Duke basketball: Mike Krzyzewski updates health after leaving game early

Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski updated his health ahead of Saturday’s game. 

It was a scary sight in Durham on Tuesday night as Duke basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski was not feeling well during the first half against Wake Forest and did not coach in the second half due to his illness.

Associate head coach Jon Scheyer, who will be the head coach of the Blue Devils next season, took over as Duke used a last-second dunk by Mark Williams to win, 76-74.

Scheyer said after the game that Krzyzewski was able to address the team and was feeling better. But on Thursday, the Hall of Famer updated his own status on his weekly radio show, Basketball & Beyond with Coach K.

“I’m better,” Krzyzewski said in this week’s edition of the show. “We went through a very taxing part of our season with four games in eight days, late travel, and I still prepare the same way.”

He continued:

“That day for Wake [Forest], I wasn’t feeling that good. But during the game, in the first half, I got lightheaded on the bench, and I called Jon Scheyer and Chris Carrawell over and said, ‘Look, I’m not feeling great, you guys do more. Just don’t hold back.'”

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Duke held a nine-point halftime lead against the Demon Deacons and expanded that lead to as many as 19 in the second half before Wake began its comeback bid.

“And then I started feeling a little bit better during the half, and as I am walking off the court at halftime, it was the first time I had stood up, I really thought I could pass out,” Krzyzewski noted. “I got to the locker room, and the medical people gave me IVs. I’m better. You get exhausted. I don’t know if it was my way of celebrating my 75th birthday.”

Krzyzewski turned 75 years old on February 13. He also missed Duke’s matchup with Wake Forest in Winston-Salem due to illness as Scheyer assumed head coaching duties for the 76-64 victory in January.

Duke basketball head coach seems ready to get back on sidelines

Saturday night against Flordia State will be the penultimate game inside Cameron Indoor Stadium for Mike Krzyzewski, and it seems as if he will be back on the bench for Duke.

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“I’m better. Glad it was that. My guys did a really good job, and we were able to beat a really good Wake Forest team,” Krzyzewski added.

Tipoff is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. between the Blue Devils and Seminoles.