Coach K on loss to Arizona, Irving’s future, size of Tournament
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski joined the show to talk about
— Dan asked Coach K if Kyrie Irving returning hurt the team’s chemistry. “No, definitely not,” Krzyzewski said. “It did help us tremendously. We wouldn’t have beaten Michigan without him.”
Coach K thinks the problem wasn’t the way the Blue Devils played. He thinks that Arizona played a perfect half.
— Dan asked if Irving will return to Duke. Coach K said they didn’t know yet. “Whatever he wants to do is good for me,” Krzyzewski said. He also pointed our Irving is a great student and has a lot to gain from staying.
Coach K said he tries to be honest with his players about the process. “We’d think he’d be a top five pick,” Krzyzewski said.
— Dan asked if 68 teams was too many teams in the Tournament and would there be more. “I don’t think it’s too many teams,” Coach K said. “I don’t think it should go above this.”
Coach K is worried that adding more team would take all the drama out of February and all the debate about the bubble and who gets in.
— Krzyzewski had a lot of praise for Butler. “I think [Matt] Howard is like [Shane] Battier was for me 10 years ago,” Coach K said. He also said Shelvin Mack is an All-American caliber player. He also said VCU is hot, so don’t count the Rams out. But he’s picking Butler.
— Krzyzewski thinks John Calipari has done his best job with this year’ s Kentucky team. He also thinks Jim Calhoun is doing a great job with UConn. He won’t pick the Connecticut-Kentucky game.
— He said that has sung “Take me out to the Ballgame” at a Cubs game and he won’t ever do it again.