ELItorial: Coach K's costly choices doomed Devils

Although many attribute the victory to an outstanding performance by Connecticut, I consider the game a loss by Duke's coaches more than a UConn victory. Duke had the opportunity to take the game into its own hands, and with the depth of talent on its roster, there was no excuse for the mistakes the team has made during Monday night's loss. Krzyzewski, one of the greatest coaches in recent NCAA history, seemed to have poorly prepared his team, and made several decisions which may have cost the Blue Devils the game. Krzyzewski's blunders showed just how equally important coaches' decisions are to both victories and losses.

The Blue Devils faltered in several aspects of the game, from offensive rebounding to missing nearly two-thirds of their shots in the second half. But the clincher in the defeat was Krzyzewski's decision-making in the final minute: he made few substitutions and called no timeouts. Because the Blue Devil coach didn't go to the bench enough throughout the game, his starters entered the game's critical moments looking as devilishly blue in the face as their mascot. Lacking stamina and strength, they were unable to hold off Connecticut's final offensive run. Some of Duke's finest--particularly freshman reserve Corey Maggette--sat on the bench near the end of the game. Kryzewski barely tapped into the talented pool of players on his bench.

Just as damaging was his failure to call a timeout with 24 seconds left and set up a strong scoring play, which left Trajan Langdon '99 to bring the ball down the court on his own. Langdon traveled with five seconds to go, and Duke watched its chance at victory shrivel up. Trailing by only one, Duke simply needed to keep the ball in its offensive end and sink a two-point shot to take the game. Krzyzewski let his players try to figure it out for themselves--and they proved just how significant some coaching advice would have been.

The bottom line? Coaching plays a bigger factor than the average sporting fan thinks. Great players make basketball teams good; great coaches make basketball teams great. No matter how much talent is on a college basketball team, it will not bring home a championship without a strong and sound-minded leader behind the bench. Even professional athletic teams made up of players far older and wiser than Duke can't get the job done without the right coach.

Look at the NHL's Los Angeles Kings several years ago. Overflowing with talent, from Luc Robitaille to Kelly Hrudey to Tony Granato, the Kings had the depth it takes to dominate the NHL. Then throw in a decade of Wayne Gretzky's offensive brilliance, and the Kings have no excuse for failing to make it even close to the Stanley Cup Finals all but once in the last 15 years. But when you look past the depth sitting on the bench and notice the ponytail-clad platinum member of L.A.'s trendiest fake-and-bake standing behind the bench, there's no question that Coach Barry Melrose's inability to tell the puck from an overcharred veggie burger prevented the Kings from making their mark in history.

There's no question that Mike Krzyzewski is the cream of the coaching crop. But even the best coaches make poor choices and have off-nights. Unfortunately, Krzyzewski's came on the most important night of the year, and the Blue Devils' loss was largely due to his poor decision-making in the final moments of the game. Duke's loss to UConn wasn't simply a mark of the Huskies' superiority. It shows the crucial difference a coach can often make between a loss and a win--something most Yale basketball fans and players know all too well.

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