As Mike Krzyzewski Strolls Down Memory Lane, Here Come Hogs

Razorbacks haven't played Duke often, but they have won more than they lost

Author:
Andy Hodges
Updated:
Mar 26, 2022 8:16 AM EDT
Original:
Mar 25, 2022

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. — There are teams during Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski's farewell tour he's lost more games against over the years.

Granted, they haven't played often. Most of that's because Arkansas basketball wasn't good enough for them to meet for a couple of decades.

Maybe it's different now.

Mike Krzyzewski-Duke — Kelley L. Cox / USA TODAY Sports

The Razorbacks, fresh off one of the NCAA Tournament shockers when they knocked off No. 1 Gonzaga on Thursday night, are 2-1 against Krzyzewski over the years.

That includes the national championship game in 1994. Yes, the one Scotty Thurman slammed the door shut on Duke in Charlotte.

This time it's the Blue Devils that have advanced from this point a year ago. Krzyzewski completely missed the tournament last year.

And he's changed with a talented group of youngsters.

At one point in a win over Texas Tech on Thursday night to advance, they came to him "like a Catholic boys choir" during a timeout and wanted to change defenses.

“Whenever they can own something, they’re going to do it better than if we just run it," Krzyzewski said later. "When they said that, I felt they’re going to own it. They’ll make it work, and that’s probably more important than strategy during that time. So that’s the way I looked at it.”

Jeremy Roach-Duke Celebrate — Kelley L. Cox / USA TODAY Sports

He changed.

Duke's Jeremy Roach hit a couple of big shots, then the defense kicked in and even Krzyzewski even did one of those patented floor slaps opposing fans hate so much.

"What the hell? Why not?” Krzyzewski said later. “Our guys really wanted that because it’s kind of like a cross the bridge to the brotherhood. They can now say they did that.”

But now they get the Hogs and the winner will go to the Final Four in New Orleans.

Krzyzewski has been there before. Hogs coach Eric Musselman is trying to get there for the first time.

Arkansas is 2-1 all time against Duke, a school that tends to have more people that hate them than love them.

One of the Hogs' wins was a meaningless NIT preseason game. The other was big.

Saturday night's matchup just might be bigger ... for both coaches.