Mike Krzyzewski was not happy with the environment his team had to play in, as Duke dominated Cal State Fullerton 78-61 in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
After losing to Virginia Tech last week in the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament, Krzyzewski was happy with his team's effort, but he was upset with the crowd and the conditions on the court.
There was no crowd when the guys were warming up.
The previous game between USC and Miami ended around 90 minutes before Duke's game tipped off. Hundreds of fans crowded the entry points to get into the arena, with long lines remaining midway through the first half. The sparse crowd for shoot around and the early action made for a calm setting as his team began their tournament run.
If there is a way to change that in the future, it should be because the kids from both teams need to go out on the court.
There was a potential for serious injury as a result of the Duke players slipping on the court, and Krzyzewski said there was a chance of it happening.
Krzyzewski said that someone should look at it. We need to be concerned about that.
The Duke coach joked that he had phoned Nike to make sure the slips weren't due to shoe issues. There was a real risk to some of his current stars, too, despite the jokes.
Krzyzewski said that Paolo Banchero slipped in front of the Duke bench during warm-ups, and that junior Wendell Moore had a nasty fall that sent him to the sideline.
Moore said he was doing better. I thought it was okay when I got it moving again in the second half. I will get it checked out later. I will be good to go Sunday either way.
Duke was praised for his performance after the win.
The Hokies beat Duke in the final of the conference tournament. The grind of a long season and the massive spotlight on his team were both attributed to the struggles of Krzyzewski's career.
When they won the regular season, I thought they took a deep breath. We played three games in the Atlantic Coast Conference right away. I thought we did that this week because there wasn't a time to change. It was good enough for tonight. Hopefully we can build on it.
40 minutes of tournament experience was the biggest lesson, Krzyzewski said. Duke hadn't played a tournament game in over a year, and only three players had previously played in a tournament game.
One game was only the first step. Duke needs to win five more to win a sixth national title.
Even if the journey is just beginning, Friday's game offered a sense that was possible.
Moore said it was a step in the right direction. I feel like everything we worked on in practice translated into the game today. We can keep building on what we have learned. I think we will reach our full potential soon.
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