On Wednesday, Coach K denied reports that he is interested in leaving Duke University to coach in the NBA.
And why would he leave?
Last April, Krzyzewski led an overachieving Duke team to a national championship, the fourth in the Hall of Fame coach’s tenure in Durham.
Krzyzewski is tied with Kentucky’s Adolph Rupp for second-most national championships all time, behind UCLA coach John Wooden’s 10 titles.
Wooden’s record may never be broken. But if anyone has a shot to get closer to that mark in 2010-11, it’s Coach K.
Krzyzewski heads into the upcoming season with many of the same key players who helped Duke win its last 10 games in 2010, including the national championship against Butler.
Kyle Singler, who was named the Final Four’s most outstanding player last year, opted against the NBA draft and decided to come back for his senior season.
Nolan Smith, who more than doubled his points per game total from the previous year to 17.4 in 2010, will become the leader in the backcourt due to point guard Jon Scheyer’s departure.
Andre Dawkins and the Plumlee brothers (Mason and Miles) all contributed in key moments down the stretch for the Blue Devils last season, and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them shine in expanded roles this year.
Then there’s Seth Curry, the younger brother of former Davidson star and NBA first-round pick Stephen Curry. Seth sat out the entire 2009-10 season after transferring from Liberty University, but he might be the most talented player on Duke’s roster. A 6-foot-1 guard, Curry averaged over 20 points per game in his freshman season at Liberty, and many scouts say he’s a better player than his older brother.
Add it all up, and Coach K, one of the greatest teachers the game of basketball has ever seen, has an unbelievably good shot at winning his fifth national championship.
