duke University. As a senior, he was named a first team AP All-American and the ACC Player of the Year...
were the top-scoring trio in the NCAA for the year (at 52.4 points per game).
Records and statistics
Scheyer set the ACC all-time single-season record for minutes played in 2009–10 (with 1,470, passing Dennis ScottDennis Scott (basketball)
Dennis Eugene Scott is an American former professional basketball player. A 6' 8" small forward from Georgia Tech, and the 1989–1990 ACC Men's Basketball Player of the Year, Scott was selected by the Orlando Magic with the fourth pick of the 1990 NBA Draft after being the leading scorer on a...
). Scheyer said: "I feel as though this is what I've prepared my whole life to do. There's never a time in a game when I feel I'm winded." In the 2009–10 season, he also led the ACC in assist/turnover ratio (3.0; 2nd-best in Duke history to Steve Wojciechowski
Steve Wojciechowski
Steve "Wojo" Wojciechowski is an American basketball coach and former player. He played at Duke University from 1994 until 1998 where he was the team's point guard. He currently is an associate head coach at Duke under head coach Mike Krzyzewski...
in 1997), free throw percentage (.878; 7th-best in Duke history), and 3-point FGs made (2.8 per game). He also tied for 2nd in games with 20 or more points (17), and was 3rd in scoring (18.2 points per game), 4th in assists (4.9 per game) and 3-point FG percentage (.383), and 7th in steals (1.6 per game).
For the season, he has also led the nation in assist/turnover ratio. He had 38 double-figure scoring games in the single season (tied for 3rd-most in Duke history with Elton Brand
Elton Brand
Elton Tyron Brand is an American professional basketball player who currently plays for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association...
), 110 3-point field goals (the 6th-highest Duke season total; behind Trajan Langdon
Trajan Langdon
Trajan Shaka Langdon is a retired American professional basketball player. A 210 lb. shooting guard, he gained fame in the U.S. while playing college basketball at Duke University with the Duke Blue Devils.-Biography:...
), 194 free throws (10th in Duke history, behind J.J. Redick
J.J. Redick
Jonathan Clay "J. J." Redick is an American professional basketball player at the shooting guard position who plays for the Orlando Magic. He was selected 11th overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2006 NBA Draft. During his collegiate years, Redick played for Duke University...
), and was the 9th player in Duke history to average double figures for four seasons. Freshman guard Andre Dawkins
Andre Dawkins
Andre Wade Dawkins is an American college basketball player who currently plays for Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team as a shooting guard.-Early life:Dawkins was raised by his parents, Andre and Pamela Dawkins...
said: "Jon’s the glue. He takes the big shots."
In his career, he played in 144 consecutive games (most in team history, tied with Chris Duhon
Chris Duhon
Chris Nicholas Duhon is an American professional basketball player for the Orlando Magic. Duhon was a point guard for the Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team from 2000 to 2004, the Chicago Bulls from 2004 to 2008, and the New York Knicks from 2008 to 2010, and presently plays for the Orlando...
), played 4,759 minutes (3rd in both Duke and ACC history, behind Bobby Hurley
Bobby Hurley
Robert Matthew 'Bobby' Hurley is an American former basketball player and currently an assistant coach at Wagner College.-Biography:...
), had an .861 free throw percentage (3rd in Duke history, and 6th in ACC history), sank 604 free throws (3rd in Duke history, behind Christian Laettner
Christian Laettner
Christian Donald Laettner is a retired American professional basketball player and entrepreneur. He had a distinguished college and national career, and played in the National Basketball Association for thirteen seasons, from 1992–2005. He is presently a minority holder for the Major League...
and Redick), 297 3-pointers (4th in school history, ahead of Bobby Hurley
Bobby Hurley
Robert Matthew 'Bobby' Hurley is an American former basketball player and currently an assistant coach at Wagner College.-Biography:...
, and 10th in ACC history), played 144 games (tied for 4th on Duke's all-time list with Duhon), and had 114 double-figure scoring games (5th all-time at Duke, ahead of Mike Gminski
Mike Gminski
Michael Thomas Gminski is a retired American college and professional basketball player. Gminski played his high school ball for Masuk High School in Monroe, CT. From there he played four seasons with the Duke Blue Devils, from 1977 to 1980. He led the team in scoring during his junior and senior...
and Grant Hill
Grant Hill
Grant Hill is the name of:* Grant Hill, American basketball player* Grant Hill , Canadian politician* Grant Hill, San Diego, California, an urban neighboorhood in central San Diego...
). In addition, he had 208 steals (8th in school history, behind Grant Hill), and had scored 2,077 points (9th on Duke’s all-time list, behind Jason Williams and Gene Banks
Gene Banks
Eugene Lavon "Gene" Banks is a retired American professional basketball player. He is one of a handful of players to make high school All-America three times.-College & NBA Years:...
). Asked to comment on his having passed the career 2,000-points mark, he said: "That's a pretty cool thing. I don't know all the names [of those] who have hit 2,000, but it's a great list to be part of. It's not better than a win tonight, and going to the Sweet 16, but it's still a great honor."
He is the only player in Duke history to record at least 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, 400 assists, 250 3-pointers, and 200 steals in a career.
Awards
Scheyer was a 2009–10 consensus All-American2010 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans
An All-American team is an honorary sports team composed of the best amateur players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply "All-Americans". Although the honorees generally do not...
(Second Team), a Wooden and Lowe’s Senior First Team All-American, and was named to the 2009–10 All-America Second Teams of the AP
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
, National Association of Basketball Coaches
National Association of Basketball Coaches
The National Association of Basketball Coaches , headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is an American organization of college men's basketball coaches...
(NABC), Sporting News, and U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA). In 2010 he was also a unanimous All-ACC First Team selection, an ACC All-Tournament First Team pick, and an NCAA South All-Regional and All-Final Four Team selection. In addition, he was named to the NABC and USBWA 2009–10 All-District teams, and the Jewish Sports Review
Jewish Sports Review
Jewish Sports Review is a bi-monthly magazine that was established in 1997. Its editors are Ephraim Moxson and Shel Wallman.The magazine identifies which star and professional athletes are Jewish...
Division 1 All-America team. He was also awarded the NABC Senior Achievement Award. He was second in voting for the ACC Player of the Year Award, to Maryland's Greivis Vasquez.
Award lists
In 2010, Scheyer was one of 6 finalists for the Bob Cousy AwardBob Cousy Award
The Bob Cousy Award presented by The Hartford is an annual basketball award given by the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame to the top men's collegiate point guard. It is named after six-time National Basketball Association champion Bob Cousy, who played point guard for the Boston Celtics...
(as top college point guard; awarded to Greivis Vasquez), and one of 10 finalists for the Lowe's Senior CLASS Award (as top NCAA Division I basketball senior; awarded to West Virginia
West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball
The West Virginia Mountaineers men's basketball team represents West Virginia University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. It is a member of the Big East Conference. West Virginia most recently reached the Final Four of the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, led by...
's Da'Sean Butler
Da'Sean Butler
Da'Sean Butler is an American professional basketball player for the San Antonio Spurs and was on assignment in the NBA D-League for the Austin Toros. In November 2011 he joined for trial period to Latvian Basketball League club Rīgas VEF...
). He was also one of 10 finalists for the John R. Wooden Award
John R. Wooden Award
The John R. Wooden Award is an award given annually to the most outstanding men's and women's college basketball players. The program consists of the men's and women's Player of the Year awards, the Legends of Coaching award and recognizes the All–America Teams.The awards, given by the Los...
, one of 16 finalists for the 2010 Oscar Robertson Trophy
Oscar Robertson Trophy
The Oscar Robertson Trophy is given out annually to outstanding men's college basketball players by the United States Basketball Writers Association . The trophy is considered to be the oldest of its kind and has been given out since 1959...
, and one of 30 mid-season candidates for the 2010 Naismith Trophy
Naismith College Player of the Year
The Naismith College Player of the Year is an annual basketball award given by the Atlanta Tipoff Club to the top men's and women's collegiate basketball players. It is named in honor of the inventor of basketball , Dr. James Naismith....
, each a national player of the year award that in the end was awarded to Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes men's basketball
The Lucas Sapp men's basketball team represents The Ohio State University in NCAA Division I college basketball competition. The Buckeyes are a member of the Big Ten Conference. The Buckeyes won their only National Championship in 1960 and have made a total of 21 NCAA Tournament appearances...
's Evan Turner
Evan Turner
Evan Marcel Turner , nicknamed The Villain, is an American basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers. Turner was drafted 2nd overall by the 76ers in the 2010 NBA draft. Turner plays the point guard, shooting guard and small forward positions. Turner is a first-team 2010 NCAA Men's Basketball...
.
Professional career
Doug Gottlieb of ESPN opined in early January 2010 that Scheyer "is probably not an NBA player, but his Jewish faith allows him to get an Israeli passportLaw of Return
The Law of Return is Israeli legislation, passed on 5 July 1950, that gives Jews the right of return and settlement in Israel and gain citizenship...
, and he would be one of the most coveted players EVER for a team like Maccabi Tel Aviv."
David Thorpe
David Thorpe (basketball)
David Thorpe is the Executive Director of the Pro Training Center in Clearwater, Florida. Thorpe, a University of Florida graduate, also works for Scouts, Inc....
, ESPN's resident expert on NBA rookies and noted trainer of NBA prospects, differed with Gottlieb. He noted most NBA teams would benefit by having Scheyer on their team as a sixth man. Chad Ford
Chad Ford
Chad Ford is an Assistant Professor at Brigham Young University – Hawaii and is Director over the McKay Center and is known for his study of conflict resolution with an emphasis on large group ethnic and religious conflict and for his sports journalism with ESPN.-Early life:Ford was born in Kansas...
, ESPN's draft expert, rated Scheyer within the top-60 NBA prospects. Asked in March 2010 whether he feels he can make it in the NBA, Scheyer said he was confident he can.
By early April, most NBA draft analysts had him going somewhere in the second round, but Larry Butler, his former AAU coach with the Illinois Warriors who has also coached Andre Iguodala
Andre Iguodala
Andre Tyler Iguodala is an American professional basketball player who plays small forward for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association . Iguodala is listed at 6 ft 6 in and 207 lbs. . Iguodala played his high school basketball for Lanphier High School in Springfield, Illinois...
, Quentin Richardson
Quentin Richardson
Quentin Richardson is an American professional basketball player who plays for the National Basketball Association's Orlando Magic...
, and Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Wade
Dwyane Tyrone Wade, Jr. nicknamed Flash or D-Wade, is an American professional basketball player for the Miami Heat. Awarded 2006 Sportsman of the Year by Sports Illustrated, Wade has established himself as one of the most well-known and popular players in the league...
, said:
Talking to all my NBA resources in the last couple of weeks, he's moved up the ladder. He could be a late first-round pick. He's shown his toughness, his will to win. He brings all those little intangibles to the table that the elite players do. He's always making the right pass, always making the big shots, always making the big plays, always making his free throws.... The kid is a winner. He's always been a winner.
Eamonn Brennan of ESPN announced the results of his College Basketball Production-Only Mock Draft in late May, meant to indicate how NBA teams would draft if they focused only at how college basketballs players played in college. He ranked Scheyer 6th, saying that as a college player, Scheyer was "ruthlessly effective".
The Chicago Sun Times opined that coaches Phil Jackson
Phil Jackson
Philip Douglas "Phil" Jackson is a retired American professional basketball coach and player. Jackson is widely considered one of the greatest coaches in the history of the National Basketball Association . His reputation was established as head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 1989 through 1998;...
of the Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
and Gregg Popovich
Gregg Popovich
Gregg Popovich is an American basketball coach, and is currently the head coach of the National Basketball Association's San Antonio Spurs. With the resignation of Jerry Sloan as head coach of the Utah Jazz on February 10, 2011, Popovich is the longest tenured coach in the NBA and also the...
of the San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
might value Scheyer's ability to move without the ball, pass, and spot up for jumpers. And one scout pointed to his poise, leadership, feel for the game, threat from the perimeter, smooth stroke, textbook form, and the vital role he played in the championship run, saying Scheyer can hold his own in the NBA and could be a solid backup point guard/no-stats-All-Star similar to Shane Battier.
Scheyer signed with Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports. Scheyer missed the NBA draft combine
Combine
Combine may refer to:* Combine harvester, used in agriculture* Combine car, a type of railway car* Combine , commercial institutions, especially in countries that belonged to the Soviet Bloc* The act of forming a trade union...
in late May and lost 10 pounds as he battled mononucleosis
Mononucleosis
Mononucleosis , is a disease most commonly caused by the Epstein-Barr virus . The EBV virus affects the lymphocytes- white blood cells that battle infections by attacking antibodies. Mononucleosis can also be caused by Cytomegalovirus , a herpes virus most commonly found in body fluids...
, which had him out for approximately three weeks and also forced him to miss his graduation. In June he participated in pre-draft workouts for ten teams, including the Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago, Illinois, playing in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1966. They play their home games at the United Center...
, Los Angeles Lakers
Los Angeles Lakers
The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, Milwaukee Bucks
Milwaukee Bucks
The Milwaukee Bucks are a professional basketball team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. They are part of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was founded in 1968 as an expansion team, and currently plays at the Bradley Center....
, New Jersey Nets
New Jersey Nets
The New Jersey Nets are a professional basketball team based in Newark, New Jersey. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, San Antonio Spurs
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio, Texas. They are part of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association ....
, Utah Jazz
Utah Jazz
The Utah Jazz is a professional basketball team based in Salt Lake City, Utah. They are currently a part of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association...
, Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers, commonly known as the Blazers, are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. They play in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The Trail Blazers originally played their home games in the...
, Sacramento Kings
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are a professional basketball team based in Sacramento, California, United States. They are currently members of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
, and Phoenix Suns
Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns are a professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association and the only team in their division not to be based in California. Their home arena since 1992 has been the US...
. "I've spent more time at airports than with teams", said Scheyer, "but it's such a great opportunity."
The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News
The Dallas Morning News is the major daily newspaper serving the Dallas, Texas area, with a circulation of 264,459 subscribers, the Audit Bureau of Circulations reported in September 2010...
reported in May 2010 that a NBA draft projection of NBADraft.net had the Dallas Mavericks
Dallas Mavericks
The Dallas Mavericks are a professional basketball team based in Dallas, Texas. They are members of the Southwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association , and the reigning NBA champions, having defeated the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals.According to a 2011...
selecting Scheyer with their first pick of the draft (the draft's 50th overall pick). Bleacher Report carried a mock draft article predicting him being drafted 51st by Oklahoma City, and Yahoo carried one predicting he would be drafted 53rd by the Atlanta Hawks
Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are part of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference in the National Basketball Association .-The first years:...
.
Draft Express compared 19 top shooting guards in the draft, on the basis of detailed points-per-possession statistics generated by Synergy Sports Technology
Synergy Sports Technology
Synergy Sports Technology is a technology company that provides a real-time, video-indexing statistical engine and online retrieval platform to the sports and entertainment industry.Its services are used primarily by professional and amateur basketball teams...
. It found that Scheyer ranked as the most efficient overall scorer (at 1.054 PPP). His jump shooting ability when open gave him success in spot-up situations (1.16 PPP), but he also ranked well above average in isolation (.938 PPP; 3rd), and was the most effective pick and roll
Pick and roll
The pick and roll in basketball is an offensive play in which a player sets a screen for a teammate handling the ball and then slips behind the defender to accept a pass...
player on the list (1.16 PPP).
Duke Coach K said he could be a second-round pick,
but I'm not sure if that's even the best thing for [him] because when you're a second-round pick, you belong to a team.... I think it would be better to go to the team that really wants [him] because there will be teams that want [him. He's] going to be [a] good pro.
He was not drafted, however, in the 2010 NBA Draft
2010 NBA Draft
The 2010 NBA Draft was held on June 24, 2010 at the Theatre at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The draft, which started at 7:00 pm Eastern Daylight Time , was broadcast in the United States on ESPN. In this draft, National Basketball Association teams took turns selecting amateur...
. Coach K elaborated on what he had said before the draft: "In the second round, it's better not to be drafted. As soon as the draft is over, if you are good enough, you will be invited by five or six teams, and you will have a chance to choose who you will play summer league ball with. I would be a little bit surprised if [Scheyer is] not on an NBA roster playing next season."
Miami Heat summer league team; Eye injury
Scheyer played on the Miami HeatMiami Heat
The Miami Heat is a professional basketball team based in Miami, Florida, United States. The team is a member of the Southeast Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association . They play their home games at American Airlines Arena in Downtown Miami...
's 19-man 2010 NBA Las Vegas Summer League
NBA Summer League
The NBA Summer League is a period during which NBA teams come together to try out different summer rosters instead of their regular season line-ups. Typically, there is a mix of rookies and some of the younger bench players to see how well some players work with others...
team. He hit the game-winning shot in the team's first game. In the team's second game, however, in mid-July, he was poked in the eye by Golden State's Joe Ingles
Joe Ingles
Joe Ingles is an Australian professional basketball player, currently with Regal FC Barcelona. Joe is in a relationship with Australian Diamonds and Melbourne Vixens netball player, Renae Hallinan. On 17 March 2006, he became the first player to sign with the South Dragons National Basketball...
. He suffered a serious, life-changing right eye injury. He needed five stitches to close a cut to his right eyelid, his eye's optic nerve
Optic nerve
The optic nerve, also called cranial nerve 2, transmits visual information from the retina to the brain. Derived from the embryonic retinal ganglion cell, a diverticulum located in the diencephalon, the optic nerve doesn't regenerate after transection.-Anatomy:The optic nerve is the second of...
was injured, and he suffered a tear in its retina
Retina
The vertebrate retina is a light-sensitive tissue lining the inner surface of the eye. The optics of the eye create an image of the visual world on the retina, which serves much the same function as the film in a camera. Light striking the retina initiates a cascade of chemical and electrical...
, which was re-attached surgically.
Sidelined initially with an eye-patch and incapacitating headaches, he ultimately returned to the court wearing protective goggles to protect his eyes. Maccabi Tel Aviv coach David Blatt
David Blatt
David Blatt is an American-Israeli professional basketball coach, and a former professional basketball player. Today, Blatt is one of the most successful American coaches in European basketball, and is currently the head coach of Maccabi Tel Aviv and Russia national basketball team.-Playing...
also approached Scheyer about playing in Europe.
LA Clippers training camp
On September 22, 2010, Scheyer accepted a training camp invitation with the NBA's Los Angeles ClippersLos Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are a professional basketball team based in Los Angeles, California, United States. They play in the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association...
. Coach Vinny Del Negro
Vinny Del Negro
Vincent Joseph "Vinny" Del Negro is a retired American basketball player. He is the current head coach of the NBA's Los Angeles Clippers, and was the head coach of the Chicago Bulls from 2008 until 2010.-Early life:...
observed:
He just knows how to play, and that's a basketball skill. He's got such a nice feel for the game, and works so hard. There's not much maintenance with him. He doesn't make a lot of mistakes. This is a good chance to take a long look, and see what he can do here.
It was just two months following his serious eye injury, however, and he was not 100%. On October 9, he was waived.
Houston Rockets' D-League team
After taking time off to let his eye heal fully, on February 17, 2011, Scheyer signed a contract with the Rio Grande Valley VipersRio Grande Valley Vipers
The Rio Grande Valley Vipers are a 2007-08 expansion team in the NBA Development League. They play their home games at the State Farm Arena, in Hidalgo, Texas....
, the Houston Rockets
Houston Rockets
The Houston Rockets are an American professional basketball team based in Houston, Texas. The team plays in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference in the National Basketball Association . The team was established in 1967, and played in San Diego, California for four years, before being...
D-League team, which had 16 games left in their season. He had turned down several offers from overseas, and offers from other D-League teams.
Scheyer said his eye had healed from the traumatic injury that he suffered in the NBA Summer League. He wore goggles on the court, but said that he didn't notice them, for the most part. On March 14, he had a D-League career-high 21 points and 7 assists against Sioux Falls Skyforce
Sioux Falls Skyforce
The Sioux Falls Skyforce is a professional basketball team that plays in the NBA Development League. They are based in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, United States. The team plays at the Sioux Falls Arena. The Skyforce began in the CBA in 1989...
, the next night he broke those personal records with 24 points and 8 assists, and four nights later he scored a new career-high 27 points which included five three-pointers. In 24 regular and post-season games, he averaged 13.1 points, 4.0 assists, and 4.0 rebounds as the team finished the season as runner-up in the championship. Coach K said: "He got back on the horse. He did very well.... I'd like to see him go play internationally and be a key guy."
Maccabi Tel Aviv
In June 2011, Scheyer signed a two-year contract worth a reported $450,000 with EuroleagueEuroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
contender Maccabi Tel Aviv, the European league's 2011 runner-up and five-time champion. Maccabi Tel Aviv was 26–1 in 2010–11, and includes NBA guard Jordan Farmar
Jordan Farmar
Jordan Robert Farmar is an American professional basketball point guard for Maccabi Tel Aviv of the Israeli Basketball Super League and Euroleague. He is also under contract with the New Jersey Nets, and is expected to return to the team after the 2011 NBA lockout ends.In high school, he was the...
and former American college players Richard Hendrix
Richard Hendrix
Venard Richard Hendrix is an American professional basketball player. Currently he plays for Euroleague team Maccabi Tel Aviv.Hendrix attended the University of Alabama, where he played for the Crimson Tide...
(Alabama), Shawn James
Shawn James
Shawn James is an American professional basketball player. He is currently with Maccabi Tel Aviv, for whom he plays the center and forward positions.-Basketball career:...
(Duquesne), and David Blu (University of Southern California). He began playing for Maccabi Tel Aviv when its season started on October 1, 2011.
The team is limited to no more than four players who are non-Israeli, but because Scheyer is Jewish he had the ability to obtain Israeli citizenship relatively quickly, and did so in September 2011. As an Israeli citizen, Scheyer does not count towards that limit. "I am really excited to take the next step in my basketball career and go play for Maccabi Tel Aviv," said Scheyer. "I am looking forward to the opportunity to play for a team with such great tradition."
Awards
High School- 3x Illinois All-State First Team selection
- 2x GatoradeGatoradeGatorade is a brand of sports-themed food and beverage products, built around its signature product: a line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo, distributed in over 80 countries...
Illinois Player of the Year (2005 & 2006) - 2x Illinois Hoops Player of the Year (2005 & 2006)
- 2006 Illinois Mr. BasketballIllinois Mr. BasketballEach year the Illinois Mr. Basketball award is given to the person chosen as the best high school boys basketball player in the U.S. state of Illinois....
- 2006 Illinois Prep Bullseye Player of the Year
- 2006 Chicago Sun-TimesChicago Sun-TimesThe Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
Player of the Year - 2006 McDonald's All-American (first Jewish-American
named to team) - 2006 Michael JordanMichael JordanMichael Jeffrey Jordan is a former American professional basketball player, active entrepreneur, and majority owner of the Charlotte Bobcats...
All-American - 2006 PARADEParade (magazine)Parade is an American nationwide Sunday newspaper magazine, distributed in more than 500 newspapers in the United States. It was founded in 1941 and is owned by Advance Publications. The most widely read magazine in the U.S., Parade has a circulation of 32.2 million and a readership of nearly 70...
All-American - 2006 OlympicOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
Junior National Team - 2000–09 ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
Illinois Prep All-Decade First Team - Named one of 100 Legends of Illinois Basketball (1908–2007)
by Illinois High School AssociationIllinois High School AssociationThe Illinois High School Association is one of 521 state high school associations in the United States, designed to regulate competition in most interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level. It is a charter member of the National Federation of State High...
College
- 4x ACC Player of the Week
- 3x ACCAtlantic Coast ConferenceThe Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
2006–07 Rookie of the Week - 2x All-ACC Tournament First Team (2009 & 2010)
- 2007 ACC All-Freshman Team
- 2009 ACC Tournament MVP
- 2009 ACC Academic Honor Roll
- 2009 NITNational Invitation TournamentThe National Invitation Tournament is a men's college basketball tournament operated by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. There are two NIT events each season. The first, played in November and known as the Dick's Sporting Goods NIT Season Tip-Off , was founded in 1985...
Season Tip-Off Tournament MVP - 2009 (December 14–20), USBWA Oscar Robertson
National Player of the Week - 2009–10 Wooden All-American
- 2010 Lowe’s Senior All-American First Team
- 2009–10 APAssociated PressThe Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
All-America Second Team - 2009–10 NABCNational Association of Basketball CoachesThe National Association of Basketball Coaches , headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, is an American organization of college men's basketball coaches...
All-America Second Team - 2009–10 Sporting News All-America Second Team
- 2009–10 USBWA All-America Second Team
- 2009–10 All-ACC First Team
- 2009–10 NABC All-District team
- 2009–10 USBWA All-District team
- 2010 NCAA South All-Regional Team
- 2010 NCAA All-Final Four Team
- 2010 NABC Senior Achievement Award
Hall of Fame
Scheyer, who is Jewish, was a 2006 Inductee into the National Jewish Sports Hall of Fame. Jonah KeriJonah Keri
Jonah Keri is a Canadian journalist, sportswriter and an editor. He is also a New York Times bestselling author.-Early life and education:...
wrote for ESPN in 2007: "Scheyer, is an honest-to-goodness M.O.T. If he continues to develop his Redick Lite repertoire, he could eventually become one of the all-time great Jewish basketball stars, right there with Dolph Schayes
Dolph Schayes
Adolph "Dolph" Schayes is a retired American professional basketball player and coach in the NBA. A top scorer and rebounder, he was a member of the 1955 NBA champion Syracuse Nationals and a 12-time All-Star....
..."
See also
- 2006 high school boys basketball All-Americans2006 high school boys basketball All-AmericansAn All-American team is an honorary sports team that is generally composed of the best amateur players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply "All-Americans". The term is used in...
- 2009–10 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team2009–10 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball teamThe 2009–10 Duke Blue Devils men's basketball team represented Duke University in the 2009–10 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. Led by Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski, the Blue Devils won the 2010 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament, claiming the school's fourth national title.Duke led...
- 2010 NCAA Men's Basketball All-Americans2010 NCAA Men's Basketball All-AmericansAn All-American team is an honorary sports team composed of the best amateur players of a specific season for each team position—who in turn are given the honorific "All-America" and typically referred to as "All-American athletes", or simply "All-Americans". Although the honorees generally do not...
- List of select Jewish basketball players
External links
- Duke University Bio
- Scheyer at ESPNESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
- 100 Legends of the IHSAIllinois High School AssociationThe Illinois High School Association is one of 521 state high school associations in the United States, designed to regulate competition in most interscholastic sports and some interscholastic activities at the high school level. It is a charter member of the National Federation of State High...
Boys Basketball Tournament - Highlight videos
- Jewish Sports bio
- http://www.findarticles.com/p/search?tb=art&qt=%22Jon+Scheyer%2C+Glenbrook+North%22A series of articles written by Scheyer for the player diary for the Chicago Sun-TimesChicago Sun-TimesThe Chicago Sun-Times is an American daily newspaper published in Chicago, Illinois. It is the flagship paper of the Sun-Times Media Group.-History:The Chicago Sun-Times is the oldest continuously published daily newspaper in the city...
] - Prince, A.W., "Meet the Superb Jon Scheyer," August 4, 2004
- Rise player profile, April 10, 2005
- "Scheyer, Collins have Special Bond", Charlotte News & Observer, February 25, 2007
- Tysiac, Ken, "Scheyer a natural leader," Charlotte News & Observer, March 18, 2009
- archive at Chicago TribuneChicago TribuneThe Chicago Tribune is a major daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, and the flagship publication of the Tribune Company. Formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" , it remains the most read daily newspaper of the Chicago metropolitan area and the Great Lakes region and is...
- Summer league stats
- ג'ון שייר ברוך הבא למכבי - Jon Scheyer Welcome To Maccabi