Coach K Farewell Tour: Mike Krzyzewski Leads Duke vs. Ohio State in His Ultimate Big Ten/ACC Challenge

This is the 21st season in Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski’s 42-year tenure in which the Blues have risen to #1 in the AP Top 25 at some point. But his team will need a good performance on Tuesday to top the polls. On the heels of the previous 84-81 win-No. 1 Gonzaga, Duke faces another tough test when it goes to play Ohio State in Big Ten / ACC . Challenge.

The Buckeyes dropped out of the AP poll after starting the season in 17th place, losing to Xavier and Florida. But OSU is still a dangerous team that will play with home advantage. However, Duke is an all-time 19-3 in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, and it’s familiar territory for Coach K. Duke has been ranked #1 in the AP poll for 145 calendar weeks its history, and 127 of them were during Krzyzewski’s tenure.

Krzyzewski owns 219 wins when Duke ranks 1st compared to 35 losses. Ohio State is 9-11 all-time ahead of the 1st place teams and will pose a challenge.

Krzyzewski will retire after this season, which will be his 42nd coach as Duke coach, and hand the program over to his assistant and former Duke star Jon Scheyer. As Krzyzewski’s final season continues, we’ll update this with the latest tributes – and struggles – from a coaching legend’s farewell tour.

How to watch Duke vs. Ohio State

Day: Tuesday, November 30 | Time: 9:30pm ET
Location: Value City Arena – Columbus, Ohio
TV: ESPN | Live: fuboTV (Try free)

Beat Zags, rise to No. 1

Duke improved to 7-0 with an 84-81 win over No. 1 Gonzaga on November 26 in front of a crowd of 20,389 at T-Mobile Arena. It was the largest crowd that had ever seen a basketball game in Nevada, and they were treated to a horror movie. Paolo Banchero scored 20 points in the first half before facing cramping in the second half and keeping quiet. Wendell Moore Jr scored 16 out of 20 in the second half.

The win improved Krzyzewski to an all-time 7-11 against the 1st place teams, and it moved the Blues to No 1 in the new rankings released three days later.

Get ready for Gonzaga

Duke easily won matches against Lafayette and The Citadel on November 19 and November 22 as it prepared to face No. 1 Gonzaga on November 26. The Blues beat Lafayette by 88. -55 after 23 points from Wendell Moore Jr. Duke beat The Citadel with a score of 107-81 after 50 points from Moore and Paolo Banchero. There was a terrifying moment in the game at the Citadel, when Bulldogs coach Duggar Baucom collapsed onto the field in the first half. He stay overnight at Duke University Hospital and was released the afternoon after the game.

DWI charges grandson

Another pound start to Krzyzewski’s final season hit a speed bump in the early morning of November 14, when Duke Michael Savarino, Krzyzewski’s grandson, was arrested on suspicion of DWI. Complicating matters, Duke star freshman Paolo Banchero was a passenger in the vehicle and was cited for assisting and abetting DWI. But while Savarino was suspended, Banchero was not removed from any action in the game, as Krzyzewski explained “those are two different situations.”

“The headlines can make it the same,” he said. “It’s not. I think the decisions we make are with the involvement of the government, my superiors.”

West Point flashback

Duke played host to Army West Point on November 12 in the home turf opening as part of the Duke Veterans Day Weekend Showdown. The Blues won 82-56, but the match took on special meaning because the Army was where Krzyzewski had just played and served as head coach for the first time. During a period of 4 years as an Army student and 5 years as a coach, Krzyzewski spent nearly a decade of his young adult life at West Point. Army explored its history with the show in a special tribute video released before the game.

Garden party

Krzyzewski’s final season began on the big stage, with the Blues beating Kentucky at Madison Square Garden on November 9 in the Champions Classic final. The site is one of Krzyzewski’s favorites, and it was a farewell gift to the legendary coach. Krzyzewski is now 34-11 years old full-time at Madison Square Garden, and that record won’t change unless the Blues end up playing at NIT, which would be no disaster.

More on Coach K’s final season