Coach K foresaw rise of Ohio State

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is not only a great evaluator of talent, but he can spot a sleeping giant of a program as well. So, the fact that his No. 3 Blue Devils (7-0) will face No. 2 Ohio State today in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge (6:30 p.m., ESPN) is really no surprise to the all-time winner in men’s Division I basketball. He made the prediction that the Buckeyes could become a power when he ran across Ohio State coach Thad Matta (pictured) in the summer of 2004. “After I got this job, I was recruiting and Coach K stopped me and said, ‘Hey, I really believe you’ve got one of the top jobs in the country,’ ” Matta said. “He said, ‘I’ve looked at Ohio State the past 25 years and I think you can win there.’ ”

Associated Press