Coach K at ACC media day: League is "wide open"

Krzyzewski thought there were 5 title contenders last year

Coach Mike Krzyzewski is looking forward to a very competitive ACC this season.

“I thought we really had five teams last year that by the end of the year could have been National Championship teams. This year I think it's wide open. It'll be -- to go to 20 games, and I think the league will be more balanced, and as a result there will be some great basketball throughout. There aren't the veteran teams that we had last year, so I think staying healthy and how -- like for us how our young guys develop will be two keys for us.”

Despite the competition, Duke will have high expectations, just like most years.
“Our program has been one of the best ones,” Krzyzewski said, “and it's not the only one, but it's one of them, and I think if you're going to have an outstanding program you have to have high expectations. When you don't do it, then there will be big disappointments. But you're dealing at that level. Each year we have a different team.”

As Krzyzewski said at the team’s media day last month, the chemistry of this year’s team has been good.
“I like my group,” he said. “Not that I didn't like my group last year, but this group is -- they really like one another, and they -- there's not the separation that we've had from our starting five to our bench like we've had in the last few years. The balance and togetherness hopefully will produce something really good for us.”