DURHAM, N.C. — I’ve a detailed buddy whose birthday is July 4th.
He makes the identical joke yearly.
“Did you see all of the fireworks for me?”
I think about that is how Fayetteville native Joey Baker is feeling this week.
Amid the intensified fanfare of Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s last recreation at Cameron Indoor — with ticket costs starting from $3,890 to $99,998, at the least 80 former gamers that embrace Christian Laettner, Grant Hill, J.J. Redick and Grayson Allen planning to attend and salutes from throughout the sports activities worlds — Saturday’s contest towards rival UNC will even be Baker’s senior day.
The Duke reserve ahead is Coach Ok’s final true four-year senior, a relic of faculty basketball’s previous earlier than one-and-done recruiting and the switch portal grew to become vogue for the game.
“It is a celebration that he deserves,” Baker mentioned Thursday of Coach Ok. “It is a actually cool second in sports activities historical past. I am simply excited to have the ability to go on the market and play in it.”
Baker, together with graduate transfers Theo John and Bates Jones, will probably be celebrated Saturday however Baker is aware of they will be a footnote on a historic day.
This recreation will probably be all about celebrating Krzyzewski’s many accomplishments during the last 42 years at Duke: 5 nationwide titles, 1,197 wins, numerous NBA draft picks, Olympic gold medals and a legacy that may keep in mind him as arguably the best faculty basketball coach of all time.
“Truly, I mentioned that to my employees this morning,” Coach Ok mentioned Thursday. “I mentioned, ‘Who would have ever thought it’s my senior day?’ I received’t be involved about me utilizing up all my vitality in warmups. I’ve tried not to consider it that a lot, however I do know will probably be emotional.”
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This season, nevertheless, remains to be about this crew and the journey collectively. Sure, they need their coach to depart Cameron a winner, however they know the remainder of this season will probably be what defines them for years to come back.
“This complete season, he (Krzyzewski) talked about it, effectively, type of sprinkled it in, that this season just isn’t about his final season,” Baker mentioned. “He is maintained that it is about us and our crew. That may’t change on Saturday. Clearly, we’ve got motivation to ship him out the proper method, however we nonetheless have to remain centered and play for one another.”
No. 2 Duke (26-4, 16-3 ACC) clinched the ACC regular-season title earlier this week and would be the No. 1 seed on the ACC Event with a double-bye into the quarterfinal spherical. If the Blue Devils win out, they will have an out of doors shot at incomes a No. 1 seed on Choice Sunday for the NCAA Event later this month, placing them in prime place to ship the varsity a sixth nationwide title.
Baker has but to resolve if he’ll return for his fifth 12 months at Duke, but when he does, this crew will look fully totally different. The Blue Devils have as many as 4 first-round draft picks on this squad together with potential No. 1 total decide Paolo Banchero and A.J. Griffin, who has skyrocketed up draft boards the final two months and might be a top-five choice.
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The stress to win Saturday, and each recreation for the remainder of the season, will relaxation on the shoulders of a crew with a median birthdate beneath the authorized ingesting age. Coach Ok’s job will probably be to defend them, as a lot as attainable, from that stress.
“They’re enjoying the sport, I’m not enjoying the sport,” he mentioned. “I’m answerable for ensuring that they’ve the most effective likelihood to win that recreation and I’ve bought to maintain my eyes on the street for that.”
It appears, at the least on the floor, to be working. Duke enters Saturday’s recreation on a seven-game win streak; its final loss coming to Virginia (69-68) two days after beating UNC 87-67 on Feb. 5.
“We positively aren’t feeling any stress, as a result of we’ve got one another to lean on,” junior ahead Wendell Moore mentioned. “The primary factor we need to do is go on the market and have enjoyable. On the finish of the day, it is nonetheless a basketball recreation for us.”
David Thompson is an award-winning reporter for the USA Right this moment Community overlaying NC State and Duke athletics. He might be reached at dthompson1@gannett.com, at 828-231-1747, or on Twitter at @daveth89.
