Emma: Coach K Adapted To Win Duke's 5th Championship
By Chris Emma--
INDIANAPOLS, Ind. (CBS) -- Standing before an empty stage at Lucas Oil Stadium's center court, away from the nets being cut down and a momentous celebration, Mike Krzyzewski posed for a picture more meaningful than any he's had in 35 years as Duke's head coach.
The 68-year-old Krzyzewski had just won his fifth national championship, a 68-63 win over Wisconsin, and called for his family to join him. He hugged his wife, Carol, and each of his three daughters and nine grandchildren. Then, the Krzyzewski family gathered for a photo together, each smiling ear to ear.
"When you're already happy, and you get happier, it's pretty damn good," Krzyzewski said.
What more could be said by the man who has it all? Krzyzewski is now second to only the Wizard of Westwood, John Wooden, in national championships won, adding to his two Olympic gold medals and spot to in the Naismith Hall of Fame and College Basketball Hall of Fame.
Krzyzewski is the gold standard of coaching success in modern sports, but he's not the same coach as he was when he led Duke to back-to-back titles in 1991 and 1992 or when he was a 28-year-old assistant to Bob Knight at Army.
Through 1,018 wins as a coach, Krzyzewski has adapted. The legendary coach didn't stay stubborn to his approach; he moved with the ever-changing climate of college basketball.
"The ability to adapt is key in everything," Krzyzewski said. "I think I've adapted well. I really believe in the last decade, having the honor and the opportunity to coach our nation's team has helped me adapt even more."
Before Duke hoisted its championship prize, Kentucky coach John Calipari -- he of the near-perfect season that ended to Wisconsin on Saturday -- was greeted with unmerciful boos as he was honored on the court during a timeout. Calipari is viewed by some as ruining college basketball by winning by exploiting the one-and-done rule, yet Krzyzewski is celebrated for his success. They use a similar strategy in building a program.
Duke's freshmen Blue Devils combined for 60 points and every single tally in the second half Monday. Jahlil Okafor is likely off to the NBA Draft next, perhaps as the top overall pick. Tyus Jones, named Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four, came to Durham with Okafor as a package deal.
"I just wanted to be a part of a special team," said Jones, who led all scorers with 23 points.
Justise Winslow, the underrated freshman, may go pro this June, too. And the unexpected star of the title game was Grayson Allen, who scored eight points in a row for Duke in a second-half rally. Duke reloaded after its embarrassing first-round loss to Mercer a year ago and came back as a championship team.
To the credit of Krzyzewski, he followed the model of success in modern college basketball, building a championship team primarily consisting of freshmen and sophomores. He sits down in a living room and recruits with a simple personal approach.
What does this group need from you?
In this case, it may just be a year or two of development for the NBA, with the mastermind Krzyzewski teaching and mentoring along that path. In return, he gets another championship-level team and guides groups to sustained success that only Wooden can top.
"As long as they give back, it's a pretty cool thing," Krzyzewski said.
The Blue Devils have. They came together early on, with bonds forged well before arriving on campus, and meshed as a team that would win college basketball's crown.
"All the top 20 recruits, the No. 1 class, I mean, they came in so humble," said Quinn Cook, the Blue Devils' lone upperclassman starter. "It was all about the team. All of them worked. All of them looked to the upperclassmen for advice. They didn't think they knew it all and things like that. They worked. I mean, they worked hard. It paid off tonight."
Added Jones: "I just trusted Coach K and everyone on the staff with all my heart."
It may be a mere coincidence, but the veteran Wisconsin team that won with four years of player development -- with no more perfect example than National Player of the Year Frank Kaminsky -- came up short to the young Blue Devils. Frank the Tank and his Badgers ran out of gas.
Instead, the blueblood Blue Devils reigned supreme in the final minutes on the biggest stage they'll take as a team. Krzyzewski and his new direction outlasted Bo Ryan and his Wisconsin group that kept improving over the course of four years. Duke is a champion once again.
Taking in another remarkable career milestone, Krzyzewski gathered his growing family for a lasting image. In 1991, that photo only included the coach, his wife and three daughters. But plenty has changed for college basketball's modern day Wooden.
Krzyzewski has changed, too, but his legacy is lasting.
Follow Chris on Twitter @CEmma670.
