Tag Archives: Coach K

Redick, Hill, Williams turn out in force to support Coach K and watch Dawkins in Orlando

Grant Hill chat with Coach K, Jeff Capel and Mike Brey - copyright BDN Photo
Grant Hill chat with Coach K, Jeff Capel and Mike Brey - copyright BDN Photo

ORLANDO - Duke was sending a message to prospects this weekend, that being, if you come to Duke you are a part of a family.  You can add to that, once you are in the family, it's for life.

As the AAU Nationals continued in sunny Orlando, Florida, there was quite a Duke flavor permeating the arenas.

Mike Kryzyzewski arrived on the scene with Steve Wojcichowski today, where they joined Chris Collins following prospective Duke targets.

Imagine being a future Dukie and looking up in the stands and seeing not only your assistant coaches, but Hall of Famer Grant Hill and JJ Redick.

That was the case for Andre Dawkins, the class of 2010 commitment who plays with Boo Williams.

"JJ was fun to watch when I was coming up.  He had such fire and swagger about him and opponents hated him.  And that's what you want, you don't want your opponents to like you.  It was great to see them out here supporting me," said Dawkins after his teams win.

I asked Andre what it was like to be a part of the Duke family and he paused before saying, "It's a lot of fun but I don't know if it's quite sunk in yet."

Chris Collins and JJ Redick watched Andre Dawkins game Monday evening - copyright BDN Photo
Chris Collins and JJ Redick watched Andre Dawkins game Monday evening - copyright BDN Photo

Just before Grant Hill went to watch Andre Dawkins with Wojo and Collins, he sat with Mike Krzyzewski who was also sitting with former Duke assistant and current Notre Dame coach Mike Brey.

But Oklahoma coach Jeff Capel was also there, as was Roshown McCleod, Jason Williams and Johnny Dawkins.

All of the former players paid tribute to their former coach who just came in from not only watching prospects in Las Vegas, but tending to his Team USA duties.

Syracuse head coach Jim Boeheim was also seated beside Krzyzweski for much of the evening and he, of course, serves as an assistant.  It's worth noting that Krzyzewski has called him a co-head coach out of respect for his long time friend.

It didn't take long for the crowd to notice the gathering of Dukies, for many could be seen snapping pictures of Coach K, and some even trying to breach the lines between the coaches, media and fans to get a closer glimpse.

Fans also were aware of JJ Redick's presence and many of the young ballers were sneaking over to get a look.  Heck, even the coaches were stretching their necks, many likely marveling that when the Devils turn out they do it in style.

Jason Williams gave kids a talk they'd remember - copyright BDN Photo
Jason Williams gave kids a talk they'd remember - copyright BDN Photo

BDN was on the scene all day long and we'll bring you more coverage in our premium subscription section.  In fact, we will have reports and interviews from Las Vegas and Orlando well into the following week.

Join Blue Devil Nation today to get live reports all week long from Orlando.  We bring you up close and personal to the best basketball program in the land with unmatched recruiting coverage.  Interviews from this event and Las Vegas will be coming shortly.

Day One – AAU Nationals – The Duke staff follows Beal, Dawkins and Irving

Coaches take in the action today in Orlando
Coaches take in the action today in Orlando

The championship game from the Showcase will be tonight, but the AAU Nationals are underway as well.  A bevy of college coaching greats  have descended upon Disney's Wide World of Sports to get one last look at some of the nations top basketball prospects.  Coach K and his staff are out in force and they are intermingled with the likes of Roy Williams, Billy Donovan and others.

One of Duke's main targets is Kyrie Irving, but Irving was unable to participate in his New Jersey Roadrunners final game because he suited up for the New Jersey Celtics for their upset run.  Despite that, Krzyzewski sat with assistants Collins and Wojciechowski out of respect and to show that the guard is at the top of their list.

It gets better for Duke fans who [private] want to dream for Kyrie Irving, Austin Rivers and Andre Dawkins all mingled before the tip off of the Boo Williams game.  Now, let's not make too much of that, but it was still a nice thing to see.  The Duke Captain and his cohorts of course watched Andre Dawkins perform, as he drained 19 points in an easy opening win for Boo Williams.

They then took in Brad Beal's final game where his team fell short and Beal struggled.  During the contest Johnny Dawkins, Jay Williams, Mike Brey and Roshown McCleod all sat on the front row, with Kansas coach being the odd man out.  I jokingly thought about asking him if he got the memo that the row was for Blue Devils only.

Oddly, Billy Donovan came in late in the second half and, for those of you who don't know, Duke, Florida and Kansas are considered the front runners for Beal's services.

Despite his off game, Beal told BDN that he would just pick it up and go at it again.  He was excited to see the coaches in the stands for his game and noticed Krzyzewski as did many in the crowd.  I will have more on that later.

After the game, Jay Williams shared his experience with both teams in a twenty-minute conversation that included Beal.  He told the entire story of the motorcycle wreck, warning the kids of what could happen and that they needed to invest their money wisely and make good decisions.

Andy Katz asked Coach K to take part in the ESPN telecast but K declined for now, stating he was there to watch the games.  The Duke staff headed to a local high school to watch Irving, who can now play in that the showcase is over, and they will return to see Andre Dawkins and Austin Rivers play in two separate gyms.

I will go into more detail when time allows. [/private]

Duke Basketball’s Coach K will lead Team USA through the 2012 Olympics (Audio)

Coach K will lead Team USA through 2012 - Photo c/r Blue Devil Nation
Coach K will lead Team USA through 2012 - Photo c/r Blue Devil Nation

The Blue Devil Nation would like to congratulate Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski for being selected to lead Team USA through the 2012 Olympics.  The following is Part I of Krzyzewski's interview with the media.  Simply hit play and turn the volume up.  If you have a lap top, ear buds are suggested.

Kryzyzewski dispels rumors and talks of the future – general recap of his annual summer press conference

copyright Associated Press
copyright Associated Press

Durham, N.C. - Every summer, college coaches around the country meet with the media, and today it was Coach Mike Krzyzewski's turn.  Krzyzewski is heading into his 30th season as the Duke Men's Basketball Coach and he covered a myriad of subjects, from his involvement with Team USA to the fact that he'll finish his coaching career at Duke.

Krzyzewski wasted no time in dispelling rumors that he would entertain coaching the Los Angeles Lakers.  In fact, he made it clear that he would finish out his career at Duke University.  "I will never leave Duke until I finish coaching.  I'm not leaving Duke, said Krzyzewski.  Furthermore, he wanted to end any future speculation and stated his case emphatically.  He went on to say that he didn't want his players to ever think he was entertaining other jobs.

Just prior to ending that rumor, he addressed the Elliot Williams transfer by stating that the decision was what was best for his family.  He refused to go into any more detail and made it clear that he didn't want to discuss it further.  While some will certainly speculate that there had to be more to it, Krzyzewski was simply trying to move on and concentrate on his 2009-10 team.

Naturally, the question of two guards came up and if you have been following the program you should have known the answer coming.  Krzyzewski once again used the question as an opportunity to state that Duke did not look at players as guards, forwards, etc.  Instead, they look at players as players and they have never called kids traditional positions during his tenure.

Of course, questions still came about who would handle the ball and Kryzyewzski asked the reporter who handled the ball last season at Duke.  His point was that Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith return.  "We had less turnovers when Scheyer took over than we did all year," said Krzyzewski.

Again, if you have followed the program over the years, you realize that Kryzyzewski chooses to look at the positives even if there is a lack of depth in the back court.  He also mentioned that Jordan Davidson would be back from off-season back surgery and that he knew the system and he could steal a couple of minutes.

Krzyzewski also lauded the play of Liberty transfer Seth Curry and mentioned how he would help in practice playing the role of the other team's scorer.

When incoming freshmen Mason Plumlee and Ryan Kelly came up, Krzyzewski said that both would see significant time in their first season.  He said that Plumlee and Kelly were both highly skilled and easy to play with.  He discussed several of his players, but oddly, nobody really asked about Kyle Singler.

When asked if he'd coach Team USA again, Kryzyzewski pointed to July 21st as the date that the coach would be announced.  He made it clear that he would always be involved with USA Basketball in some way.

And if you need some board chatter, try this one on: "We never stop recruiting," replied Krzyzewski when asked if they were still looking at the 2009 class.

Below is a portion of the event on audio.  We'll discuss the press conference in more detail on our message boards and give you our extended thoughts on the event.

Coach K adds book signing dates in Greensboro and Raleigh

BDN Photo
BDN Photo

DURHAM, N.C. - Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, along with co-author Jamie K. Spatola, have added two additional local signings to book tour for THE GOLD STANDARD: Building a World-Class Team. Krzyzewski and Spatola will be at the Barnes & Noble (Friendly Center) in Greenboro, N.C. on Wednesday, May 20 and at Quail Ridge Books and Music in Raleigh, N.C. on Wednesday, June 10.

THE GOLD STANDARD: Building a World-Class Team (Business Plus; April 6, 2009; $25.99; Hardcover) is Coach K's guide to team building, illustrated with experiences from his three years coaching the team that would ultimately win Olympic gold. You'll see how he formed relationships with LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Jason Kidd, Dwayne Wade, and the rest of Team USA's NBA stars and how they established a set of standards to guide their performance, both on and off the court.

THE GOLD STANDARD is divided into the key times and moments of Coach K's work with Team USA with each chapter dedicated to a particular lesson and insight into teambuilding.  Covering a wide range of issues applicable to leading any businesses, organization, or group, Krzyzewski discusses how he helped build Team USA by establishing standards, creating a common language, cultivating leadership, forming relationships, motivating and inspiring players, and by maintaining his perspective and charting his own progress as a leader.
Along the way, Coach K also discusses how he came to appreciate this formidable challenge and he reveals the secrets that led the 2008 U.S. Olympic team to victory. And in the end, you'll witness the rewards of team building-including the tremendous triumph people feel when they truly become part of something bigger than themselves.
"My proudest times as a coach are those when I recognize that a group of players has become a team, a whole that is truly greater than the sum of its parts," Krzyzewski writes. "From the summer of 2006 through the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing, I had the opportunity to work with a group whose parts were some of the most talented basketball players in the game.  And I had the privilege of being their coach as this amazing team came together to bring the gold medal back to the United States."

Wednesday, May 20
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm

Barnes & Noble
Friendly Center
3102 Northline Avenue
Greensboro, NC 27408
(336) 854-4200
Wednesday, June 10
7:30 pm - 9:00 pm

Quail Ridge Books & Music
3522 Wade Ave
Raleigh, NC 27607
(919) 828-1588