The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Blue Devils freshmen won and done?
DURHAM, N.C. — Now Duke waits to find out if any of those star freshmen will go won and done.
Coach Mike Krzyzewski says in the coming days, he will discuss future plans with each of his players — including Jahlil Okafor, Justise Winslow and Tyus Jones, the most outstanding player at the Final Four.
All three players said Wednesday nothing has been decided yet.
Okafor has said it’s a “business decision” with some very emotional components: He and Jones have been friends since the third grade and planned for years to play college ball together.
“For it to end after 9-10 months, it would kind of suck,” Okafor said.
During the on-campus rally to celebrate the program’s fifth national title, Krzyzewski said this was “my favorite year” — a strong statement from a Hall of Fame coach with more than 1,000 career victories and five national championships.
Duke (35-4) earned championship banner No. 5 with a 68-63 win over Wisconsin earlier this week in Indianapolis.
Without question, the freshman class — which also included title-game surprise Grayson Allen, who said the possibility of leaving early “is not a question” — was the backbone of this team.
Those four combined to score 60 of the 68 points in the championship game. Duke was the only team in the country with three freshmen averaging double figures, and the Blue Devils were 23-2 when the Okafor-WinslowJones trio combined for at least 40 points.
If they leave, another class of highly rated freshmen is coming in behind them: 6-foot-10 center Chase Jeter and 6-5 guard Luke Kennard — both five-star recruits — have signed.