With Duke’s season officially in the books, the Blue Zone breaks down each player's season, including comparisons to their preseason projections. We’ve already looked at Jaylen Blakes. Up next is freshman Jaden Schutt:
Jaden Schutt
- Year: Freshman
- Height: 6-foot-5
- Position: Guard
- This year’s stat line: 2.1 PPG, 1.1 RPG, 7 MPG
- The Blue Zone’s projected stat line: 7.3 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 18 MPG
Season breakdown: For a four-star recruit with a gift from downtown, 2022-23 will not be looked back on fondly by freshman guard Jaden Schutt.
The Yorkville, Ill., native showed glimpses of what he can bring when given floor time — like the 19-minute, nine-point showing he put up against Maryland Eastern Shore in December — but failed to nail down a regular spot in head coach Jon Scheyer’s rotation. Part of this may be due to an abundance of talent in his position. However, when given opportunities, Schutt underperformed by his standards, shooting an unremarkable 35% from three, making just seven of his 20 attempts.
Claiming fame from beyond the arc inherently brings risks with it. Namely, if you are not shooting all that well or all that consistently, your influence is limited, as is playing time. This is precisely what plagued Schutt throughout the year, even when the Blue Devils needed some fresh ideas during their tough January stretch. Fellow guard Jaylen Blakes — who semi-regularly deputized for usual starters Jeremy Roach and Tyrese Proctor — possesses less offensive talent on paper than Schutt, but saw substantially more time. The moral of the story is this: Schutt was supposed to be Duke’s primary backup shooting guard and a reliable weapon from deep when shots were not falling. The fact that he was not led to a disappointing freshman campaign.
Undoubtedly, some more development and certainly some more game time could help Schutt lock down an increasingly consistent role and showcase his undisputed talents from three.
Results relative to expectations: Despite being earmarked as a lethal marksman from downtown, Schutt’s role this season was as a serviceable but unremarkable bench sub for Scheyer in the backend of blowouts. His 29 points in 98 total minutes indicates as much — he did not drag the Blue Devils down while he was on the floor, but he could hardly be considered a difference-maker. So, in a team and a year loaded with immense freshman talent, Schutt’s limited minutes meant that he failed to establish himself even as a sharpshooter. Scheyer’s reluctance to rely on him indicates that Schutt is hardly a finished product in his coach’s eyes. This could change, but given the talent Duke already has in the backcourt and the stacked guard class coming this summer, a substantial increase in playing time seems unlikely in 2023-24.
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Andrew Long is a Trinity junior and sports editor of The Chronicle's 119th volume.