Duke Blue Planet BLOG

The young phenom Kyrie Irving made the rounds on ESPN today to discuss his time at Duke and the upcoming NBA Draft.  The New Jersey native is expected to be selected with the No. 1 pick on June 23rd.

While talking with ESPN’s Mike & Mike Show, Kyrie said, “I love everything about Duke.  My freshman year was so special to me on and off the court… Coach K played a tremendous role with me being a young kid coming into a situation like that where I was handed the keys right away.  Basically I loved everything about him because he never tried to change my game.  I played the same way I played in high school, just at a higher level.  That’s something I wanted to do and it was a transition for me that was easier than for other freshmen around the country.  So our relationship was really special and continues to grow today.”

LISTEN: Kyrie on ESPN’s Mike & Mike Show

Kyrie on ESPN.com/SportsCenter…

On June 20th, college football’s all-time wins leader and a coach on the verge of college basketball’s career wins mark will share the stage for an upcoming ESPN special. Coach K and Joe Paterno will meet on June 20th on the campus of Penn State for “Difference Makers: Life Lessons with Paterno and Krzyzewski.”

ESPN’s Rece Davis will host the event and former Duke players Jay Bilas and Jason Williams will appear at the taping. The hour-long show will air at 8 PM.

Coach K said in a statement, “Certainly, I am humbled to share the stage with one of the greatest coaches of all-time in any sport and at any level.  I have ultimate respect for Coach Paterno and everything he’s accomplished at Penn State.  Beyond all the victories and accolades, he is a great leader and teacher.  I look forward to spending time with him, and learning from him, at such a special event that involves students from both campuses.”

PHOTOS: K ACADEMY IX

The last time Coach Wojo, Lance Thomas and Brian Zoubek teamed up, Duke won a national title in Indianapolis. Wojo worked closely with LT and Zoubs during practice as their big man coach and ultimately the Blue Devil frontcourt was the difference for Duke in the 2010 Big Dance.

The group reunited this past week in Durham as a coaching staff in K Academy IX.  The event brings together former Duke players who serve as coaches of around 80 “campers” (men 35 and up) every June.  31 former players returned to reunite with the Duke family and also to connect with a group of campers who are extremely successful in their various businesses and fields.  The event also raises money for the Emily K Center (around $400,000 this year!), and provides a unique platform for some fun hoops, great networking and lasting friendships.

The coaches of Team Indy ended up right where many Duke fans last saw them… On top of a ladder cutting the nets down.  Their squad became the first team in K Academy to go undefeated, steamrolling to a perfect 8-0 record.  Led by co-MVPs Justin Kitch and Rick Schnall, Team Indy won the coveted K Academy Cup.  It’s like the Stanley Cup, only a little bit easier to win and slightly less famous.

Team Indy huddles up after winning K Academy IX

Coach K presents the prestigious K Academy Cup to this year's champs

PHOTOS: K Academy IV – Day 1

The ninth annual K Academy is officially underway with yesterday’s evaluation games and player draft.  The latest edition of the Duke Basketball fantasy hoops camp is our biggest ever in terms of numbers with 83 campers and 31 former players on campus.

The 31 former Blue Devils here this week combined for over 38,000 points, 15,000 rebounds and 7,000 assists as Duke players.  In the group are five jersey retirees (Mike Gminski, Danny Ferry, Christian Laettner, Grant Hill and Jason Williams), 13 national champions, six 2,000-point scorers and 11 All-America selections.

News Articles from K Academy Media Session
*Coach K’s lineup not set
*Scheyer sees bright future
*Coach Capel happy to be home

Grant Hill chats with Coach K at K Academy IX

The Blue Devil coaching staff headed down to Miami this past week to check out Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals.  The Bulls and the Heat feature some of the world’s best players, including a combined six of 10 starters who have played for Coach K within the past seven years.

Between his coaching at Duke and with USA Basketball, Coach K has coached Carlos Boozer (Duke and Olympics), Chris Bosh (Olympics), Luol Deng (Duke), LeBron James (Olympics), Derrick Rose (World Championship) and Dwyane Wade (Olympics).  That’s a strong group of six right there and each player won a hoops championship with Coach K!

The Duke staff was courtside in Miami for Game 4 (Coach Capel tweeted this photo from his seat during the game)