The NCAA took an initial step in revamping the structure of college basketball this week, but in Blue Devil head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s mind, there is still a lot of work to be done.
Krzyzewski said the NCAA’s rule changes allowing more communication with agents and letting some undrafted players return to school, among other modifications, were “good” before criticizing the coordination and lack of plans to implement the changes at a press conference Friday previewing Duke’s trip to Canada.
Krzyzewski, arguably the sport's most prominent voice, brought a photo of a 2005 summit to the podium that united representatives from high school, college, the NBA and USA Basketball to talk about how to move the sport forward, suggesting that level of collaboration was missing this time.
“How’re we going to execute it? I can say I’m going to build a beach house. That’s cool. But, what’s the plan, how is it coordinated?... It’s not coordinated because there’s nobody leading it," he said. “Every party that influenced basketball in the United States was [at the 2005 meeting.]... The theme was ‘breathing the same air.’”
Krzyzewski also questioned the proposal that high school players labeled “elite” will be able to consult agents, if the NBA eliminates its age limit and allows high schoolers to jump straight to the league without spending a year in college. USA Basketball, which retained Krzyzewski as its head national team coach until he stepped down in 2016, will then be responsible for deciding which players are “elite” enough to have access to agents.
“I still don’t see how that will be done without discriminating against someone,” Krzyzewski said.
The Hall of Fame coach was more irritated by two proposals the NCAA didn’t implement than by what it did do. Coaches will still be limited to four hours per week to work with their players in the summer after a proposal to expand it to eight was rejected. And staff members, like Blue Devil director of basketball operations Nolan Smith, who aren’t officially coaches still won’t be allowed to do any hands-on instructional work with players.
“I don’t see why you wouldn’t want them to spend more time with their teachers. I think it’s mistake. In fact, I know it’s a mistake,” Krzyzewski said. “[And] I don’t understand why you wouldn’t like for us, let Nolan Smith [coach]. Especially when we’re on the road recruiting even during the year, you have another teacher out there. I think those two things that were not passed were big mistakes, and nobody paid attention to it.”
Duke leaves for its preseason tour of Canada on Monday with the first contest Wednesday night in Toronto.
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