Following confusion Thursday about what head coach Mike Krzyzewski said to Oregon star forward Dillon Brooks after the Ducks beat Duke 82-68 in the Sweet 16, Krzyzewski released a statement apologizing Saturday afternoon.
"It is not my place to talk to another team's player and doing so took the focus away from the terrific game that Dillon played," Krzyzewski said in the statement, which can be viewed in its entirety below.
Brooks racked up 22 points, five rebounds and six assists against the Blue Devils, leading his team to its first Elite Eight appearance since 2007. The top-seeded Ducks will take on second-seeded Oklahoma Saturday at 6:09 p.m. to determine the champion of the West Region.
As time ran out in Thursday's game, Brooks knocked down a long 3-pointer and went into a fiery celebration. When the teams went through the handshake line after the game, Krzyzewski had an extended conversation with the swingman, which Brooks said included the Blue Devil head coach telling him he was too good to be showing off, according to USA Today.
In Duke's postgame press conference, Krzyzewski said that part of the conversation did not take place, before Saturday's apology.
“I didn't say that. You can say whatever you want. Dillon Brooks is a hell of a player,” Krzyzewski said Thursday. “I said, 'You're a terrific player.' And you can take whatever he said and then go with it, all right?"
Audio from part of the postgame conversation surfaced Friday that appeared to be closer to Brooks' version of events.
Krzyzewski spoke to Oregon head coach Dana Altman to apologize earlier Saturday. Altman's Ducks play second-seeded Oklahoma tonight for the right to go the Final Four.
The full statement can be viewed below:
Today, I spoke with Oregon head coach Dana Altman and apologized to him for my remarks to Dillon Brooks following our game. It is not my place to talk to another team's player and doing so took the focus away from the terrific game that Dillon played. In the postgame press conference, I reacted incorrectly to a reporter's question about my comment to Dillon. Clearly, the story that night was about Oregon advancing to the Elite Eight, and the outstanding game they played. I sincerely hope I did not create a distraction for Coach Altman and his team at this critical time of year. Certainly, I have the utmost respect for the Oregon program and their tremendous accomplishments.
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