Besides Being in the Final Four, Spartans and Blue Devils Share Other Common Ground As Well

Besides Being in the Final Four, Spartans and Blue Devils Share Other Common Ground As Well Lucas Oil Stadium Indianapolis, IN Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski and

Besides Being in the Final Four, Spartans and Blue Devils Share Other Common Ground As Well

Lucas Oil Stadium

Indianapolis, IN

Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski and Spartan head man Tom Izzo share a lot. Both are elite coaches who seem to live in the Final Four. They are close friends and both had teams that struggled at some point this season from the free throw line.

Co Krzyzewski addressed the psychology of free throw struggles. “I think it can start mechanical and end up being mental or start mental and be mechanical. Each kid's different. The bottom line is some kids can shoot better than others. Everyone that says the free throw is an easy shot, you're assuming every one is a good shot. It's not. It's a hard shot, especially in front of 70,000 people.”

For Izzo, I can personally attest from attending practice the problem wasn’t a lack of effort. It was simply psychosomatic. Izzo said, “In our case we had some problems early. As Mike just said, it went from a couple guys missing them, then became an epidemic a little bit. That means it was more mental. But we've worked our way through it in different ways. We worked on it. We begged them. We threatened them. We prayed with them. We did everything. I think at the end of the day, Jud Heathcote once told me, If you get the right guys to the line, you'll shoot better. I don't think we have that opportunity or option all the time. It's not something we're worried about. We are what we are and we'll go there.”

In a constantly evolving world of college basketball and the phenomena of one and done, can this two ICONIC coaches ever see a one and done player making the impact of a four year guy? Is that even reality? Or is a four year guys still best?

Izzo said, “Well, I think you can still have an impact. I was telling Mike earlier, Quinn Cook for me, you just appreciate him because we got a chance, meaning not there every day, to watch a kid grow throughout the year. For Travis Trice for me, I got a chance to do it from the inside looking out. There's some pretty impactful freshmen. Times have changed a little bit. I still think they can make an impact. I don't think we always appreciate it as much because we want them there longer, means fans, media, everybody else.”

Krzyzewski tried to stay political correct. “They have. Like our kids have, they're regional champs. I do think, though, that it helps them tremendously to have at least one upperclassman who is a key player, not just upperclassmen who are on the team. In this case, Quinn has helped these guys. I also believe a lot of the young kids who are exposed to USA Basketball come in a lot more mature than the normal freshmen. They're just exposed to more teamwork, different roles, more of a sense of reality than they are when they come from their regular high school programs.”

For Izzo isn’t as much about one and done. He thinks it’s simply about a player being committed to the team concept while at MSU. Do your job. “I still think you have to play your role. You can't be somebody you're not. Just like as coaches, we can't change and be somebody we're not. If I think back to my early years, our first championship was here, too, in this city, there are mistakes that were made. In fact, my first Final Four, we played you down in Tampa. I just felt like I was still doing hotel tickets on Friday night and game tickets Saturday morning. So you grow as a coach. I think the same as players, you grow, but I don't think you want to try to be somebody you're not. I don't think we will be. I don't think we have those kind of players. It's not a big ego group here. I think what he said about John's team, too, is interesting, because usually the superstars are supposed to have the big egos. I don't see a lot of big egos in this tournament. Probably the fewest I've seen in a lot of years.”

Izzo knows that his guys won’t be intimidated playing Duke. He just wants them to do their jobs. The Spartans are improved since they played in November, but they still have something to prove.

Izzo is 1-8 against the Blue Devils in his career and he says that when they step on the court Saturday they will have respect, but no fear. “The wars we've played, the number of times. There's a respect factor, too. Respect does not mean you give in, it just means you respect what they do. We have great respect for them because of what he's done over a period of time. I think that's where our program has gotten to, too.”

So we know the Spartans won’t be afraid, but can they win? It’s March so don’t bet against Izzo.