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Jon Scheyer speaks out after DA denies Duke HC's allegations

Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer. Rob Kinnan-Imagn Images

Jon Scheyer speaks out after district attorney denies claims about UNC court-storming: 'I know what I saw'

By Andrew Kulha | Last updated Feb 17, 2026 10:06 PM ET

Duke Blue Devils head coach Jon Scheyer doesn't want to get into it, but he also wants you to know that he's fully capable of getting into it.

Scheyer is still a bit miffed about the aftermath of Duke's 71-68 loss to the North Carolina Tar Heels in early February.

It's not so much the result, though it stings anytime you lose to your biggest rival. Moreso, Scheyer was upset because he believed that some of his staff were assaulted on the court as UNC fans stormed it when the final buzzer went off.

Jeff Nieman, the district attorney of Orange County and, notably, a North Carolina graduate, looked into Scheyer's claims, and on Monday, he took to social media to dispute the Duke head coach.

"A week has passed, and what seemed likely is now patently obvious. There is zero evidence that anyone from Duke's basketball program was 'punched in the face' at the Smith Center last week," Nieman wrote on X. "Nor is there any evidence that a staffer was 'trampled on the floor' or 'in a complete brawl,' for that matter. Some have asked why I'm talking about this. It's certainly not because of a sports rivalry. That's no business of the DA's Office. But I've seen firsthand how reckless accusations of violence incite more violence, and that is my business.

"Someone with the power and influence of a major men's basketball coach should exercise more discretion before just saying things that can have real-world consequences."

A week has passed, and what seemed likely is now patently obvious. There is zero evidence that anyone from Duke’s basketball program was “punched in the face” at the Smith Center last week. Nor is there any evidence that a staffer was “trampled on the floor” or “in a complete…
— DA Jeff Nieman (@JeffNiemanNC) February 16, 2026

This is one of the greatest rivalries in sports. So, of course, Scheyer felt the need to respond himself. He did so in a news conference after the Blue Devils beat the Syracuse Orange on Monday evening.

He seemingly tried to take the high road, but it's clear that he's steamed about what he believes happened after that loss.

"I would like to focus on Syracuse, but I'll tell you that I know what I saw and I know what happened with our staff after the game — and that's the bottom line," Scheyer said, according to Myron Medcalf of ESPN. "I'm not going to circle back or get into — I don't know what was said or wasn't said or what people want to claim.

"But I know what happened, and I'm always going to support our staff in those situations and, again, I could have even said more, but I'm not going to do that."

Jon Scheyer says he'll always support the Duke Blue Devils staff

It wouldn't be college sports without a little bit of drama between the local government and a rival. That's part of why we love it, right?

Per ESPN, there was video of the on-court melee that appeared to show someone "launching" a bottle toward the Duke contingent. Scheyer had said that one of his staff members had been "trampled," but there does not appear to be any video evidence of that.

That's not to say it didn't happen, because weird things happen when a court gets stormed. With that said, it seems like Scheyer doesn't have much of a case — legally, at least.

North Carolina was fined $50,000 for the court storming, but the Tar Heels happily ate that considering the enormity of the win. They also officially disputed Scheyer's claims.

"The video we have reviewed confirms we followed our protocols to get Duke's players and bench personnel and the game officials off the floor safely," UNC had said in a statement. We will continue to review our protocols to provide the highest measures of safety in the event fans rush the court. We consider this matter closed and look forward to the rest of the season."

Andrew Kulha

Andrew Kulha is probably the only sports writer you know who also doubles as a mortician. Spooky! @KulhaSports

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