Duke beats Texas Tech 78-73 to send Coach K to Elite 8

SAN FRANCISCO — Mike Krzyzewski has spent greater than 4 many years at Duke telling his gamers what to do, with championship-level outcomes.

Together with his Corridor of Fame profession in peril of coming to an finish, Krzyzewski let his gamers dictate the game-closing defensive technique of switching from an uncharacteristic zone protection into Duke’s well-known man-to-man.

The important thing defensive stops and two late baskets by Jeremy Roach moved Krzyzewski inside one win of his record-setting thirteenth journey to the Ultimate 4 in his farewell season with a 78-73 win over Texas Tech on Thursday evening.

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Krzyzewski mentioned the gamers got here to him throughout a late timeout like a “Catholic boys’ choir,” asking in unison for the change to man that led to a few straight stops and turned the sport in Duke’s favor.

“With this crew they’re so younger they usually’re nonetheless rising,” Krzyzewski mentioned. “Each time they’ll personal one thing, they’re going to do it higher than if we simply run it. After they mentioned that, I felt they’re going to personal it. They’ll make it work, and that’s most likely extra vital than technique throughout that point. In order that’s the way in which I checked out it.”

Roach did the remainder with two jumpers throughout a 7-0 run because the regular sophomore got here by within the clutch for a second straight sport to ship second-seeded Duke (31-6) into an Elite Eight matchup in opposition to fourth-seeded Arkansas.

Paolo Banchero led Duke with 22 factors, Mark Williams scored 16 and Roach added 15 because the Blue Devils made their ultimate eight photographs from the sphere to carry off third-seeded Texas Tech (27-10) and provides Coach Ok his report one centesimal NCAA Event victory.

“I’d say all 12 months within the largest moments we’ve all the time stepped up, and there’s no greater second than this,” Banchero mentioned. “I don’t learn about these guys, however I’ve by no means performed in a basketball sport like that.”

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As compelling because the motion on the court docket was on this taut West Area semifinal, the story of this Blue Devils run has surrounded the farewell tour of their Corridor of Fame coach.

Krzyzewski introduced final June he would retire after this season. After lacking the event final 12 months, Duke was again with a roster stuffed with NBA prospects and able to delivering Krzyzewski his sixth title.

Duke performed from behind for a lot of the primary half however was a lot sharper offensively within the second half. Williams acquired free for 3 straightforward baskets early within the half to get the Blue Devils rolling.

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski, center, and assistant coaches react through the first half of a faculty basketball sport between Duke and Texas Tech within the Candy 16 spherical of the NCAA event in San Francisco, Thursday, March 24, 2022.
(AP Picture/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

Then the vocal Duke contingent readily available for the primary NCAA Event video games in San Francisco since 1939 made its presence recognized halfway by the half when A.J. Griffin tied the sport at 47 along with his third 3-pointer and Banchero adopted with a jumper that gave Duke the lead.

However a Purple Raiders crew that includes 4 tremendous seniors and 5 gamers with greater than 120 profession video games did not go away and the sport stayed tight as Duke used the zone to negate Texas Tech’s energy benefit.

“They’ve a Corridor of Fame coach in Coach Ok over there and he was looking for a option to gradual us down as a result of we had been scoring,” guard Adonis Arms mentioned. “I simply assume if we might have simply acknowledged it a bit faster, it will have been nice. Nevertheless it was an incredible adjustment from Coach Ok.”

Kevin McCullar and Banchero traded 3s with Banchero’s long-range shot placing Duke up 69-68 with lower than three minutes to play.

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That is when Duke made the change again to man protection. Roach made two jumpers and the protection did the remainder with Krzyzewski even throwing in a patented Duke flooring slap for good measure. Bryson Williams had a shot blocked by Mark Williams, dedicated a turnover and shot an airball.

“The slapping the ground, what the hell? Why not?” Krzyzewski mentioned. “Our guys actually wished that as a result of it’s form of like a cross the bridge to the brotherhood. They will now say they did that.”

Griffin’s two free throws with 12.9 seconds to play gave Duke a 77-73 lead. Arms then missed a 3-pointer and Krzyzewski gave an emphatic fist pump to have fun his seventeenth journey to the Elite Eight.

Duke guard Jeremy Roach, center, is defended between Texas Tech guard Adonis Arms (25) and guard Kevin McCullar Jr. (15) through the second half of a faculty basketball sport within the Candy 16 spherical of the NCAA event in San Francisco, Thursday, March 24, 2022.
(AP Picture/Tony Avelar)

Bryson Williams scored 21 factors to guide Texas Tech and McCullar added 17. Kevin Obanor had 10 factors and 10 rebounds for his sixth double-double in six profession event video games.

BIG PICTURE

Texas Tech: Coach Mark Adams’ first season has been a exceptional one as he introduced in 4 senior transfers after taking on what had been a thinned-out roster following Chris Beard’s departure for Texas. The Purple Raiders made it to their third Candy 16 prior to now 4 tournaments.

“I believed it was an unbelievable 12 months,” Adams mentioned. “It’s only a crew that simply reached every kind of heights nobody ever thought was potential.”

Duke: The Blue Devils have been carrying a heavy accountability attempting to cap Krzyzewski’s ultimate season with a championship. The younger gamers confirmed some nerves early, lacking 4 of 5 photographs and committing three turnovers, resulting in a fast timeout by Krzyzewski. They rapidly steadied issues and acquired proper again into the sport however struggled to generate any constant offense till the second half.

BLOCK OR CHARGE?

There was a lighthearted second within the first half when Roach got here up with a unfastened ball and was attempting to take it up court docket in transition. Roach stepped on the sideline after which bumped into an official earlier than falling down proper subsequent to Duke’s bench.

The official dominated for the ball to return to Texas Tech however Krzyzewski jokingly signaled for a block on the referee as an alternative.

UP NEXT

Duke will play Arkansas on Saturday for a spot within the Ultimate 4. The one earlier event assembly between the faculties got here within the 1994 title sport that Arkansas received 76-72.