Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is emotionally distraught over the abrupt ending to the Blue Devils' season this week in the ACC Tournament after a quarterfinal game vs. Florida State was forfeited after a player tested positive for COVID-19, effectively ending the campaign.
Sports author and Washington Post columnist John Feinstein said Friday morning on 106.7 The Fan the Sports Junkies that the veteran coach didn't want the season to end like this.
"I texted with Krzyzewski yesterday and (he was) devastated," Feinstein said. "He thought they could beat Florida State. They were finally playing pretty well. They beat a good Louisville team very handily on Wednesday night. There’s a story in the student newspaper at Duke that there are over 100 kids who are rushing fraternities that tested positive. I thought Duke kids were supposed to be smart, wrong."
The Blue Devils had won back-to-back games in the ACC Tournament, but will now will likely miss the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 1995 given the team's overall record at 13-11 overall and 9-9 in league play.
I know what a competitor he is, and he was dying to play Florida State last night," Feinstein said.
Krzyzewski released a statement officially saying goodbye to the 2020-21 Blue Devils.
"While our season was different than any other that I can remember, I loved the 2020-21 Duke Basketball team and was honored to be their coach," the statement read. "We have not asked more of any team in our history, and they deserve enormous credit for handling everything like the outstanding young men they are. I feel deeply for our players, who have done a terrific job all season in taking care of each other and the team.
"I am extremely proud of their collective attitudes and effort, which could not have been stronger. We are disappointed we cannot keep fighting together as a group after two outstanding days in Greensboro. This season was a challenge for every team across the country and as we have seen over and over, this global pandemic is very cruel and is not yet over. As many safeguards as we implemented, no one is immune to this terrible virus."
Duke was on the NCAA Tournament bubble heading into Greensboro and the Blue Devils knew they needed to make a strong showing, if not win out entirely, to solidify a berth. On Friday, Virginia became the second team of the tournament to bow out following positive COVID test, pushing Georgia Tech to the weekend's final.
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