DURHAM — In 1980, the unknown coach from Army arrived here with Duke basketball anything but a blue blood.
He was coming off a 9-17 season, too. An athletics director and university president stuck their necks out for him, on the hire and three years later when progress was scant.
On Monday, Mike Krzyzewski talked about his 40th Duke team in this program he and the players have turned into a national brand. The Blue Devils pick players much the way kids across the country do schoolyard pickup games: see the best, then take them.
They don’t get them all, but a fair share of the modern era one-and-doners do come to Coach K. Tougher for him, quite possibly, may be a particular grandmother — his wife of 50 years, Mickie.
Grandson Michael Savarino is a freshman, a product of Durham Academy. He wanted to come to Duke and play basketball, so he’s walked on and before the first official practice a few sports science analytics have found their way into the Krzyzewski household beyond the head coach.
Seems a number of players were doing quite well, but there was no Savarino playing.
“Where’s Michael?” she asked.
Walk-ons, in this measurement he told her, don’t play.
“It’s the first time a grandmother has given me a hard time about playing time,” Krzyzewski said laughing through the end of the story.
He said he’s fine with his daughter, Michael’s mom, but deadpanned there’s been no games played.
“He’s not on the team because he’s my grandson,” Krzyzewski said turning speaking more serious. “He’d be a pretty good Division II player, but he wanted to come to Duke. He knows the lay of the land. He’s been accepted by his teammates as Michael, or Mike, or whatever they call him.”
And he led the team in its NBA combine-style workouts with the most times benching 185 pounds.
He’ll be a nice practice player, and is sure to be a Cameron favorite.
The core of the team will be nothing like last year and a lot like the times before the 21st century. There are high-profile freshmen that will start and play a lot, but there’s a mix of veterans in tri-captains Javin DeLaurier and Jack White, and sophomore point guard Tre Jones.
The latter is coming off spring hip surgery, this time the right side. He’d had the left done before. He’s lighter and quicker, Krzyzewski said.
“He’s going to make the engine run here,” he said. “He’s the guy that helps us make the right decisions.
“If we’re going to be real good, he’s got to be pretty good.”
Krzyzewski described a dynamic last year of Jones needing to pass to Zion Williamson, R.J. Barrett and Cam Reddish so that those players moved the defense. This year, he likely won’t be guilty of passing more than he should yet Krzyzewski won’t be surprised to see 10+ assists frequently. Jones will generate a high-paced game for a team with more depth.
“I want him to feel my confidence in him, of not necessarily calling plays all the time, but to make a play,” Krzyzewski said. “The best time to make a play is in transition. It’s better if he’s making those decisions than other guys. His ball pressure helps out immensely.”
The coach offered glowing reports of DeLaurier and White, of how hard they worked in the offseason. He said many of his past teams have been cohesive off the floor as well as on, something that isn’t always easy when some players are about 22 and others 18. These two are leading positively.
This team, he said, is as close as any he’s had previously. That is coupled with there not being such a talent gulf between the better players and the rest of the playing rotation. Williamson, Barrett and Reddish were chosen first, third and 10th in the NBA Draft.
“With this group, it’s more old-fashioned blending old and new,” Krzyzewski said. “I really like the group, and that dynamic. Guys have been through it.”
DeLaurier’s decision to test the NBA and then return is paying off.
“People can dream of things, and have a goal,” Krzyzewski said. “If it’s a goal, you should have a plan of how to achieve that goal. His work ethic, it wasn’t bad, but it’s heightened. He and Jack have been veteran guys. Our freshmen need, and this freshman class, needs it a little more. They’re young, not as savvy as R.J. and Zion were.”
So here we go with the 40th Duke team of Mike Krzyzewski, the coach with the name nobody could spell way back when and some still can’t today. He’s the coach who lost more than he won at Army the year before he landed in what was then an eight-team ACC headlined by Dean Smith and Lefty Driesell.
He’s 41 victories shy of 1,100 at Duke, and 68 away from 1,200 overall. The schedule opens with Kansas in New York City and includes a trip to Michigan State in December. Both Carolina games are on Saturdays for a change, and the final week includes both N.C. State and the Tar Heels at home.
And he’s got a grandmother in his ear.
It’s only September on Tobacco Road, the craziness of Cameron already whetting our appetite for the madness of March.
Mike Krzyzewski talks about his 40th Duke team on Monday during the Blue Devils’ Media Day.
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