There’s no place like home, even if that means going into enemy territory to make the necessary adjustments. Jon Scheyer and Duke added Durham roots – hiring Jai Lucas, whose father John Lucas is a Bull City legend, to their coaching staff Friday.
Jai Lucas, who was apart of the coaching staff with John Calipari at Kentucky, played college hoops for the Florida Gators and Texas Longhorns. Lucas was one of the top recruiting coordinators in the country while at Kentucky – recruiting Wildcats stars, TyTy Washington, Shaedon Sharpe and Daimion Collins to name a few per 247 Sports.
The move may come as a surprise to many, who assumed Scheyer would stay within the Duke ranks to replace Nolan Smith, but this change opens the door for similar moves down the line. According to ESPN’s Jeff Borzello, the coaching hire is believed to be the first one outside of the Duke family since Tim O’Toole joined the staff in 1995.