HOUSTON– Mike Krzyzewski insisted all along the drought didn’t bother him.
Sure, he hadn’t been to a Final Four since 2004. But there was no need to put extra pressure on this Duke team just because the last five fell short.
Hey, Coach K, look who’s chasing another national championship.
Duke’s Nolan Smith, left, reacts in front of Baylor’s Ekpe Udoh after Duke won 78-71. Smith led all scorers with 29 points.
Duke restored some order to a topsy-turvy NCAA tournament on Sunday, getting a career-high 29 points from Smith in a 78-71, victory over Baylor that put Krzyzewski and the Blue Devils back in college basketball’s biggest event.
“It’s not about the moments that I’ve been in, it’s the moments that your players put you in right now,” Krzyzewski said. “I’m really happy for this group. … It’s as close a team as I’ve had. You want great things to happen for people who are great with us.”
Jon Scheyer added five three-pointers and scored 20 for Duke, ending Baylor’s run to redemption in the South Regional final. The Blue Devils became the only No. 1 seed to advance to Indianapolis and earned their 11th Final Four berth under Krzyzewski.
“I don’t know if it’s a relief, but it’s nice that no one can say anymore that we haven’t been to a Final Four in so many years,” Kyle Singler said.
Now, Singler and his teammates get the chance at a championship that every player who goes through the program expects to have.
“I don’t know that it’s fully hit me,” said Scheyer, one of the three Duke seniors. “I’m sure after the year I’ll have a better appreciation. But right now, I’m just ecstatic.”
Smith hit the tiebreaking three with 3:33 remaining immediately after missing a free throw. Senior forward Lance Thomas grabbed the rebound – one of Duke’s 17 offensive boards after halftime.
“I can’t put it into words,” Thomas said. “It took us four years to get here and we’re not done yet.”
The Blue Devils will play East Regional champion West Virginia in the national semifinals Saturday night. They have won 11 of their last 12 regional finals under Krzyzewski, but haven’t won a national title since 2001.
Coach K made his first Final Four with Duke in 1986 and hadn’t had a gap this long between trips.
To end the drought, Duke had to win at Reliant Stadium – only 3 1/2 hours from Baylor’s campus. Most of the crowd of 47,492 was dressed in the green and gold of the Bears. (AP)