Final Four nothing new for Coach K
BLUE DEVILS: Youngsters impress Duke bench boss
HOUSTON — Like his Duke teammates sitting on either side of him at the podium, Quinn Cook had a strand of the cut-down net sticking out of his regional championship cap.
The senior guard also had a bottom portion of the net hanging loosely around his neck, and a grin on his face.
While Blue Devils coach Mike Krzyzewski is going to his record-tying 12th NCAA Final Four, Cook finally gets to experience one for himself in his last chance as a player.
Both Coach K and Cook have to give a lot of credit to a talented quartet of freshmen — including starters Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones — who came together with the few returners to become the 16th Duke team to make it to the Final Four.
It’s the 12th Final Four for Krzyzewski — equalling UCLA’s John Wooden for the most ever by a head coach — and it’s the youngest team he’s ever taken that far.
The four freshmen, including backup guard Grayson Allen, make up half of Duke’s eight regular players. The other two available players, including the only senior other than Cook, have combined to play less than 30 minutes all season.
“There are eight guys. There’s not somebody hiding in the locker-room that’s going to come out and appear. And four freshmen. They’ve been spectacular,” Krzyzewski said. “It’s been such an incredible year. I’ve enjoyed it immensely without thinking about.”
Duke (33-4), the No. 1 seed from the South Region, plays its national semifinal game Saturday against upstart Michigan State (27-11).
Then in the nightcap at Indianapolis, Kentucky (38-0) continues its pursuit of perfection against Wisconsin (35-3).
This is the Blue Devils’ first Final Four since 2010, when they also went through Houston as the No. 1 seed in the South on way to their fourth national championship.
Winslow got to be home in Houston to play in the Sweet 16 and regional final the same week he turned 19. He had 21 points and 10 rebounds in a 63-57 win over Utah on Friday night, then matched sophomore Matt Jones with a team-high 16 points Sunday.
“This is where we thought we’d be,” Winslow said as his team prepares for the big weekend.
“There was never a doubt in our mind that we could make it to the Final Four.”