After turning the ball over only 12 times in the last contest against Louisville, Duke had 14 first half turnovers.
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Allen watched from the bench in street clothes Saturday as Virginia Tech routed the Blue Devils 89-75. Associate head coach Jeff Capel will be in charge during Coach K’s absence – Duke expects him back in roughly four weeks.
Krzyzewski walked slowly and tried to sit comfortably with his discomfort during the game.
“I’ll be back”, he said.
Krzyzewski, who said he has been in pain for the past month, said he would keep in tune to what the team was doing while he’s out. You try to beat it and you can’t beat it. “For me, I’m still going to talk it up and lead the guys and teach what I can”.
DURHAM, NC, Sporting Alert – Grayson Allen returned to the Duke lineup after a one-game suspension and the eighth-ranked Blue Devils looked a much better team on Wednesday night. He found Harry Giles for an alley-oop layup for Duke’s first basket. Georgia Tech managed just 2 3-pointers on 35% shooting. Allen finished one assist shy of the career high he set December 6 against Florida.
“To be sure, the entire Duke community is supportive and eager to get Mike back as soon as possible”, Duke athletic director Kevin White said. The Golden State Warrior received a one-game ban during the NBA Finals a year ago after the league saw one too many blows to opposing groins. He is an aggressive player and that is something many coaches like to see from their players. While Allen had been told earlier in the week that he would be playing, no official word was given regarding his status until the Blue Devils’ official Twitter account sent out a short video highlighting the night’s starting five.
“If we just hit singles, stay simple and sound”, he said. “It is a lot of fun to play that way”.
Tuesday’s game was Giles’ first as a starter.
Despite having high expectations, the beginning of the season looked a bit bleak. Those Blue Devils went 4-15 during that span and became the last Duke team to miss the NCAA Tournament. “I know it was my fault”.
There were almost 15 seconds of silence as those of us involved in the call waited for him to expound on the topic, to be certain he indeed had said all he meant to say. Then, Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski tripped up all by himself when deciding Allen’s punishment. Krzyzewski said he postponed his surgery for a week “to move to this point, where we could get this moving the right way”.
There will certainly be plenty of debate about whether or not they brought him back too quick as well.
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This is not the first time Krzyzewski has had to step away from the team because of health issues related to his back. “. I am accustomed to listening to doctors’ orders”. “I want to be a head coach, one day, again”.
