Coach K questions to shut the season down after blowout loss to Illinois
Shocking news to nobody here but the Coach K excuse machine is getting revved up after another blowout loss at home to Illinois. This is Duke's 3rd non conference home loss since 2000, which is pretty unchartered territory for the Blue Devils.
With a roster currently comprised of 5 five stars and 9 top 50 recruits, it seems this year might be Coach K's most challenging yet.
https://www.si.com/college/duke/basketball/shut-it-down-coach-k-reassess-playing-during-pandemic
In other news, the Big Ten looks great so far in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge after going 6-1 last night and the only loss was Purdue, who was up 18 under 10 minutes to go but amazingly found a way to lose to Miami.
December 9th, 2020 at 10:52 AM ^
Paging Jeff Capel. Coach K’s back is starting to feel sore.
December 9th, 2020 at 12:39 PM ^
This comment wins.
December 9th, 2020 at 10:57 AM ^
I always get downvoted for saying this but Coach K doesn’t seem to have his fastball since he changed the way Duke started recruiting after their last championship.
December 9th, 2020 at 11:01 AM ^
Can you elaborate? I don't know anything about Duke recruiting.
December 9th, 2020 at 11:06 AM ^
I could be mistaken, but I think Duke has moved to focusing more on the super elite one-and-done players instead of the slightly less elite guys who will be there for 3-4 years.
December 9th, 2020 at 11:48 AM ^
Duke has been historically great because of guys who were good, and learned to play well in his system and as a team. The problem with elite athletes is some have their own agenda and may not gell with other players. More than anything else over the years, Coach K has been the authority and everyone had to listen. This year, he has a lot of guys who have yet to buy in, and want to play hero ball.
December 9th, 2020 at 11:58 AM ^
Juwan's model seems to follow what Coach K did years ago - get a couple of standouts and fill in the holes with longer term kids that have room to grow. I agree with you about his recruiting and results - I don't think he is able to keep up with them, relate to them, and maintain their strict attention like he could 5 years ago, 10 years ago.
I've never been a fan of the guy because he's a smug, arrogant, prick. But he could coach the balls out of the gym. Unfortunately, I don't think he has enough left in his tank to manage a team full of 5-star attention whores...
December 9th, 2020 at 12:03 PM ^
Juwan is really following the Villanova model. Create a good foundation with mostly top 100 guys who are going to stay 3-4 years then swing for the fences with some 5 star guys who can take you over the top
December 9th, 2020 at 12:37 PM ^
I dislike Coach K for the exact same reasons. His redeeming quality is that his family is heavily invested in Durham as a city and community.
December 9th, 2020 at 11:04 AM ^
I totally agree. He decided he needed to match Calipari, and outside of some early success, Calipari hasn't had a really great team either - two losses at home to low-majors in the last 2 years.
I think Coach K has overstayed. He should move on, though he may be worried there isn't a clear successor. Capel and Dawkins are his better legacies, but are either good enough to keep Duke "Duke"?
December 9th, 2020 at 11:15 AM ^
Krzyzewski is like Nick Saban; he's clearly one of the all-time greats, but his coaching tree is fairly mediocre and hasn't produced a clear-cut successor. When it's time for him to hang it up, Duke will likely need to pursue an outsider.
December 9th, 2020 at 11:18 AM ^
It'll likely be Bobby Hurley. He stole a 5 star that was ticketed to Michigan to go to...Arizona State. He's a pretty good coach by all accounts. I'd expect him to be the first phone call when K decides he's ready to quit.
December 9th, 2020 at 11:43 AM ^
Hurley excels as an offensive coach but needs help on the defensive end.
So if he does get the Duke job, he'll need to hire an excellent defensive coach (just like Beilein did with Yaklich).
December 9th, 2020 at 11:45 AM ^
That shift coincided with Jeff Capel III’s arrival. Many suspected that Duke was willing to operate in the grey area of recruiting - dirty always -, but that absolutely increased in intensity when Jeff was brought on board.
December 9th, 2020 at 11:54 AM ^
IIRC, Coach K actually changed his recruiting approach before he won his last National Championship (2015).
Jahlil Okafor, Tyus Jones, and Justise Winslow were OADs from the 2015 team (so 2014 class). But that team had some much needed senior upperclassmen (like Quinn Cook, Plumlee brother #3, Amile Jefferson as a 3rd year player after redshirt).
But that same formula hasn't worked out for Duke/Coach K or Kentucky/Calipari in recent seasons. Experience matters in sports (especially in college athletics).
/Most Final Four teams are upperclassmen driven. I plan to create an extended diary on it this summer.
December 9th, 2020 at 1:09 PM ^
You could go back two decades to when he recruited Elton Brand and Corey Maggette. Up to that point, Duke was strictly a place for four-year guys. After that, K started mixing in some OAD guys (and rumors started about shadiness). He definitely has stepped it up over the last decade though.
December 9th, 2020 at 12:00 PM ^
Coach K's success is 100% dependent on his recruiting now. The guys who stay there for multiple years never end up being more than role players or transfer out. There is no player development
December 9th, 2020 at 12:11 PM ^
The biggest thing I've seen about his most recent teams is they really struggle to shoot. That was the hallmark of those Duke teams - just loaded with guys who could hit from 20 feet and out. His last title team was #1 in the country from 3; his most recent teams since have been in the high double digits all the way to mid-100s in terms of rankings. Some of that is probably, as you said, recruiting more one-and-done athletes who maybe don't have refined outside shots and/or experience in an offense that can easily generate those open looks, but even that Zion-Barrett year that looked unstoppable had a big achilles heel of not being able to shoot themselves into games.
December 9th, 2020 at 10:58 AM ^
With a roster currently comprised of 5 five stars and 9 top 50 recruits, it seems this year might be Coach K's most challenging yet.
Heh, I appreciated the subtle shade here.
December 9th, 2020 at 11:06 AM ^
That's biting sarcasm - nothing subtle at all.
December 9th, 2020 at 1:12 PM ^
I would call it more deadpan.
December 9th, 2020 at 11:20 AM ^
Has to play a lot of weird guys.
December 9th, 2020 at 10:59 AM ^
you really hate to see Duke doing poorly. Hate to see it.
December 9th, 2020 at 11:06 AM ^
I agree with Coach K. Sports are WAY overprioritized right now. COVID is reeking havoc on everything and the road to any league or national title is going to be full of potholes.
It's all about the money and satisfying fan obsession and the athletes are the pawns.
December 9th, 2020 at 11:10 AM ^
Yes I am sure these high-profile athletes, some which have written letters or have been extremely vocal towards the NCAA to play are so upset they are getting the chance to play the sport they love, while potentially furthering their career into the pros. They would much rather be sitting in their dorm studying or doing nothing.
December 9th, 2020 at 11:32 AM ^
Yeah instead of being with a group of people that gets tested everyday they can hang out with a larger group of people that don’t get daily testing
December 9th, 2020 at 11:50 AM ^
Dumb take. Nobody playing sports right now is being forced to do so. I'd gladly trade places with any of them. They all have a once in a lifetime opportunity anybody else only dreams of.
December 9th, 2020 at 12:03 PM ^
You might agree with his words, but you don't agree with the meaning behind it. The reason he is saying it has nothing to do with COVID or the health of student athletes. He is saying it because he is 2-2 with a 10 point win over 0-4 Coppin State, and a win over a team called Bellarmine. The only 2 teams they have played outside of that are 2 B1G teams that beat them. He has a roster full of 5 stars. He knows that he is on a downswing, and this season isn't shaping up so far to turn it around.
Coach K is using COVID as an excuse to avoid tainting his legacy.
December 9th, 2020 at 12:12 PM ^
Exactly. It would have been the same if Harbaugh suggested cancelling the season after the loss to Indiana. Say what you want about Harbaugh's coaching job, but he would never suggest quitting the season.
December 9th, 2020 at 12:20 PM ^
Yep, paging Kirk Herbstriet...this is where someone needs called out.
December 9th, 2020 at 1:45 PM ^
COVID is reeking havoc
What does havoc smell like?
December 9th, 2020 at 4:35 PM ^
skim milk and chicken breast
December 9th, 2020 at 11:00 AM ^
Stressful year yes, but you can rest assured his 73 year old hair will remain jet black
December 9th, 2020 at 11:07 AM ^
Holy crap. I knew he was getting up there, but I didn't realize he's 73 already. Time flies...
December 9th, 2020 at 11:01 AM ^
If I were him, I’d worry less about stopping play as I would about getting his team to start playing.
December 9th, 2020 at 11:44 AM ^
Boom roasted!
December 9th, 2020 at 11:04 AM ^
“We made an assessment,” he said. “I’m not sure who leads college basketball.
"We need an assessment," he said. "Now that the FBI royally mucked up the hierarchy of how college basketball is supposed to work, I'm not really sure who leads college basketball."
I hate it when media outlets misquote people.
On a separate note it was Coach K who publicly stated it was imperative college basketball be played and the tournament held this year because the smaller schools wouldn't survive without it.
December 9th, 2020 at 11:56 AM ^
Well put. I think you're right - the hierarchy definitely seems upside right now. The blue bloods' grip on the top of college basketball is slipping. I think its amazing that these teams have lost at least one game so far this year: Kansas, Kentucky (x3!), Virginia, Villanova, Duke (x2), UNC (x2). There's so much parity in today's game - those teams have also suffered early losses the last few seasons as well. It's anyone's game now.
December 9th, 2020 at 12:06 PM ^
By tourney time (if we get that far) I think we will find we have enjoyed the season more. It's nice following a sport when the top teams are not already set year after year after year...looking at you college football.
December 9th, 2020 at 12:48 PM ^
Absolutely agree. The notions of "College football is better off when teams x, y, and z are doing well" has always been bullshit to me. Those typically come from TV people and trickles down to the fans but of course the TV people say that as ratings are likely better when Texas, Michigan, and Notre Dame are good. But the product isn't any better and it is actually more fun when Miss. St and Iowa St. get their time in the sun while Alabama and USC take a step back for a year or two (or 5, 10, 15 in the case of USC, us, Texas!)
December 9th, 2020 at 12:03 PM ^
How dare you impune the integrity of a coaching legend whose name everyone must Google to spell correctly!
Especially with a direct quote!
December 9th, 2020 at 11:05 AM ^
Kind of takes the shine off of Sparty's victory last week
December 9th, 2020 at 11:10 AM ^
UVA might suck this year too.
December 9th, 2020 at 11:50 AM ^
I’m pretty bummed MSU vs UVA isn’t happening tonight. UVA was favored 1.5 and I was looking to enjoy another BigTen cover.
December 9th, 2020 at 12:20 PM ^
I'm all for a good defensive showcase, but watching UVA play is sometimes awful. It's like watching an Iowa v Wisconsin football game. First one to 20 wins and there will be punts.
December 9th, 2020 at 11:06 AM ^
This is why everyone who things we're going to be a 1 seed next year needs to decrease expectations a little bit. Its going to take a while for a team full of 5* players to gel.
December 9th, 2020 at 11:35 AM ^
Except, UM also recruits talent that isn't NBA ready after 1 or 2 seasons. Guys like Dickinson, Williams, Bufkin, Collins, etc... aren't one-and-done type guys. It seems Howard is recruiting more like Villanova/UVA than Kentucky/Duke.
December 9th, 2020 at 3:15 PM ^
Coach K is in full Paterno mode now. He doesn't coach, he's just a living statue for recruits.
December 9th, 2020 at 11:06 AM ^
Maybe Jim and Coach K can start a support group together.