USA TODAY International Edition
Krzyzewski dives right back in as Duke defeats Pittsburgh
The return of coach Mike Krzyzewski to the sideline was a breath of fresh air for a Duke team that just weathered a storm — going 4- 3 under associate head coach Jeff Capel in Coach K’s absence after back surgery.
After hitting a rough patch in early January under Capel, made worse by Grayson Allen’s controversial court behavior, the Blue Devils notched huge back- toback road wins against Georgia Tech and Notre Dame heading into Saturday’s home game against Pittsburgh, which is last in the Atlantic Coast Conference. The Panthers put up a legitimate fight, further highlighting the depth of a conference that likely will send double- digit teams to the NCAA tournament. Ultimately, Duke pulled away and is on solid footing in the ACC just ahead of hosting archrival North Carolina on Thursday.
But the story line isn’t so much Coach K’s return or Duke beating the worst team in the ACC. The Blue Devils, preseason national title favorites based on an array of veteran and young talent, still haven’t developed a full- fledged identity.
The Devils have shown flashes of brilliance ( and failure), but it’s just not there yet.
Coach K tweaked his starting lineup for the ninth time this season, putting in freshman Frank Jackson for senior Matt Jones. Jackson is probably the closest thing Duke has to a true point guard, although Allen has run the point capably at times.
Krzyzewski isn’t afraid to shake things up to improve team chemistry. He benched three- year starting point guard Greg Paulus in favor of blossoming guard Nolan Smith to get more athleticism in the lineup in 2008. Based on how this team looked Saturday, Duke’s best lineup appears to be with Jackson, whether he’s fully developed at point guard or not.
Player of the year candidate Luke Kennard has a lot to do with why this team has been winning, including a 34- point performance and game- winning shot against Wake Forest. And as much flak as Allen has gotten, he has been strong of late, finishing with 21 points in Duke’s wins against Pitt and Notre Dame. Let’s remember: Teams often develop their identities through adversity, and the Blue Devils certainly have their share.
So here we are in February, and Duke is healthy with a roster ( on paper) many believed to be title contenders.
ESPN analyst Jay Bilas said before the game that Coach K’s presence Saturday would be a “return to normalcy.” It was, sure. But it also was a reminder that the Hall of Fame coach has a team with waves of potential still figuring it out.