They'll be home for Christmas

Coach K is worthy of praise, even if you disagree with his timing.

December 15, 2020

Let me preface this by noting two things: First, I am a Duke graduate. I was lucky enough to spend four years in Durham from 2015 to 2019 and it’s a place that will forever hold a special place in my heart. Second, as a student, I covered Duke for three seasons and had a front-row seat (quite literally) to watch the likes of Jayson Tatum, Marvin Bagley III and Zion Williamson.

But I also got to sit in on many press conferences with Coach K. And over my three seasons on the beat, I’d like to think I learned a good bit about how he utilizes his time at the podium when there’s a particular message he wants to get out.

In the lead-up to the 2018-19 season, Coach K referred to the FBI’s college basketball corruption case as a “blip on the total radar of 353 schools.” It sparked plenty of outrage. Coach K is downplaying it! He doesn’t want to admit his school’s cheating too!

I had a different view of things. In part, I wrote the following:

[Coach K] is not, however, apathetic when it comes to problems surrounding the sport. Krzyzewski is not a hypocrite, turning his back to scandal and telling us, 'Everything's fine, nothing to see here.' Perhaps he is making an attempt to salvage college basketball's image, but maybe he is simply worn out.

Coach K may just be frustrated that, even a year after he first talked about these issues, nobody at the NCAA is listening, that his voice is being excluded from conversations which could shape the sport for years beyond his career.

Maybe he just made a comment that was taken out of context. But at the same time, Krzyzewski had a bigger message and it was important to him to express it, even if it meant he’d get flak for it.

The same thing happened after Duke lost to Illinois at home Tuesday when asked about the challenges of playing through COVID:

The replies were predictable. Alabama coach Nate Oats went so far as to question whether K would be saying the same if Duke hadn’t lost twice already this season. The Blue Devils canceled their one remaining nonconference game later in the week, and plenty of people had fun with that on Twitter.

But let’s put aside the question of whether or not we should be playing amidst a pandemic — that’s already happening.

What if, for just a second, we consider the idea that Coach K was doing what’s best for his players? Yes, Duke is 2-2 and maybe, just maybe, a young group of Blue Devils needs to get away from basketball for a few days. This is a team with eight underclassman scholarship players — all of whom have been sequestered with the rest of their teammates, unable to go anywhere but their dorms or the practice facility since August.

It’s actually fair to think that Duke wouldn’t be doing this if it were 4-0. Or maybe Coach K wants to send a message regardless, knowing full well it’ll come with backlash.

After the Blue Devils play Wednesday at Notre Dame, all of their players will go home for a week. They’ll return to Durham Dec. 23, go through Duke’s rigorous testing protocols and then play again vs. Pittsburgh Dec. 29. (And once again, let’s put aside the debate about traveling amidst a pandemic — that’s already happening too with all these teams.)

Plenty of teams are going to keep their players on campus throughout the Christmas holiday. More than half the Big Ten will play on Christmas Day. The others will play on the 26th along with Kentucky and Louisville, among others.

So the players just don’t get to spend any of their holiday with family? In a year when we’re already limited from seeing our family? In a year when we’ve been constantly reminded why every day and every moment with those we love is precious?

Remember, these are amateurs, after all.

What’s my point here then? No, it’s not just me defending Coach K. It’s the fact that we do need to consider the mental health aspect of college basketball this season. 2020 has been taxing on all of us. After graduating college and spending my first seven months out of school with two incredible internships, I’ve been jobless for nearly a year. These players, like each of you reading this, have gone through their own struggles in this most difficult, bizarre year. And with as much time as they spend around their coaches, perhaps those guys know what’s best for their respective groups.

Maybe it’s playing more games. Maybe it’s going home for a few days. Maybe it’s a team meeting to talk things out. Who’s to judge?

But unless you’re on the inside, I’d say it’s best to stay away from the comments and instead praise those who are willing to lead by example.

Before we get to today’s newsletter, once again, make sure you give us a follow over on our Twitter feed as well as our YouTube page, where you can watch full episodes in addition some of the best moments from all the shows across the Field of 68.

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WATCHING THE FILM

Last week, we added not one, not two, but THREE new shows to The Field of 68 Media Network, and man, are these some fantastic additions! Dane Bradshaw’s Big Vol’n and Stu Douglass’ Go Blue with Stu join our team-specific lineup, and Debbie Antonelli’s Nothing But Net is our second national pod focused on women’s hoops.

Here’s a recap of their first episodes:

Bradshaw, who played at Tennessee from 2003-07, brought on another former Vol standout in Chris Lofton for his Field of 68 debut. Together, they reminisced about their days on Rocky Top:

One of John Beilein’s first recruits at Michigan, Stu Douglass brought on none other than his former Wolverines coach to kick off the show. Beilein dished on his coaching journey, his current sabbatical and this year’s Michigan team:

Debbie chatted with Louisville head women’s basketball coach Jeff Walz for her latest conversation, talking about his team’s hot start to the 2020-21 campaign and the challenges of playing while in a pandemic.

THE MIXTAPE

Here’s a look at some of the other highlights from last week on The Field of 68:

Did you know Richmond coach Chris Mooney helped plan weddings? Neither did I. But he shared how he did that — while still coaching — during his early coaching years on Demetris and a Splash of Fanta:

Ryan Kelly only played a handful of years in the NBA, but he was lucky enough to be with the Lakers for Kobe Bryant’s final game. The former Blue Devil tells his old roommate, Andrew Dawkins, what that night was like on Dawkins on Duke:

How special was Derrick Rose during his Memphis days? REAL SPECIAL — at least that’s what Robert Dozier thought. He got into it on Beale Street Bullies with Antonio Anderson:

WHO GOT NEXT?

So what’s on tap for The Field of 68 in the next few days? Well, here’s a taste:

Keep checking this space, keep spreading the word about our shows and definitely subscribe if you haven’t already. Talk to you Thursday!

Mitchell is a freelance sports journalist and a producer for The Field of 68 Media Network. He’s previously written for The Dallas Morning News, Sports Illustrated and The Philadelphia Inquirer. You can follow him on Twitter at @mpgladstone13 or reach him via email at [email protected].