THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, January 13, 1996 TAG: 9601130453
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ED MILLER, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: DURHAM, N.C. LENGTH: Medium: 85 lines
Nothing enhanced Mike Krzyzewski's already stellar reputation like the unplanned sabbatical he took last season. When Krzyzewski's back gave out, so did the Duke Blue Devils, who went 4-15 without their mentor.
It was proof, it seemed, that Krzyzewski had a magic touch. The same players had gone 9-3 with him, after all.
But if anyone believed that Krzyzewski's mere presence this year would be a cure-all for what ails Duke, they were mistaken. Duke heads into today's game at Virginia still looking for its first ACC win of the season. The Blue Devils (9-5, 0-3) have dropped two in a row at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The latest loss, 57-54 to Wake Forest Wednesday night, had some Blue Devil players literally in tears in the locker room afterward.
``Crying isn't bad when you put your heart and soul into a game,''
Krzyzewski said.
Heart and soul alone may not be enough for this Duke team, which appears to have limitations that no amount of effort and coaching savvy can easily overcome.
``We're playing Duke basketball,'' Krzyzewski said. ``We're a little bit thin, but we'll be OK.''
Duke is thinner than anytime in recent memory. The Blue Devils are just seven deep. Only three of those players - Jeff Capel, Ricky Price and Chris Collins - had played much prior to this season. The presence of former Blue Devil greats Grant Hill and Mike Gminski at Cameron Wednesday night underscored the fact that there are no surefire NBA types on Duke's current roster.
Krzyzewski, then, can hardly be blamed for sounding like a coach who is building a program, rather than maintaining one.
``We're trying to build a good foundation, and become a good team,'' he said. ``We'll try to do it this year, but I think I can be a little more patient now and keep it in more perspective than a few years ago.''
A few years ago, of course, Duke was winning national championships and Krzyzewski was at the pinnacle of his profession. He was also, he admits now, headed for burnout and physical collapse.
His time away from the game gave Krzyzewski a fresh perspective and the patience to deal with a struggling team - patience he might not have had a few years ago, he said.
``It's tough to say,'' he said. ``What we had then was really good talent, and we were older and mature. We had juniors and seniors that had been through stuff.
``Our program right now needs to go through stuff together.''
Duke's already gone through a roller-coaster season that opened with three impressive wins in the Great Alaska Shootout.
Since then, however, the Blue Devils haven't beaten a quality opponent. They've recorded wins over South Carolina State, Delaware, Western Carolina, Monmouth and Northeastern, while losing to Illinois, Michigan, Clemson, Georgia Tech and Wake Forest.
The loss of Tony Moore to academic troubles and Trajan Langdon to a leg injury didn't help.
The loss of the 6-foot-7 Moore left Duke with a frontline manned by 6-10 center Greg Newton, a junior with little playing experience, and 6-10 freshman Taymon Domzalski. Langdon, although just a sophomore, was a stabilizing presence on offense.
And Duke has struggled offensively, shooting 38 percent from the field in ACC games.
``We just need to shoot with confidence,'' senior Chris Collins said. ``Our offense is working, because we're getting good shots.''
Krzyzewski said the shots will start falling.
``I want our players to realize that missed shots are not mistakes.''
He also wants them to realize that there are still plenty of ACC games remaining.
``Our team can't be dismayed by losses and what other people put on it. This team has to develop at its own pace and just keep trying, which I think we're doing.
``I'm not down on my team.''
Neither are the players. But for them, patience is harder to come by.
``We've tried to put last year out of our minds,'' Collins said. ``Until we step up and do what it takes to win, people are going to talk about last year.''
Still, talking about it is better than repeating it. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
Mike Krzyzewski
by CNB