After going on ESPN's "Mike & Mike" Friday to talk with former point guard Jay Williams, Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski went on former Blue Devil shooting guard J.J. Redick's podcast on The Vertical for Yahoo Sports. Krzyzewski said it was the first time he had been on a podcast.
The podcast was released Monday, and the former National Player of the Year and current Los Angeles Clippers guard discussed his favorite memory of Krzyzewski, the national team head coach's motivation, recruiting, social media and much more. Below are some of the highlights from their discussion.
Krzyzewski on his changing view of one-and-done players:
We always look for three things. They have to be good players, they have to be good enough academically to do well at Duke and the third thing is they have to be really good kids. We recruit good character. What's happened now since around Kyrie [Irving's] time is there are more kids that fit those criteria who are one-and-done players.
We have at least two guys that will probably be one-and-done and maybe a third, and a big recruiting class. They're our freshmen. They're the same guys that Grant Hill and you and Elton Brand and Luol Deng were, it's just a different time.
You've had a really outstanding pro career, and it continues to get better. You were a great college player. I think if you were here now, you could have gone early. You could have gone after your freshman or sophomore year. You were good right away.
Redick in response to Krzyzewski's claim:
I would also have had to not act like a frat kid my first two years to leave early.
Krzyzewski after Redick's interjection about one-and-done players:
Everyone says we've changed our philosophy. We haven't changed our philosophy, we're trying to recruit the best players that fit those criteria. Our guys have gotten better.
Krzyzewski on whether college players should be paid:
What we are able to do now, we being the NCAA and a Power Five conference, it's amazing what you can do for the student-athlete. A pay structure for a student-athlete, it ruins the whole model. I'd rather see kids being able to go right out of high school if they wanted to. When they come to college, we need to take care of them. We can insure them, we can feed them, we can clothe them, we can give them stuff. They actually get a cost of attendance now. You would actually get money now if you were at Duke. Everything is taken care of for you, it's really good.
Redick on his favorite Coach K memory:
My favorite memory was actually away from the basketball court. It was after I was done playing. It was four out of school, it was in 2010. My favorite memory was him flying down to Palm Beach for my wedding. He had the first of Duke basketball camp that day, so he was at camp all day. He signed autographs, took the pictures, did everything he could possibly do with the campers, then got on a plane, changed, about 30 minutes before the ceremony, made it in time for the ceremony, stayed late, drank some wine, danced with the grandmas, then flew back that night and was at camp the next morning.
It's a great story about one, our friendship, but also his level of commitment to the people he cares about and his level of commitment to Duke.
Krzyzewski on his use of social media and his program's:
I follow just about all of our former players, our current players, recruits and key people. It just keeps me abreast of what's going on. I love seeing the pictures of your family. It keeps it close. I share them with my family. But I don't anyone contacting me. I'd rather call you, or text you. I don't personally want to have followers. I'm not against anyone who does it, I like doing it this way.
It's all about adapting. There are a lot of things we do now we didn't do five, 10, 20 years ago. I was concerned about the players being too out there, then I found from talking to the players, 'This is what we do.' They're more on Snapchat than they are on anything, but I'm not on that. Sometimes my assistants will be on it, then they'll alert me to different things, but it's how people communicate. I'm respectful of that.
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