Duke Basketball: Critics force Mike Krzyzewski into late retirement

Each new public detractor may add another year to the Hall of Fame career of Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski.

It’s time to give the ever-chirping critics of the Duke basketball program the credit they deserve for this:

Coach K looks as spry as a cricket this season.

Maybe Mike Krzyzewski’s chipper appearance is just a result of his purposeful avoidance of hostile road environments in non-conference play; ironically, though, it seems that those who schedule regular roasts of the 71-year-old’s scheduling tactics actually help extinguish the chance that he will soon either alter his approach to scheduling or schedule his retirement.

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But maybe lengthening his tenure is all part of his attackers’ plan. After all, a myriad of writers and on-air personalities have made a pretty penny off besmirching his name over the years — including, but not limited to, the bashing of his play-calling immediately following the title game in 2010, the lambasting of his recruitment of one-and-done talents in recent years, the spewing of anger at him for using a word like “blip” to describe an FBI investigation, and, most recently, the taking away of credit to him for his team’s recent game-winning shot.

As for this Ball Durham writer, who has developed a keen eye over the years for subtleties in the press-conference demeanor of my lifelong hero, I’ve noticed an amplified twinkle in his eyes when fielding questions from reporters. It is my belief that this gleam suggests Coach K thoroughly enjoys making fools out of the increasing number of nitpickers who benefit from feeding Duke-haters’ ever-increasing appetite for anti-K rhetoric.

As long as these folks keep it up, my hopes for the Duke basketball program keeping its legend on the bench for years to come will stay afloat.

ALSO READ: AP cheapens own reputation by insulting Coach K

Sure, some of the credit for his youthful glow this season belongs to his current team, which sports a 14-1 record and is on pace to set a program record for average margin of victory (25.1 to date; the ’99 squad’s final mark, which currently ranks No. 1, was 24.6).

Also adding bounce to Krzyzewski’s step was the game-winning 3-pointer from freshman Cam Reddish at Florida State on Saturday — which, if you believe the critics, was a result of poor defense from the Seminoles and not a genius drawing on a clipboard from Coach K. And the viral 360-dunk from fellow freshman Zion Williamson on Jan. 5 in front of the Cameron Crazies probably also buoyed his spirits.

Furthermore, the other beyond-their-years freshmen starters, R.J. Barrett and Tre Jones, surely add to Krzyzewski’s current joy by adding to the hopes that a sixth national championship will soon be added to the portfolio of the already all-time winningest coach (1,114 victories entering the No. 1 Blue Devils’ 7 p.m. home game against Syracuse on Monday).

Plus, what seems destined to be Coach K’s fourth consecutive No. 1 recruiting class is likely further illuminating his outlook on the future.

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On top of all his achievements and reasons for high hopes, Krzyzewski surpassed John Wooden on Monday for the most weeks leading a team to a No. 1 ranking in the AP Top 25 Poll. His record of 122 weeks in the top spot is now exactly double the number of Adolph Rupp and more than twice that of Dean Smith (60) and Roy Williams (59).

His team even garnered a No. 4 ranking this week from the AP voter who had refused to put the Blue Devils on his ballot at all until after they played their first true road game (the first two such games came last week).

Hey, Graham Couch, that’s a pretty remarkable jump from unranked to three spots behind the top spot. Are you sure you can’t find another reason to exclude the Blue Devils from your ballot in the future by denigrating the accomplishments of this team and Coach K in general?

You’d surely get more clicks on your work if you did.

Better yet, in the process, I think you’d add to your work’s future earning potential by adding to the number of years before Krzyzewski calls it quits.

ALSO READ: When is Coach K most likely to retire?

And for that reason, as a fanatical supporter of Coach K and #TheBrotherhood he has built, I’d be willing to offer you a pretty penny if you — and all the other jealousy-stricken Duke-hating zealots — continue to concoct asinine reasons that the GOAT is actually nothing more than a mindless, gutless chicken.

Next. Top 10 game-winners of the Coach K era. dark

Because each new piece of criticism seems to serve Coach K with another sip from the fountain of youth.

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