Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski did not return to the court after halftime because he was not feeling well. (0:18)
The Duke coach joked that he had made it to the end of the game.
In Duke's narrow win over Wake Forest, Krzyzewski went to the locker room at halftime and never returned to the court. He attributed the early departure to exhaustion.
He joked after the win over Florida State that he was retiring. Nothing else. I feel great.
Duke played five games in 11 days and Krzyzewski said he hadn't adjusted his habits, which wore him down.
We get back to more of a normal schedule now, so I think I will be good. I am trying to be a good person.
Duke was very good on Saturday. Unlike Tuesday, when the Blue Devil blew a 19-point lead and narrowly escaped with a win over the Demon Deacons, the battered FSU team offered no drama. Duke had six players in double figures, grabbed 15 offensive boards and finished with 25 assists while shooting 52% for the game.
The Duke crowd was loud from the beginning of the game.
Blue Devil senior forward Joey Baker said he noticed it during warm-ups. I am interested to see what it will be like against North Carolina.
Saturday's win left just one last milestone on the court that bears his name, as Krzyzewski has worked to keep his impending retirement a secondary story throughout this season. The Duke crowd will say farewell to the legendary coach on March 5, before the road dates begin.
When asked about the next time he takes to the court here, Krzyzewski tried to keep his emotions in check, but then he got nostalgic.
He said there was plenty of time for that. Some of the games have been a little bit emotional. You want to savor that feeling because you only have one chance to walk out on that court and have that feeling.
It makes me realize how lucky I have been to do it hundreds of times. How lucky have I been to have that moment? I have had those moments hundreds of times. It has been a pleasure to be the coach here. A lucky guy. I have been very lucky.
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