Coach K and the Duke Blue Devils' win over Michigan State was significant for various reasons. But the biggest may have been cementing him as potentially the best coach ever. The win was coach Mike Krzyzewski's one-thousand-two-hundredth win, the most all-time in college basketball.
The high-profile final clash between Coach K's Duke and Coach Izzo's Michigan State was able to live up to the moment, as the game was among the best of the NCAA tournament so far. The game had legendary coaches and their star players like Paulo Banchero, AJ Dillon, Marcus Bingham Jr., and Gabe Brown leading their teams.
In the end, Coach Mike Krzyzewski was able to pull out his one-thousand-two-hundredth win by defeating Coach Tom Izzo and Michigan State. After the game, CBS' Adam Schein took the time to acknowledge the greatness of Coach Krzyzewski and his time at Duke.
Coach K's retirement from Duke is looming at the end of the season. Due to that, there is some extra significance for every game the Blue Devils play, with the Spartans unable to retire the legendary coach. The next game they play could be their coach's last, so many Blue Devils are finding ways to win.
There were doubts about the team's mentality going into the tournament, but they appear to be getting on the same page at the right time this season. Reaching the Sweet 16 and earning a one-thousand-two-hundredth win are two important milestones for the team and coach. But they want to end the year with one last championship for Coach Mike Krzyzewski.
Coach K and Duke fight for one last championship
The Blue Devils' victory over the Michigan State Spartans may be one of the biggest of their Hall of Fame coach's career, but they do not want the win to be the team's last. They will now prepare for a potentially tricky matchup in the Sweet 16 against an opponent also looking to win one for their coach.
Coach K will lead the Duke Blue Devils into a game against Texas Tech and their first-year head coach Mark Adams. The Texas Tech Red Raiders lost their previous head coach to their in-state rival, the University of Texas. Mark Adams chose to stay at Texas Tech instead of joining Texas, which is a critical motivation.
Both programs love their head coaches and are willing to give them everything they need to try and reach the Elite 8. The Blue Devils want to get a potential rematch with Gonzaga in the Elite 8 and beat them again for a spot in the Final Four, so they must defeat the Red Raiders to prove that they are who they believe they are.
Dawn Staley, Geno Auriemma, or Kim Mulkey - who is NCAAW's highest-paid coach? Find out here