Mike Krzyzewski gives positive reviews of ACC realignment at USA Basketball press conference

Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski has never shied away from conference realignment. In the past season, the ACC has added Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame and lost Maryland, and despite the conference's expansion, Krzyzewski has not been a proponent of the shuffling of major college conferences.

Earlier this season, Krzyzewski raised the issue when examining the ACC-Big Ten Challenge.

"“For years, Duke and other ACC schools have benefited from scheduling strong national opponents. Certainly, college sports are based on tradition. We have to be careful not to lose that.”"

After Duke's loss to Maryland in College Park Feb. 16, Krzyzewski addressed his team's relationship with the Terrapins, who had recently announced they would depart for the Big Ten for the 2014-15 academic year.

""I have a great deal of respect for Maryland. If it was such a rivalry, they'd still be in the ACC. Obviously they don't think it's that important, or they wouldn't be in the Big Ten. I respect their basketball program and the job their coaches have done and their players have done over the years. We've had some great games with them, but we have great games against a lot of people. A lot of people want to beat us, and they're one of them."

But at the end of his press conference Thursday morning to announce he would return as the head coach of the U.S. Men's National Team through the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Krzyzewski closed his press conference with an odd change of heart. The Hall of Fame coach expressed his excitement for the future of the ACC, despite its recent expansion and realignment.

"I love what's happening with our conference. We're going to be a 10-bid conference. We're going to be the best conference in the history of the game. It's exciting to be a part of that."

Syracuse, Pittsburgh and Notre Dame are all slated to join the ACC July 1. The Orange and Panthers will join as full members, and the Fighting Irish will become members in all sports except football.