“These kids are coming in expecting to win a championship” - Jay Williams questions whether Coach K could return for another year
The Duke Blue Devils season ended after a lengthy run in the NCAA tournament and basketball fans are waiting to see what life will be like after Coach K.
Earlier this year, Mike Krzyzewski announced that he would retire following the conclusion of the 2021-22 NCAA season. It was a massive development in the college basketball world. The Blue Devils look to be heading into a new era after having Coach K roam their sidelines for so long.
Although the Blue Devils went on to make it to the Final Four, the team ended up coming up just short after a loss to North Carolina. Duke will find itself right in the mix as one of the top teams in the country next year. That is because they have one of the most impressive incoming slates of recruits out of the high school ranks.
It was recently announced that assistant coach Nolan Smith is leaving Duke to join the Louisville staff next year. Speaking today on ESPN's "Keyshawn, JWill and Max," basketball analyst Jay Williams went on to speculate that he believes there could be a chance that Coach K could return for another year, despite his expected retirement.
“These kids are coming in expecting to win a championship...”
Duke prepares for life after Coach K
Jay Williams continued to emphasize that he's just speculating at this point. It's usually notable when one of the assistant coaches leaves the program for another job. The assistants are usually in charge of recruiting and establishing relationships with incoming players.
With one of the most talented incoming assortment of freshman prospects, Williams continues to speculate if this recent announcement could lead some of those players to want to go to another school instead.
Thank you Coach K 🐐 https://t.co/8Np3AGOofv
While Williams brings up a good point, it remains unlikely that the Blue Devils incoming class will open up their recruiting process again.
Duke has one of the most talented crop of high school players of any other team in the country. Center Dereck Lively and guard Dariq Whitehead are both expected to suit up for the Blue Devils and are already being considered as potential top-5 selections for the 2023 NBA Draft.
While basketball fans around the world will continue to wait and see if Coach K stands his ground on his retirement, it looks as if Duke is going to be ready for their next era of basketball.