The Duke basketball program should change its Senior Night celebration in the 2021-22 season.
Throughout the upcoming Duke basketball season, there will be many celebrations honoring the legacy of head coach Mike Krzyzewski, all of which are extremely well deserved.
Krzyzewski’s last game in Cameron Indoor Stadium will be on the first Saturday in March against the North Carolina Tar Heels, and it might be the biggest day of the year in Durham, North Carolina.
However, with that matchup being the last game of the season, it’s also slated to be the team’s Senior Night, which doesn’t seem fair for anyone involved.
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This year should be different.
After a season where everyone had to adjust and make changes on the fly, Duke should do the right thing and change its 2021-22 Senior Night celebration so the players and the Hall of Fame head coach can be honored in the proper fashion.
How the Duke basketball program should honor its seniors in 2021-22
Instead, Duke should recognize Joey Baker, Theo John, and Bates Jones at the penultimate home game of the season so the Hall of Famer can have one night dedicated to him and the senior trio can have a full night dedicated to them.
John and Jones will spend one season at Duke after coming from Marquette and Davidson, respectively. But Baker has been a Blue Devil for four years, and it hasn’t been easy for Fayetteville, North Carolina native.
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Joey Baker was planning to redshirt his freshman season before injuries forced him into action midway through the season, and he has yet to consistently live up to his role as a spot-up and knockdown shooter from 3-point range.
However, Baker is a fan favorite and should be given his own night of recognition that does not fall on the same day as Mike Krzyzewski’s last game in Cameron.