The Blue Devils advance to the second round in the 36th and final NCAA tournament for Coach K.
“I mean, Duke is a very, very talented, athletic group,” Fullerton’s Damari Milstead said when asked to give advice to Duke’s second-round opponent coming Sunday. “So good luck.”In this old song played again early Friday evening, Krzyzewski’s team had more skill and more options than a game opponent, the Big West champion Titans who withstood a 72-71 fracas against top-seeded Long Beach State in the conference tournament final near Las Vegas.
“Then that damn floor was slippery, I mean, on both ends,” Krzyzewski said, soon joking, “I know it wasn’t the shoe. Nike called me and wanted to make sure it wasn’t the shoes.” They had one built-in advantage from the start, those sequoias in the middle to put the trembles into some of the shots. With Williams at 7-foot-1 and Banchero at 6-10, a Titans team that looked beautifully coached found resistance even after its beautifully crafted plays yielded the kinds of shots a coach might draw up. At least Fullerton had the defense for which it is reputed among careful students of college basketball.