Mike Krzyzewski: "I'm a Huge Fan of Kevin Keatts"

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski met with the media following the No. 8 Blue Devils' 88-73 win over NC State Saturday afternoon.

NOTE: Click on the video in the player above to watch Krzyzewski’s press conference. An abridged transcript is posted below.

Opening Statement

It was a very hard-played game. I’m a huge fan of Kevin [Keatts] and a good friend. I think he’s one of the best coaches and one of the classiest guys in college basketball. His team plays that way. They’ve been in more close games than anybody. They’re 2-5 now, but they could be 5-2 real easily. We knew we were going to play a really good team. [Dereon] Seabron’s a pro. He’s a very unusually good player. He impacts every phase of the game: scoring, rebounding, assisting, and playing defense. It’s very difficult to guard him. I thought we did a decent job on him. In [Terquavion] Smith, you have what I call a microwave. I haven’t seen everybody in the league, but from the teams I’ve seen, there’s not another guy like him. He can just, “Boom, boom, boom… points!” Every time he gets it, he scares you. He’s good. [Jericole] Hellems is the old ACC pro, just solid. They’re good, and I thought overall we did a good job defensively on them.

Keatts just referred to your frontcourt as an NBA frontcourt, and one of the major stories surrounding NC State this season is the impact of Manny Bates’ season-ending injury. With all that in mind, how would you assess the performance of the Wolfpack’s two young five-hole players in Ebe Dowuona and Jaylon Gibson?

Well, I think Dowuona had his best game. He had three dunks, and we came over and helped, and usually a young kid might stand and watch. He was like a jet. Those were three big-time plays. To me, it shows he has really good potential. He set great screens and rolls. I think they have something in that, and [Ernest] Ross was hurt, and he’s also a good, young player. I think they’re a really good team. A lot of teams losing close games would lose heart or would splinter a little bit. To me, they’re a together group. They played hard. Our big guys were a key factor tonight. There’s no question.

You’ve had some great battles with NC State through the years, especially in the 80’s with your friend, Jim Valvano. The matchups with Keatts are arguably as memorable as any of those. What is it about his coaching style and philosophy makes the Wolfpack difficult to play against?

I can’t tell you how much I think of him. During the last two years with ACC coaches meetings and phone calls, he and I have developed a great friendship. I think he’s going to be one of the leaders as we get rid of the old guys. I hope he expresses his voice because he understands what’s good for the game. I think his guys love him, and they play hard. The teams he had in Wilmington were unbelievable. I really think the world of him, and I’ll pull for him. He’s a really genuine guy.