Coach K 880 And Counting

Is it possible that Duke may be a better basketball team this year over last year and a National Championship? They just might be even with out their best player. Duke had little trouble in giving coach Mike Krzyzewski victory number 880 last night which moved him past Dean Smith and 22 short of the all time record of 902 held by Bobby Knight.

Coach K came to Duke in 1980 and everyone forgets he inherited a senior laden team that won 20 games his first season. I had an opportunity to talk with coach K the Monday after the Blue Devils accepted a bid to the NIT after his first season in 1981. While working for the radio station in Ahoskie we had some Duke fans that wanted to get Duke on the Radio for the NIT since there was no coverage of Duke at all in the Northeastern part of North Carolina.

I called the Duke basketball office and who do you think answered the phone but coach K. The world we live in now you are put on hold for twenty minutes and hear elevator music and about once a minute they break in to tell you how important you are to them to keep holding. After explaining what we wanted coach K put down the phone and went looking for the person we needed to talk to. He came back and said they would be right there and instead of putting me on hold he thanked me for wanting to put Duke on the radio. All together we talked about maybe ten minutes about the 80-81 Blue Devils before the person who could give us the rights to carry the game came on the line. It was probably the most enjoyable ten minutes that I have ever be waiting on a telephone.

ECU yesterday was a perfect advertisement why 6-6 teams should not be in a Bowl Game. Coming into the game the Pirates were giving up 43 points a game and yesterday 51. I have never liked the West Coast offense of most of your passes never crossing the line of scrimmage. Yesterday playing their hearts out for out going coach Ralph Fridgen Maryland was all over ECU short passing game.

In minor Bowl games most of the time the team that wins is the one who feels that they are playing a big named school and has something to prove. ECU proved nothing yesterday. The 51 points was the most ever scored by Maryland in a bowl game. The way the Maryland players played for Fridgen you wonder whether the new AD at Maryland will last.

Tonight the Tar Heels get their shot in the Music city Bowl in Nashville. Of all the bowl games this year this might be the most even game on paper of any that will be played. Kick off is 6.40. GO Heels!