How Duke's Jon Scheyer filled the biggest shoes of all: 'That speaks volumes for him'

Being the guy to replace the guy — no matter the industry, but particularly in coaching — is one of the less desirable tasks because there's always huge shoes to fill. You could argue there were none bigger than Mike Krzyzewski's, which Jon Scheyer filled when he took over for Duke at age 34 and became the youngest high-major head coach in the country in the process.

Inside the Alamodome this week, Scheyer wears a smile on his face. He has answered the bell in every way in his three seasons, boasting an 89-21 record and taking the program to its first Final Four since Krzyzewski’s final year with the Blue Devils. What's more, Duke is the favorite to win its first national championship since 2015.

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With the No. 1-ranked recruiting class in two of the past three years and again next season — headlined by twins Cameron and Cayden Boozer, the sons of former Duke and NBA star Carlos Boozer — Scheyer has continued to operate in the upper echelons of the recruiting game with Duke clearly at the top.

You name it, and Scheyer has done it in resounding fashion. Houston head coach Kelvin Sampson might have said it best in his Thursday press conference ahead of Saturday night’s showdown (8:49 p.m. ET).

"I'll tell you how good Jon Scheyer has been," said Sampson, who has led the Cougars to their second Final Four in five years. "Nobody talks about him replacing Coach K anymore. He's Jon Scheyer. He's got his team in the Final Four. I think that speaks volumes for him. I have a ton of respect for him."

FOX Sports caught up with Scheyer for an exclusive 1-on-1 ahead of the Duke's Final Four tilt.

This is a stage you’ve been on before as a