“I see a joy on his face, in his expressions, in his voice that I don’t remember seeing before” - Ian O’Connor believes Coach K’s final journey with Duke is "pretty amazing"

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is preparing for his last Final Four appearance.

Mike Krzyzewski's final NCAA Tournament run with the Duke Blue Devils has, so far, lived up to every hope.

The retiring icon is enjoying one of his most impressive March Madness runs. He has his program back in the Final Four for the first time since winning a national title in 2015. It's also an NCAA-record 13th appearance for Coach K, breaking a tie with UCLA legend John Wooden.

Duke's rival and Research Triangle neighbor, the North Carolina Tar Heels, stands in his way of playing in one final national championship game. The teams have met 257 times but never before in the NCAA Tournament until now.

Duke (32-6) and UNC (28-9) will face each other in the national semifinals Saturday in New Orleans, Louisiana. Krzyzewski has led Duke to all five of its national titles (second only to Wooden's 10 crowns) and six runner-up finishes.

On ESPN's "Keyshawn, JWill & Max," Ian O'Connor said Coach K has looked happier this year:

“I see a joy on his face, in his expressions, in his voice that I don’t remember seeing before. It is actually pretty refreshing to see. And to have this kind of journey as his last journey is pretty amazing.”

Duke Blue Devils and Coach K prepare for Final Four showdown against North Carolina

Coach K and Duke will have a Final Four showdown against North Carolina on Saturday.

Duke and North Carolina's national semifinal matchup in Mike Krzyzewski's Final Four is a billing already packed with plenty of drama.

The two powerhouses have had their fair share of history over the years.

UNC is making a record 21st Final Four appearance, and the school owns the most NCAA Tournament wins (130) in history. The Tar Heels have been national champions six times (the last time was in 2017) and runners-up five times.

North Carolina, once a bubble team, has won 16 of its last 19 games, including a 94-81 win at Duke on March 5.

✅ Last practice at Duke! 🐐 https://t.co/nzgMJlQNJu

Meanwhile, the Blue Devils have been firing on all cylinders lately. Duke has been impressive in tournament wins over Michigan State, Texas Tech and Arkansas. The school is making its 17th Final Four appearance.

To get their legendary coach in one last national championship game, Paolo Banchero and big man Mark Williams need to continue to play at a high level.