As Duke Won At Syracuse Saturday Night 77-55 Duke Improved To 3-6 Away From Cameron Indoor Stadium As Jon Scheyer Is Coaching Inaugural Season As Duke Head Coach

Duke University's Cameron Indoor Stadium, the crown jewel of college basketball's classic venues, has become one of the most formidable environments for visiting teams. The Blue Devils have called the iconic venue home for 80 years and have won nearly 85 percent of the games on its hallowed hardwood.

More than a few of those victories have been influenced by the electric atmosphere within its Gothic halls.

Legend has it that it all began with a book of matches, which for a town and a school founded on local tobacco fortunes, seems a promising way to start.

It was on the cover of a book of matches that Eddie Cameron and Wallace Wade first sketched out the plan for Duke's Indoor Stadium in 1935. The story may be a myth (the matchbook has never been found), but then the Indoor Stadium that emerged from those first scribblings lends itself to the propagation of myths.

For more than seven decades, spectators, players and coaches have understood the unique magic of the Indoor Stadium. The building was dedicated to longtime Duke Athletic Director and basketball coach Eddie Cameron, a legend in his own right, on January 22, 1972. An unranked Duke team upset then third-ranked North Carolina, 76-74, after Robby West drove the length of the court to hit a pull-up jumper to win the game.

It's the intimacy of the arena, the unique seating arrangement that puts the wildest fans right down on the floor with the players. It's the legends that were made there, the feeling of history being made with every game. And it's something more than either of these, something indescribable that comes from the building itself. No one who has experienced it will ever forget it.

The Building
Whether or not the matchbook story is true, it is a fact that the official architectural plans for the Stadium were drawn up by the Philadelphia firm of Horace Trumbauer, Architect. Trumbauer was a self-made man, a poor boy who left school at 16 to apprentice himself as a draftsman to a local architect. In 1890, at the age of 22, he opened his own office and quickly rose to prominence in the Northeast. His designs for the mansions and estates of wealthy northeastern magnates brought him to the attention of James Buchanan Duke, North Carolina tobacco baron. Duke commissioned the architect to design his New York town home during the early part of the century.

In 1924, when Duke created the $40 million Duke Endowment that turned Trinity College into Duke University, he called on Trumbauer to design the new University Campus.

In recent years it has come to light that the plans for the campus, as well as designs for later buildings including the stadium, were drawn up not by Trumbauer himself (although his name appeared on all the blueprints) but by his chief designer, Julian Abele, one of the nation's first black architects. Abele, a brilliant architecture student at the University of Pennsylvania, was brought to Trumbauer's attention shortly after his graduation in 1902. Trumbauer was so impressed with Abele's talents that he not only hired him but paid his way through the prestigious Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris. Abele stands as the first African-American ever to graduate from the school.

The original design for the Indoor Stadium was significantly less grand than the one from which the building was actually constructed. That first plan called for 5,000 basketball "sittings," and even that number was considered extravagant, at least by Trumbauer, who originally had proposed 4,000 seats. In a letter to Dr. William P. Few, President of Duke, Trumbauer said: "For your information Yale has in its new gymnasium a basket ball (sic) court with settings for 1,600 ... I think the settings for 8,000 people is rather liberal ... the Palestra at the University of Pennsylvania seats 9,000."

The original building was a domed structure with 16-feet steel ceiling spans and a 90-by 45-foot playing court. Obviously, Dr. Few must have insisted on something more spectacular.

As important as the size of the Stadium was its external appearance. It was vital that the building be aesthetically integrated with the original West Campus buildings. For this reason, building stone was taken from the Duke quarry in nearby Hillsborough, N.C., where all the stone for the original campus had been found.

Building on the Stadium proceeded quickly. The stone had to be laid in temperate weather, for in extremely cold temperatures, the mortar would freeze. The building was finished in nine months.

Thus the Stadium was ready to be opened by the first of the new year, 1940. The final cost: $400,000 (which Duke finished paying after the football team won the Sugar Bowl in 1945).

The Dedication
Duke's new Indoor Stadium was officially opened on January 6, 1940. Touring the building before the evening ceremony and subsequent game, local city officials were "speechless." Said Chamber of Commerce President Col. Marion B. Fowler, "It is so colossal and so wonderful ... This building will not only be an asset to the university but to the entire community as well." Chamber Secretary Frank Pierson concurred, "There are no superlatives for it."

But Duke's Indoor Stadium was a structure of superlatives. The arena measured 262-feet long by 175-feet wide and was the East Coast's largest indoor stadium south of the Palestra in Philadelphia. Nine fixed steel frames spanned the ceiling at 26-foot intervals, which "provided an exceptionally good sight line." Seating for 8,800 included 3,500 folding bleacher seats on the floor designated, then as today, for the exclusive use of undergraduates. Maximum capacity was 12,000. A total of 16 ramps in the upper level helped prevent bottlenecks. It was according to the program issued the opening night, "one of the most modern and complete physical education buildings in the country."

The building was dedicated before a crowd of 8,000, the largest ever in the history of southern basketball. President William P. Few and Dean William H. Wannamaker presented the Stadium to the University. Dean R.B. House of UNC-Chapel Hill, representing the Southern Conference, also spoke. Aware of the tensions his presence as a member of a rival institution might cause, House affirmed, "I am a Methodist. I aspire to religion, I endorse erudition, and I use ... tobacco ... Hence, I claim to have good personal grounds for being a friend and well-wisher of Duke University." House continued: "... here will be on parade not only Duke University, but also ... youth ... education ... (and) the values of a great and democratic people. Modern games preserve for us the athletic glory of Greece, the executive efficiency of Rome ...."

To the greater glory of Greece, Rome, and particularly Duke University, the Blue Devils beat the visiting Princeton Tigers that night, 36-27.

Renovations
It was in February, 1986, that NBC Sports commentator Dick Enberg told the world about the latest planned renovations for Cameron. "They're going to make a real sports antique out of it ... complete with brass railings and stained glass windows."

For Duke athletic officials watching the Sunday afternoon broadcast of the Duke-Georgia Tech game, this was certainly news. Planned renovations did not, as some rumors indicated, include stained glass windows, but there was a major facelift being planned which included new side walls, a new electronic scoreboard and even brass railings.

Renovations began in 1987. The lobbies and concourse were remodeled during the summer of 1987. Then, in 1988, work began on the interior of the arena. A new electronic scoreboard, new sound system and decorative wood paneling gave Cameron an updated look, while maintaining the original elegance. The addition of 750 new student seats, increasing Cameron's capacity to 9,314, gave the Cameron Crazies, the Duke students who have made a name for themselves as Duke's exceptional "sixth man," a little more room to practice the art of supporting their team creatively.

In the early 1990s, Mike Krzyzewski and Athletic Director Tom Butters decided the time was right to give Cameron an addition with new locker rooms, coaches offices, an academic center and a new Sports Hall of Fame. Several years later, ground was broken for the new Schwartz-Butters Athletic Center after the end of the 1997-98 season. That complex now houses the men's and women's basketball programs, as well as Duke's athletic academic center.

The first part of that expansion and improvement project was the installation of a new floor in Cameron Indoor Stadium after the 1996-97 season. The latest advancements in floor technology were utilized to give the Blue Devils one of the finest playing surfaces in the entire country. Prior to the 1999-2000 season, a new press row was added. Air conditioning was added in 2001-02 and for its 100th season in 2004-05, the concourse was enhanced to celebrate Duke's tradition in men's and women's basketball with the addition of poster displays and all the banners were replaced in the rafters.

Cameron underwent a series of improvements over the summer of 2009 to enhance the gameday experience, while also retaining the revered qualities of the facility as it approached its 70th year as the home of the Blue Devils. 

New press row tables were added to include LED technology, while the upper bowl of Cameron saw all 5,649 seats painted Duke blue. Each of the distinctive brass railings that surround the arena were refurbished prior to the beginning of the 2009-10 basketball season.

In 2016, a two-story addition measuring 14,200 square feet came online on Cameron's south side. The first floor features a new lobby and exhibit space, as well as two new areas for ticket operations. The second floor of the new addition houses the Champions Club, a hospitality space with a capacity of roughly 250.

Today
Originally the largest indoor arena in the South, Cameron is today one of the smallest in the nation. Nevertheless, its stature grows from year-to-year. Sellout crowds, top 25 rankings and championships of every variety have become the norm. The "creative harassment" of student spectators has given Duke the honor of being known as "one of the toughest road games in the USA," according to USA Today and any visiting team that has ever played in Cameron. In its June 7, 1999, issue, Sports Illustrated rated Cameron Indoor Stadium fourth on a list of the top 20 sporting venues in the world in the 20th Century, ranking ahead of such notables as Wrigley Field, Fenway Park and Pebble Beach Golf Club. 

The Blue Devils have had an amazing amount of success in Cameron. In 1999-2000, Duke established both the Atlantic Coast Conference and school record by extending its home winning streak to 46 games.

Despite the changes that have taken place, Cameron Indoor Stadium has remained very much the same over the last 70+ years. New seating, high tech electronics and a fresh coat of paint have not altered, but rather enhanced, Cameron's most enduring characteristic ... its spirit. It is still a building of superlatives.

“According to article on goduke.com”

As Duke won at Syracuse Saturday night 77-55 Duke improved to 3-6 away from Cameron Indoor Stadium as Jon Scheyer is coaching inaugural season as Duke Head Coach.

As won at Syracuse Saturday night 77-55 as Duke improved to 3-6 away from Cameron Indoor Stadium as Jon Scheyer is coaching inaugural season as Duke Head Coach Mark Mitchell was 4-8 on field goals , 0-1 on 3 pointers to go along with 1 rebound , 5 assists, 8 points . Kyle Filipowski was 5-11 on field goals , 2-3 on 3 pointers to go along with 12 rebounds , 2 assists, 14 points. Dereck Lively II was 3-4 on field goals to go along with 8 rebounds , 3 assists, 6 points . Tyrese Proctor was 3-5 on field goals , 2-4 on 3 pointers to go along 2 rebounds, 6 assists , 8 points . Jeremy Roach was 6-10 on field goals , 3-7 on 3 pointers to go along with 2 rebounds , 3 assists. 17 points . Dariq Whitehead was 5-7 on field goals , 4-6 on 3 pointers to go along with 1 rebound, 3 assists , 14 points. Though, Kale Catchings played 1 minute he was 0-1 on field goals , 0-0 on 3 pointers to go along with 0 rebounds, 0 assists , 0 points. Though, Christian Reeves played 1 minute he was 0-0 field goals, 3 pointers to go along 0 rebounds, 0 assists , 0 points . Ryan Young was 2-3 on field goals to go along with 2 rebounds, 4 points. Jaden Schutt was 1-1 on field goals , 1-1 on 3 pointers to go along with 2 rebounds , 3 points . Though, Jaylen Blakes played 3 minutes he was 0-0 on field goals, 3 pointers to go along 1 rebound, 0 points . Though, Max Johns played 1 minute was 0-0 on field goals, 3 pointers to go along with 1 rebound. Jacob Grandison was 1-5 on field goals, 1-4 on 3 pointers to go along with 2 rebounds, 3 points.

“According to espnapp”

Following Duke’s win at Syracuse Saturday night via score of 77-55, Duke improving to 3-6 away from Cameron Indoor Stadium as Jon Scheyer is coaching inaugural season as Duke Head Coach Jon Scheyer had this to say for his opening statement. On what key was to being more efficient. On how Duke attacked the zone during 21-2 first half run. On what the conversation was with his shooters and if it was a normal game. On playing in front of 30,00 how it prepares the team for future games on the road. On Dariq Whitehead ‘s performance. On how Tyrese Proctor responded going up against Joe Girard.

“That was a great win for our team. Thought our defense really carried the day for us. It’s an honor for me to coach against Jim Boeheim. I’ve been at a lot of dinners where Coach Boeheim, Coach K, myself, a lot of memories. Just picking his brain and he’s been one of the all-time great coaches. For us, like I said, our defense. Tyrese [Proctor], the job that he did on [Joe] Girard was big-time. Dereck [Lively II] is such a difference maker protecting our basket. He just really is. I don’t think there’s anybody quite like him in the country. Mark [Mitchell], he just had a really good overall game. I could go on about each guy that played for us tonight. It was a great collective effort. Once we stopped turning the ball over, we were able to stretch the lead there. And that was a big key to the game there. Really happy for our group. We have to turn around quick now, for Monday. But happy to get this win against a good Syracuse team.”“I thought overall we just made the right play and shared it. I don’t think it’s more complicated than that. We didn’t do anything crazy on offense in terms of X-and-O wise. But it was more about playing fundamentally sound. When we left our feet or we just made passes without moving it, they turned the ball over. And look, in the first half, 15 of their 27 points were off turnovers. That was the difference to the game. And you come out in the second half, you only have two turnovers until the final two minutes, we made that adjustment. Proud of our group for doing that in-game. And also, this is our first time seeing their zone. Their zone is different. They have really good athletes. They anticipate well. They have active hands. So once we got accustomed to their zone, I thought we settled in and just made some really nice plays.“Well, one, we get out in transition. And when you can do that, that makes your life easy. We made good decisions there. And then just being poised. It looks easier than it is when you catch the ball in the middle of their zone. I actually thought Mark did a really nice job in there. Just had great poise, making the right plays. And then attacking the basket when we had the opportunity to doing that. But really it came down to sharing it, playing aggressively and getting out in transition.”“For us, still wanted to play to our identity. And that’s inside-out. Our threes, for the most part, came from getting the ball inside. And so, when you’re open, we have good shooters. We just don’t’ have guys that are flying off screens, shooting the ball, turning. But when they’re open, they can really hit. So, I thought we did a great job of having the balance. 13-of-26, ofcourse, I think the percentage reflectsthe quality of shot that we took. And that’s what it’s about for us. Not about a quantity, but more about what’s the quality, in terms of what’s the right shot that we’re getting. Open threes, we’ll take those. So, did a good job of that.”It’s probably the necessary next step for our team. Early we had some really rough performances on the road. And really since that point, even in January, we’re right there. We’ve either been leading or it’s a one-possession game down the stretch, except for the game at Miami. Besides that, we’ve been right there. For us, just to put a whole game together and you handle those key moments – end of the half I thought was the one point we let them go, I think it was a 6-0 run, we let them get back in it a bit. But besides that, just kept our foot on the gas and learned from our past mistakes and past experiences. And we’ll have to continue to do that moving forward.”“Dariq had a great game. He’s got a great offensive groove right now. His shooting and scoring, his passing, he comes in and we just go up. And they really challenged him early in this game on the defensive end. I thought there were a couple playsthere he could make. To hiscredit, he really responded. He can really guard. When you have him and Mark [Mitchell] on the floor, they can guard one-through-four at times. So, their versatility is key. Dariq has done such a better job just on both ends. His contributions to winning, throughout, I was really pleased with.”He did incredible. [Girard] got his points, outside of one Tyrese fouled him, besides that, he got his points when other guys were on him. I thought he was incredibly disciplined. He’s put together some big-time defensive performances back-to-back-to-back. It’s a credit to his growth. He’s tough as can be on that end. And on offense, it just was one of those nights. He had six assists; he only took five shots but he was 3-of-5. Just had a really good, here’s a floor general for us. Just really controlled the game. And then defended one of the best scorers in the league and limited him, even though I know he ended up with 21.

Though,

Jon Scheyer wasn’t the only Head Coach to share his thoughts as Duke won at Syracuse Saturday night 77-55 following Duke improving to 3-6 away from Cameron Indoor Stadium as Syracuse Head Coach Jim Boeheim did as well sharing his opening statement on if he was surprised by performance Syracuse on what wasn’t working during Duke’s 21-2 run in first half.

Defensively today, they just doubled and pushed. And were just physical with Jesse [Edwards] down inside. That’s something he’s had problems with. And we need him, obviously, to be a factor on the offensive end. Judah [Mintz] and Joe [Girard] did what they could. We just got no help from the three position. We tried four different people there but we could get nothing going at that position. But the bottom line, Jesse has to be able to score for us to be effective. Our defense wasn’t’ really that bad. There were spots, we had that one bad run, and it got to 19. But then we started playing better, we got it back to nine. But we justcould not score enough. You’re not going to win games scoring 55 points. And again, a lot of that is Duke. They’re really good defensively. Physical. And just took our inside game completely away. We had nothing there. And really, we made some pretty good steals, we probably got 10, 12 points off steals. We probably really scored 45 points in our offense. The rest were, made some good steals defensively. But we just have to be able to score inside to be able to be in this game. And we couldn’t. But again, a lot of that is their defenses was very good.”“I didn’t think that they’d be able to stop Jesse like that. I really didn’t. But they kept him outside the lane and he just couldn’t get to where he could get his shot. And when he did, he just couldn’t finish in there.”“Well, even at the beginning, our offense wasn’t good. We were just playing defense and we got two or three steals for buckets. Our offense never was working, in reality. Judah made some really good individual plays but we never got anything going as a group with our interior players. Our threes, fours and fives, I think we were 0-for-8 with Justin [Taylor] and Chris [Bell] and Maliq [Brown] really couldn’t score. And Jesse couldn’t score. So, we just couldn’t score in there and that’s a credit to their defense being physical. But we never did score the whole game.

“According to article on go duke.com”

Duke now has a 48 hour turnaround to prepare for a game as they host Louisville Monday for Big Monday that is going to be televised on ESPN.

As Duke host Louisville for Big Monday that is going to be televised on ESPN former Duke teammates Jon Scheyer, Nolan Smith who were given keys to car (referring to the offense) by now retired Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski who coached together at Duke are opposing each other for inaugural time.

From 2007-2010 Jon Scheyer, Nolan Smith were teammates they were given the keys to car ( referring to the offense. )

As players for Duke for former Duke Head Coach now retired Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski Jon Scheyer was one of the most versatile players in Duke history, concluding his playing career as the only player in school history to record at least 2,000 points, 500 rebounds, 400 assists, 250 three-point field goals and 200 steals. He averaged 14.4 points per game while scoring in double figures 114 times (sixth-most in Duke history) and leading the Blue Devils to a 115-29 (.799) record.

A two-time team captain, Scheyer scored 2,077-career points and still ranks 10th on Duke’s all-time scoring list. He ranks third in Duke history in free throws made (608), fourth in free throw percentage (.861) and three-point field goals made (297) and sixth in free throw attempts (706). He played in 144 consecutive games, tied for the second-longest streak in Duke history.

As a senior in 2010, Jon Scheyer averaged 18.2 points, 4.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game from the point guard position to spark Duke to a 35-5 record and its fourth national championship. He was a consensus second-team All-American and a first-team All-ACC pick in his final season after starting all 40 contests and scoring in double figures in all but two games on the year.

Jon Scheyer was named MVP of the ACC Tournament as a junior in 2009, averaging 21.7 points and 4.0 rebounds as Duke took home the title.

As a player for Duke for retired Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski Nolan Smith was a consensus first-team All-American and ACC Player of the Year in 2011, Smith helped lead Duke to three consecutive ACC championships (2009-11) and the 2010 NCAA title in his four seasons (2007-11).  The two-time All-ACC selection (2010-11) led the ACC in scoring as a senior (20.6 points per game) when he was team captain and the 2011 ACC Tournament MVP.  His 764 points that year is the ninth-highest total in program history.
 
He helped Duke achieve the 2010 NCAA Championship while earning Most Outstanding Player honors at the NCAA South Regional in Houston and All-Final Four Team accolades in Indianapolis.  The Upper Marlboro, Md., native ranks 17th on Duke’s career scoring chart with 1,911 points as Duke posted a combined 121-22 record, the fifth-most victories for a player at Duke and sixth in ACC history.  Duke had a collective 65-2 record (.970) at Cameron Indoor Stadium in his career there to set program records for both home wins and winning percentage in a four-year period.

As coaches at Duke,

Jon Scheyer was a Special Assistant in 2013-2014 .As an Assistant Coach from 2014-2018 where he helped mentor Tyus Jones in Duke’s 2015 national title season, as the Blue Devils finished the year ranked third nationally in adjusted offensive efficiency. Jones was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player in Indianapolis and was a first-round pick in the 2015 NBA Draft after just one college season. 

In 2017, Jon Scheyer helped mold Luke Kennard into a consensus All-American after a breakout sophomore season that saw him rank second in the ACC in scoring and three-point field goal percentage. He also helped develop Frank Jackson into one of the most dynamic young guards in the country during the 2016-17 campaign. Kennard and Jackson were selected 12th and 31st overall, respectively, in the 2017 NBA Draft.

After Grayson Allen finished his career in 2018 as the 12th-leading scorer in Duke history with 1,996 points, he was drafted in the first round by the Utah Jazz. Allen joined Scheyer as two of just five Blue Devils in history with 1,900 or more points, 400 or more rebounds and 400 or more assists (Grant Hill, Danny Ferry, Johnny Dawkins).

The 2019 campaign saw Tyus’ brother Tre enjoy a breakout year as a freshman by setting the program’s single-season record for assist-to-turnover ratio (3.62), while establishing himself as one of the nation’s premier defensive players. Jones’ classmate, RJ Barrett, finished his remarkable freshman season as a consensus first-team All-American, the USA Today National Player of the Year and the overall No. 3 selection in the NBA Draft.

Under Jon Scheyer’s guidance, the younger Jones parlayed his phenomenal freshman season into a decorated sophomore campaign that ended with him as the 2020 ACC Player of the Year, the ACC Defensive Player of the Year, and an All-American. After two seasons as Duke’s starting point guard, Jones declared for the NBA Draft, leaving Duke as the program’s career record-holder in assist-to-turnover ratio (2.88) and ranking third in assists per game (5.8).

Throughout the 2021-22 season, Jon Scheyer worked closely with ACC Freshman of the Year and consensus second-team All-American Paolo Banchero. He also helped guide second-team All-ACC pick Wendell Moore Jr., into performing as one of the nation’s most complete players. Moore capped his season winning the Julius Erving Award as the nation’s best small forward.

Paolo Banchero became the Blue Devils’ record fifth overall No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft when the Orlando Magic called his name on draft night. Banchero was the first of a record five Blue Devils drafted in 2022, including four in the first round. In Scheyer’s time at Duke, he has helped mentor 26 Blue Devils to be drafted – 20 being first round selections

“According to Jon Scheyer’s biography on goduke.com”

Before being named Head Coach of Duke on June 4th, 2023 according to Go Duke The Magazine Issue 14.4.

Nolan Smith was a Special Assistant for now retired Duke Head Coach Mike Krzyzewski from 2016-2018, Director Of Basketball Operations, Player Development from 2018-2021 for before joining Kenny Payne coaching staff at Louisville as an Assistant Coach.

“According to Nolan Smith biography on gocards.com”