INDIANAPOLIS - The local newspaper here, the Indianapolis Star, ran a story Friday on the front of its sports section entitled Despising Duke. No problem there. That's pretty much accepted in much of the non-Duke college basketball world.
INDIANAPOLIS - The local newspaper here, the Indianapolis Star, ran a story Friday on the front of its sports section entitled Despising Duke. No problem there. That's pretty much accepted in much of the non-Duke college basketball world.
The problem was with the artwork that accompanied the story. The newspaper's graphics department doctored a photo of coach Mike Krzyzewski with hand-drawn horns, a mustache, the word "lose'' multiple times around the coach's tie and even doctored its own headline, adding "is no good'' after Duke.
The newspaper changed the artwork after the early edition copies were printed and distributed, eliminating all of the artwork and changing the headline to "Boo Devils.'' The paper's editors also met with Krzyzewski and his wife later in the day and apologized.
Still . . .
"First thing I thought was 'That can't be.' How could a newspaper do that?'' Krzyzewski said. "I thought somebody doodled. But it was kind of juvenile. Not kind of, it was just juvenile.
"My seven grandkids didn't enjoy looking at it. 'That's not Poppy.' It is what it is. It's very juvenile.''
Krzyzewski, of course, is used to the hatred toward his program, which he has led to 11 Final Fours. But the newspaper he saw on Friday seemed to set him off just a little bit and he fired back at those who would criticize the Duke program.
"We have great kids who go to school. They graduate. If we're going to be despised or hated by anybody because we go to school and we want to win, you know what, that's your problem,'' Krzyzewski said. "And you have the problem because we're going to go to school and we're going to try to win. If you don't like it, keep drawing pictures, you know. Just keep drawing pictures. Try to do them a little bit better than that, though."
Briefly
Speaking of Duke and its aura, WVU coach Bob Huggins was asked Friday what it takes to get to that point. Last weekend and this he has played or will play two of the most famous names in the game in Kentucky and Duke.
INDIANAPOLIS - The local newspaper here, the Indianapolis Star, ran a story Friday on the front of its sports section entitled Despising Duke. No problem there. That's pretty much accepted in much of the non-Duke college basketball world.
The problem was with the artwork that accompanied the story. The newspaper's graphics department doctored a photo of coach Mike Krzyzewski with hand-drawn horns, a mustache, the word "lose'' multiple times around the coach's tie and even doctored its own headline, adding "is no good'' after Duke.
The newspaper changed the artwork after the early edition copies were printed and distributed, eliminating all of the artwork and changing the headline to "Boo Devils.'' The paper's editors also met with Krzyzewski and his wife later in the day and apologized.
Still . . .
"First thing I thought was 'That can't be.' How could a newspaper do that?'' Krzyzewski said. "I thought somebody doodled. But it was kind of juvenile. Not kind of, it was just juvenile.
"My seven grandkids didn't enjoy looking at it. 'That's not Poppy.' It is what it is. It's very juvenile.''
Krzyzewski, of course, is used to the hatred toward his program, which he has led to 11 Final Fours. But the newspaper he saw on Friday seemed to set him off just a little bit and he fired back at those who would criticize the Duke program.
"We have great kids who go to school. They graduate. If we're going to be despised or hated by anybody because we go to school and we want to win, you know what, that's your problem,'' Krzyzewski said. "And you have the problem because we're going to go to school and we're going to try to win. If you don't like it, keep drawing pictures, you know. Just keep drawing pictures. Try to do them a little bit better than that, though."
Briefly
Speaking of Duke and its aura, WVU coach Bob Huggins was asked Friday what it takes to get to that point. Last weekend and this he has played or will play two of the most famous names in the game in Kentucky and Duke."I think when you sustain it like they have,'' Huggins said. "I mean, Mike has been to 11 Final Fours. He's probably, I would guess, the most successful coach in the history of the NCAA tournament in terms of longevity, keeping things going. You can't be considered one of them until you really are one of them.''
By the way, West Virginia is undefeated in NCAA tournament national semifinal games. Of course, there has only been one other - a win over Louisville at Freedom Hall the game before WVU lost a title game to California in 1959. West Virginia is also undefeated in its history in the month of April - 0-0. The 2007 NIT championship game was on March 29, the latest date any WVU team had ever played.The Mountaineers have won 18 of their last 22 games televised by CBS, including seven in a row dating back to last year's NCAA tournament loss to Dayton. WVU is also 12-0 in neutral-site games this season.Huggins has coached more wins away from home (44) than at the Coliseum (36) in his three seasons. West Virginia has won 19 games away from home this season (12 of them on neutral courts), the most of any team in the country.Tonight's game will be the Mountaineers' 38th of the season, breaking the record of 37 set two years ago.West Virginia is 22-0 in three seasons under Huggins when shooting 50 percent or better from the field. The Mountaineers were also 22-0 back on Dec. 29, more than three months ago, which was the last time they shot 50 percent.Da'Sean Butler has now played 4,423 minutes in his career, which is nearly 15 full games more than the old school record holder, Joe Herber.Duke has played 11 NCAA tournaments as a No. 1 seed, including this one, and is 41-8 in those games. That means only twice in the previous 10 tries did the Blue Devils win it all.Reach Dave Hickman at 304-348-1734 or dphickm...@aol.com.
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