Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 7, 1995 TAG: 9503070127
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: FROM THE ASSOCIATED PRESS AND STAFF REPORTS
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Sitting on a small stage at one end of the court, Krzyzewski held a news conference to let everybody know he's OK as he continues to recover from back surgery, and that he'll be back on the sidelines with Duke next season.
``I'm embarrassed a little to do this news conference because I don't have any earth-shaking news. I don't want to be a hot ticket. I just want to coach basketball,'' he told a group of 80 reporters and 30 or so fans and students.
He won't do that this week at the ACC tournament because he won't even be in Greensboro for it. He will meet with the team Monday and plans to take part in practice Tuesday, but that's it - doctors' orders.
Jan.4 was the last time Krzyzewski coached the Blue Devils, the team he led to seven Final Fours in the past nine years and national championships in 1991 and 1992.
He underwent surgery for a ruptured disc on Oct.21 and rushed back to work. The hasty return led to exhaustion and finally forced him from coaching the rest of the season.
``I was very scared,'' the 48-year-old coach said. ``I had never in my life not been able to just go at something, but I was just so exhausted. I just didn't have any energy. You just can't go, but you really want to. I was scared because I couldn't believe it was just a back. It just had to be something else.''
TECH'S ROOT HONORED: Virginia Tech's Jenny Root has been selected as the Metro Conference's woman student-athlete of the month for February.
Root helped the Hokies to a 6-0 record last month and their first-ever Metro regular-season title. The senior center from Pensacola, Fla. is studying civil engineering and posted a 3.38 grade point average last term.
by CNB