Busy summer ahead for Duke's Krzyzewski

DURHAM -- In April there were reports that the New Jersey Nets and their Russian owner would be interested in hiring Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Krzyzewski said he was flattered, but he also said, "Nyet." Last week, Krzyzewski's name surfaced in speculation about the Cleveland Cavaliers' vacant coaching position.

But Krzyzewski on Wednesday reiterated the stance he took last summer, when he said Duke is going to be his final coaching stop.

"My position hasn't changed," he told reporters at the start of his yearly K Academy basketball camp.

Then he smiled.

"I hope Duke's [position] hasn't changed," Krzyzewski said. "You never know. Maybe they thought I only had one more [championship] left in me, and it's time to hit the trap door."

Nobody at Duke is trying to jettison Krzyzewski after the season the Blue Devils just completed.

With a 61-59 win over Butler on April 5 in Indianapolis, Duke captured its fourth NCAA title under Krzyzewski.

With Final Four most outstanding player Kyle Singler and high-scoring guard Nolan Smith returning, the Blue Devils will be a favorite to return to the Final Four in 2011. Krzyzewski said the team is going to alter its style of play because its strengths will be different.

Duke will lose frontcourt starters Brian Zoubek and Lance Thomas. In the backcourt, heralded, athletic freshman point guard Kyrie Irving is expected to replace steady, heady departing senior Jon Scheyer.

With Liberty transfer Seth Curry also becoming eligible, the Blue Devils will be deeper in the backcourt. So Krzyzewski will have them run the fast break more.

"We'll run and we'll press a lot more," Krzyzewski said. "We only had three perimeter guys [last season]. Well, four, but one was a converted big guy [Singler]. And actually it should be a strength [in 2010-11], depth on the perimeter."

Krzyzewski is getting ready for another busy summer as he prepares to coach the U.S. National team in the FIBA World Championships this summer.

The team will have a week of practice in mid-July. Then Krzyzewski will be on the road from Aug. 9 to Sept. 13 to prepare for and compete in the tournament in Istanbul, Turkey.

He said he will only miss a little bit of the prime summer recruiting period. Duke's NCAA title win in April quieted critics who wondered whether coaching Team USA was hindering Krzyzewski's job performance at Duke.

"I knew when I accepted the position with USA Basketball that it would really help Duke University and me," Krzyzewski said. "And if it's helping me it's going to help Duke. And we did. We were better. We learned a lot, and renewing that commitment, we hope it has the same impact. Which I think it will."

It appears that Krzyzewski's coaching of NBA players will be limited to that international setting.

Nonetheless, ESPN analyst and former Duke player and assistant coach Jay Bilas said the interest in Krzyzewski as an NBA candidate reflects positively on the program.

"If they ever stop asking and stop wondering what he's going to do next, well, maybe that's an indication that he has not been as successful," Bilas said.

Krzyzewski said he never floats his own name for consideration for these NBA jobs.

He said he enjoys the job he has now. He spoke glowingly of the camaraderie his team developed on the way to the 2010 championship.

He sounded eager to coach Singler and Smith again, mentioning that their class has won 93 games over three seasons. Krzyzewski is 868-279 overall in 35 seasons of coaching after completing his 30th season at Duke.

"We're going to have a really good team next year," Krzyzewski said, "and hopefully we're a group that will develop into the high-level team we had last year."

Dennis Mlynski, Krzyzewski's best friend who has been close to him since childhood, is in town for the K Academy.

Mlynski often tells Krzyzewski that he hasn't worked a day in his life because he's doing what he loves.

"I'm lucky," Krzyzewski said. "I'm very lucky."