How Duke basketball's Sebastian Wilkins used his redshirt year 'the best way'

When Jon Scheyer met with Sebastian Wilkins in the spring, Wilkins wasn’t asking for reassurance about playing time or a role.

He took a different approach.

“He just said ‘Tell me what I need to do and I’ll do it,’” Scheyer said at 2026 ACC Tipoff.

Wilkins redshirted last season as Duke advanced to the Elite Eight of the NCAA Tournament. He had reclassified to join the Blue Devils a year early before Scheyer announced two games into the season that Wilkins would sit out the year.

Now, that patience has turned into opportunity.

“Sebastian really has used that year in the best way because he understands what we’re looking for,” Scheyer said.

“You can ask our guys, he’s like a different person. He just has thrown himself in this thing fully, does whatever we’ve asked.”

How Duke basketball’s Sebastian Wilkins used his redshirt year ‘the best way’

Scheyer pointed to Wilkins’ willingness to embrace his role and find ways to help the team win.

“He guard multiple positions, he keeps offense moving, he’s a really good connector, he shoots and makes his open 3’s at a high clip, he’s been a consistent guy that crashes offensive boards,” Scheyer said. “So to me, it’s a pretty good recipe right now.”

Wilkins’ impact was evident in Duke’s preseason exhibition against Belmont on Oct. 8. He was the first player off the bench and finished with eight points, six rebounds – four on the offensive glass – with two steals and an assist in 22 minutes.

“He just does a lot of what’s called the little things, even though they’re not little,” Scheyer said after the exhibition. “Sebastian does all of it, and he took 10 shots tonight, but he’s not out there to score either. He can, but I just think he does a nice job impacting winning and building trust with me throughout the practices, and he’s earned the minutes that he got tonight, and he’ll keep going.”

Wilkins credits much of that growth to the lessons learned during his redshirt season.

“What I learned was what it takes to win at this level,” Wilkins said at Duke’s annual media day. “There’s a lot that goes into it, that many people don’t see outside. So, just learning how to win and being more physical. Just areas I can grow in to help the team win.”

The year wasn’t without its difficult moments, but Wilkins said his teammates helped him stay committed to the process.

“I had tough moments, but everyone had my back and that’s my teammates,” Wilkins said. “They really made it easy for me to stay the course.”

Now, his teammates are seeing the difference a year has made.

“I have to give props to Sebastian, man,” Dame Sarr said. “For him redshirting last year and coming in this year, he’s a whole different player on the court, off the court.”

“What he’s doing offensively, he’s making the right plays, making the right decisions,” Patrick Ngongba II added. “Defensively, he’s been a great defender for us.”

Wilkins spent last season learning what it takes to win at Duke. Now, he’s getting the chance to help the Blue Devils do it.

“He’s probably been the best guy on our team in terms of just throwing himself into the team and trying to impact winning,” Scheyer said.

Anna Snyder covers Duke for The Fayetteville Observer as part of the USA TODAY Network. Reach her at [email protected] or follow her @annaesnydr on X, formerly known as Twitter.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: How Duke basketball’s Sebastian Wilkins used his redshirt year ‘the best way’