NCAA West Region: Duke hopes to send Coach Mike Kyrzyzewski out a winner

March 13, 2022 Updated Sun., March 13, 2022 at 7:14 p.m.

By John Marshall Associated Press

Duke will be looking to send coach Mike Krzyzewski out on top.

The 75-year-old Hall of Fame coach announced before this season that it will be his last after 42 years at Duke, five national championships and a record 1,196 victories.

The Blue Devils (28-6) are the No. 2 seed in the West Region in the NCAA Tournament bracket released Sunday, but slipped up in two previous Coach K finales, losing to North Carolina in his final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium and to Virginia Tech in his last ACC Tournament.

“I tell them all the time: ‘Don’t worry about me,’” Krzyzewski said. “Even in a moment of defeat I want to be there with them. How do we use it? How do we get better?”

The Blue Devils get a chance to find out Friday in Greenville, South Carolina, opening against Cal State-Fullerton with a potential second-round matchup against Michigan State and coach Tom Izzo.

The seventh-seeded Spartans open against high-scoring Davidson and sharpshooter Foster Loyer.

Top dogs

Top-ranked Gonzaga (26-3) is the No. 1 overall seed for the second straight season. The Zags open against No. 16 seed Georgia State in Portland on Thursday in a West Region that includes Duke, No. 3 Texas Tech and No. 4 Arkansas.

“They can shoot the ball, have a ridiculous inside game, defend well, big and have good shooters,” said Saint Mary’s coach Randy Bennett, whose team is the No. 5 seed in the East Region. “Their offense is as good as any in the country.”

Riding Red Raiders

Texas Tech did not see a drop-off after coach Chris Beard bolted for rival Texas.

Coach Mark Adams leaned on the defensive principles he honed as Beard’s assistant in his first season as a head coach, leading the Red Raiders to 25 wins and a trip to the Big 12 title game, where they lost to Kansas.

Texas Tech was sixth nationally in field goal defense, limiting teams to 38.3% shooting, and 11th in scoring defense, holding teams to 60.3 points per game. The Red Raiders open Friday in San Diego against Montana State, in its first NCAA Tournament since 1996.

No. 6 Alabama faces the winner of the First Four game between Rutgers and Notre Dame in San Diego. The Scarlet Knights were on the NCAA Tournament bubble but got into the bracket in consecutive seasons for the first time since 1974-76.

Muss Bus rolling

The Muss Bus is looking for another deep March run.

Eric Musselman has turned Arkansas into a national power during three seasons in Fayetteville, including a run to its first Elite Eight since 1995 last year.

The Razorbacks (25-8) had a couple of shaky stretches early in the season, but reeled off 14 wins in 15 games to all but lock up an NCAA Tournament bid. Arkansas lost to Tennessee in its regular-season finale and was bounced by Texas A&M in the SEC semifinals, but has lots of length and always plays hard under Musselman.

The Razorbacks face a stiff test in their opener Thursday in Buffalo against America East champion Vermont. The Catamounts have a senior-dominated team that’s full of shooters and rarely turn the ball over.

No. 5 seed UConn plays No. 12 New Mexico State in the other Buffalo game.

Local journalism is essential.

Give directly to The Spokesman-Review's Northwest Passages community forums series -- which helps to offset the costs of several reporter and editor positions at the newspaper -- by using the easy options below. Gifts processed in this system are tax deductible.

Meet Our Journalists

Jesse Tinsley

Meet Jesse Tinsley. As a certified drone pilot, this veteran Spokesman-Review photographer often can be seen capturing beautiful aerial photographs of our region. Sometimes though, the job requires getting down with the dogs.
Jim Meehan

Jim Meehan is no stranger to Zag Nation. As the lead writer covering the Gonzaga men’s basketball team, he tells the stories behind the game and gets fans a bit closer to their favorite players.
Molly Quinn

There is no artist in Spokane like Molly Quinn. Her whimsical style is instantly recognizable to readers of The Spokesman-Review. She has painted gorgeous illustrations that instantly elevate the journalism accompanying it. She brings to life the stories that defy photography. She makes our pages better.
Rob Curley

Spokesman-Review editor Rob Curley loves to talk with people and learn about their lives, whether it's a best-selling author or a stranger he meets downtown on his walk to lunch. It's that inquisitive nature combined with a playful sense of storytelling that helps make our newspaper different than most.