Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, April 2, 1991 TAG: 9104020225
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Bill Brill
DATELINE: INDIANAPOLIS LENGTH: Medium
When Duke led from start to finish Monday night to defeat Kansas 72-65 for its first NCAA men's basketball championship, it was the coronation of Mike Krzyzewski.
The absurd thoughts that he couldn't win the big one are forever gone, although they never should have existed in the first place.
Now Krzyzewski will receive proper credit for having brought his team to four consecutive Final Fours and five in six years, an accomplishment exceeded in basketball annals only by the 10 titles of UCLA's John Wooden.
Until Monday, it was easy to ignore that only the 1986 team, which had an NCAA-record 37 victories, was favored to win. Those Blue Devils lost to Louisville 72-69.
During the current run of Final Four appearances, Duke never was a No. 1 seed. In fact, the previous three seasons, to win the NCAA East, the Blue Devils had to beat the top seed in the finals.
This year, they climbed an even larger mountain. They upset the undefeated, defending champions from Nevada-Las Vegas, the team some pundits were claiming should be playing in the NBA.
When Duke shocked almost everybody with a 79-77 victory over the Runnin' Rebels on Saturday, the question then became whether or not they could regain their emotion against tough Kansas.
The man who answered that was Krzyzewski.
He orchestrated his team beautifully, using the clock when necessary, occasionally playing a zone that threw the gritty Jayhawks off stride.
In particular, he nursed 6-foot-11 All-American Christian Laettner through the game.
Laettner, who played 40 minutes and was the main man against UNLV, had no legs Monday, unable to keep up with his good friend, Kansas' Mark Randall, a relentless mover without the ball.
Laettner was rested four times in the first half, the first time with just 3:31 gone. It was just another example of how Krzyzewski simply never misses a trick. He would pull his junior center with a minute to go before a TV timeout, then put him back in after the break.
Laettner got only one basket in the first half, three for the game, but he was "Mr. Clutch" at the free-throw line, making 12 straight.
At halftime, with Duke ahead only because of its own 3-point shooting and a variety of missed layups by the Jayhawks, Krzyzewski changed his defense.
He allowed the Kansas big men to operate alone outside, although Randall had made the only 3-pointer of his career in the first half.
That shot down the Kansas passing game, and, until some ball-handling problems late, the Blue Devils were in total control.
The lead reached 14 points on a couple of occasions, and the Jayhawks were having a hard time getting shots, often taking 30 precious seconds.
What sets Krzyzewski apart from most coaches is his ability to adjust. He seeks out the players he wants - no jerks, that's a requisite - and fits the offense and defense to their capabilities.
Last year, his team was big and ponderous and lost three seniors, including top scorers Phil Henderson and Alaa Abdelnaby.
This team was smaller, younger and - the coach noted often - tougher.
What set them apart from previous editions and enabled Duke to eliminate that bridesmaid image forever was the way the players did what they were instructed. "They listened," Krzyzewski said.
There were a few trying moments, including the ACC final, when they were trounced by archrival North Carolina by 22 points.
So instead of going into their precious East Regional, where they had a 27-3 NCAA record including 16-0 under Coach K, Duke wound up in Minneapolis.
And didn't miss a beat. The Blue Devils, jumping on their last three opponents early, never had a game closer than 14 points.
The prevailing theory was that Duke had little or no chance against UNLV, which had won 45 straight. Dick Vitale and Jim Valvano, TV's talking heads, insisted it would require a gimmick game plan to upset the Rebels.
Not for Krzyzewski. He played UNLV straight up, double-teamed national player of the year Larry Johnson and frustrated the Rebels. Jerry Tarkanian has won 599 games and has the best all-time record in basketball history; he was outcoached by Krzyzewski.
When it was over Monday night, capped by a dunk from Brian Davis, Krzyzewski finally permitted himself a sly smile, but even then, as the last seconds ticked away, he was calling defensive signals.
"We came here to win two," he said. "I thought we were a lot more mature than the previous teams. These kids have had a great month of March. We finally won a game in April.
"These guys are too young. I told them, `You're not playing for anybody but yourselves. Don't worry about me.' "
But they did. Bobby Hurley, the sunken-eyed sophomore guard, grinned and said, "We won it for him. We won it for the coach."
Indeed they did.
by CNB