Coach K Reveals Shockingly Effective Tactics for Elite March Madness Champions
Former Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski says a team shouldn't change its identity when March Madness arrives.
If Jon Scheyer can ask anyone about the pressures and tribulations of March Madness, it is his former head coach and mentor, Mike Krzyzewski, who led Duke to 13 Final Fours and five national titles during his long reign in charge of the Blue Devils. For Coach K, March was not the time to change what your team was about all season long. "You don't want your team doing a bunch of new things going into the tournament," Krzyzewski said.
"You want them doing the things they've done well and make sure they're fresh. The healthier you are, the fresher you are. Then your habits are done even better.
" While Scheyer’s squad is the top overall seed for the 2026 NCAA Tournament, the Blue Devils’ road to the Final Four is loaded with potential traps, including games against some Hall of Fame-quality head coaches. "You know what it's heavy in, is coaches that have won national championships," Krzyzewski said. "You have Bill Self, one of the best ever, at Kansas, Rick Pitino, another one, Tom Izzo, and Danny Hurley.
I mean, you have four national championship winners. " Despite that, Duke is still the favorite to cut down the nets in Indianapolis as the national champions, the program’s first title since 2015. Coach K believes that Scheyer’s squad has a great chance at doing just that.