Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski will step on the court at Madison Square Garden tonight in an effort to earn his record-breaking 903rd career win, breaking the mark set by his former coach and mentor Bob Knight. But, before he ever put himself in a position to break any records, he won a few important games along the way.
Today and tomorrow, the Blue Zone will take you on a tour of nine of his milestone wins: 100, 200, 300 all the way through 900 at the end of last season.
Win No. 100, February 24, 1982: Duke 73, Clemson 72
Krzyzewski won his 100th game in his second year with the Blue Devils, a triple-overtime victory over ACC-foe Clemson. Duke struggled in the 1981-1982 season and finished with a 10-17 record, including a 4-10 mark in conference. Although the season was a failure on the whole, the season had one bright spot: 6-foot-5 senior guard Vince Taylor. With the team having lost four games in a row, Taylor rose to the challenge in his final game in Cameron Indoor Stadium, dropping 35 points en route to the one-point win. Taylor averaged 20.3 points and 4.9 rebounds per game that season, leading the Blue Devils in both categories. After playing a few years professionally first in the NBA and then overseas, Taylor hung up his sneakers and began coaching. Now, he is a part of Krzyzewski's extensive coaching tree in his seventh season as an assistant at Louisville.
Win 200, December 13, 1986: Duke 76, Alabama 67
Fast forward almost five years and the 1986-1987 Blue Devils are far different than the ones Krzyzewski coached to his 100th win. In his first three years in Durham, Coach K won 38 games. In the 1985-1986 season he won 37, en route to a loss in the NCAA finals. Needless to say, he was far more established in 1986 than he was in his early years. He proved that in his 200th victory with an upset win over No. 18 Alabama played at a neutral site in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The 1986-1987 team was led by Danny Ferry, who scored 13 in the win over Alabama and averaged a team-high 14 points per game in his sophomore season. Future college coaches Tommy Amaker (presently the head coach at Harvard) and Quin Snyder (former Missouri head coach, current Los Angeles Lakers assistant) were also on this team, which made it to the Sweet 16.
Win 300, March 16, 1990: Duke 81, Richmond 46
This may be the easiest of Krzyzewski's landmark wins, with his Blue Devils clobbering Richmond by 35 points in the first round of the NCAA tournament. The 1989-1990 Duke team had a lot of notable names, both on the roster and on the sidelines. The team was led in scoring by Phil Henderson, but also received significant contributions from Christian Laettner (16.3 points, 9.6 rebounds per game) and Bobby Hurley (8.8 points, 7.6 assists per game). The coaching staff was comprised of current Notre Dame head coach Mike Brey, the aforementioned Amaker, and another former player of K's - current TV analyst Jay Bilas, who was simultaneously coaching and earning his J.D. from Duke Law School. The Blue Devils made it to the National Championship game that season, losing in a rout to UNLV by 30 points.
Win 400, December 30, 1993: Duke 87, Western Carolina 67
Three and a half years and two national championships later, Krzyzewski earned his next milestone win in a home game against Western Carolina. This was a memorable season for the Blue Devils who made it to the National Championship game, only to lose to Arkansas by four points. The team was littered with familiar names, notably led by Grant Hill who averaged 17.4 points per game. Two players on the team, Jeff Capel and Chris Collins, currently sit on the bench next to Krzyzewski as his assistants.
Win 500, February 28, 1998: Duke 77, North Carolina 75
How fitting - Krzyzewski won his 500th game in the last contest of the regular season, a two point victory over none other than North Carolina in their first season without Dean Smith. Smith finished his career with 879 wins, holding the record that was broken by Knight in 2007. Krzyzewski surpassed the 879 win plateau in 2010. The game, with Duke ranked No. 1 at the time and the Tar Heels at No. 3, appeared to be in the hands of the Tar Heels who were leading by 17 late in the game. But, Duke finished on a 30-11 run to come from behind and win the game, led by Roshown McLeod, Elton Brand and Trajon Langdon. Brand - who is still in the NBA - delivered a particularly memorable performance after suffering a foot injury earlier in the season, from which many believed he might not be able to return. That squad also included current assistant coach Steve Wojciechowski and current NBA player Shane Battier. The Blue Devils lost a week later to North Carolina in the ACC tournament championship game, and proceeded to make it to the NCAA tournament Elite Eight, only to fall to Kentucky.
Check back tomorrow for a recap of wins 600, 700, 800 and 900.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.