Jai Lucas gives Duke fresh perspective
Jail Lucas comes from outside the Duke Brotherhood bringing a fresh perspective, but also as someone part of a exclusive group of young coaches with the complete package.
Jai Lucas has been touted for his ability to recruit. He’s noted for his uncanny ability to connect with players. He’s also been praised for his skills as an on-court coach.
By all accounts, Lucas is the complete package.
The response to his announcement that he was leaving Kentucky just reinforces that notion. Sure people around the Kentucky program were not happy that he left Big Blue Nation for the hated Blue Devils, but the deepest cut comes because Lucas is good — very good — at what he does.
And those that follow Kentucky closely know it, and that’s perhaps what hurts most.
Duke fans certainly shared some hurt when Nolan Smith left for Louisville. But that scenario was different. Smith was returning to the place his late father shined and vowed to coach at before his life was cut short.
Smith was fulfilling a dream his father had while also finding a way to connect more deeply with his memory.
Duke fans were sad. They weren’t angry.
Here’s the thing for the Blue Devils: Jon Scheyer made a huge hire with Lucas. He shares many of the traits Smith exemplifies and will be star on the Duke bench this year and beyond.
The hire for Scheyer was a bold one, though. Not because he rocked the boat in Lexington with the hire, but because he did something that hasn’t been done in quite some time — hired from outside the family.
“He’s not afraid of rocking the boat a little bit to go with his vision and what he sees,” Lucas said.
That fact is not lost on anyone and certainly not Lucas.
“It’s a big thing,” Lucas said of Scheyer’s move to hire outside of the Duke Brotherhood. “It’s never been done, but it just shows that he’s in the right seat and the right situation to do it because he’s trying to find a way to continue to advance Duke to be more. It’s already been built on a great foundation by Coach K and he’s trying to find a way to make it his own and take it to the next step.
“I think that just goes to show how serious he is about the job and how committed he is to the University and to the program.”
“He’s going to bring great value working with our guards.” — Chris Carrawell on Jai Lucas
Scheyer knew that when Smith left, he had a big hole to fill on the staff. Smith was a larger than life presence in the locker room and away from the basketball court in Durham.
How do you fill that void?
It’s not an easy task. Young, vibrant, grounded, high character, talented and knowledgeable coaches don’t grow on trees. Sure there are many throughout the country that check some of the boxes, but it’s a pretty exclusive club when it comes to those that check all the boxes.
If Scheyer wanted to meet all of the standards the program received from Smith, he knew casting a wider net might be necessary.
“His experience at 33 that he’s had in the game of basketball and as a coach — it’s incredible what he’s done,” Scheyer said. “[He’s been at] high-level schools at Texas and Kentucky. He’s been ops, he’s been an assistant coach, he’s worked on offense, he’s worked on defense, he’s been a great recruiter. He checks all the boxes.
“Naturally, you’re seeing him on the road, but I’ve gotten to know him definitely on a deeper level recently. The more that I got to know him, the more I came away impressed with not just what a great coach he is, but who he is and what he stands for as a person.”
Lucas is heralded for his work with guards. T.J. Walker, a sports broadcaster and writer who covers Kentucky, told BCH following his hiring, that there’s no doubt he’ll be extremely valuable for the Blue Devils backcourt.
Walker made it clear that he expects Lucas to continue the work Smith started and take the Duke guards to another level.
Duke associate head coach Chris Carrawell also spoke to that notion.
“He’s going to bring great value working with our guards,” Carrawell said. “He can do it all.”
As noteworthy as Lucas’ skills are as an on-court coach and with X’s and O’s, it’s his ability to connect with players and form relationships that stands out above everything.
Lucas is as genuine of a person as you’ll find in college sports. It’s evident the moment you meet him. He’s engaging, attentive and present, while also showing an ability to connect with just about anyone he comes in contact with.
That’s perhaps where Lucas is most valuable.
Smith was that type of coach. He built strong relationships with his players. He led by example by stepping out into the community — at Duke, within the city of Durham and outside its borders.
Lucas is the same type of person and coach.
“It really starts with the relationship,” Lucas said when speaking of his ability to relate to his players. That’s how you build it — time spent. You have to spend time with them. Of course, you’re going to spend time on the court going through all your basketball stuff, but the biggest time is off the court. You can connect on a different level. They see you differently — bringing them over to the house, having them around your family.
“Things like that build on the relationship, then you have to go from there. A big part of it is you have to be reliable and you have to be there for them. Not just when it’s going good, but also when things are going bad because everybody’s going to have some type of scenario, situation, or something happen in the season where it doesn’t go great. They have to know you’re in their corner with them no matter what.”
Ultimately, for Duke and Scheyer, relationship building might be the most critical component for his first year as head coach.
Certainly Carrawell, Amile Jefferson and Scheyer, himself, all have the ability to connect with players. It’s a strength of this staff — even with the departure of Smith and before the arrival of Lucas.
But, with Lucas on board, Scheyer might just have snagged one of the best at it in the nation.
One thing seems certain — the Duke fanbase will love Lucas and embrace him as if he were always a part of the Brotherhood.