Coach K’s newfound reliance on one-and-dones

Mike Krzyzewski has adjusted his coaching style to accommodate one-and-done players. Now Coach K finds himself relying on them, for better or for worse.

It has been quite some time since Duke University’s men’s basketball team has had any issues with their coaching. Hired in 1980, Mike Krzyzewski has set illustrious records and there is no reason for the institution in Durham to even consider moving on from him anytime in the near future. He’ll stick around as long as he wants to, and deservedly so. However, like many coaches at top programs in this generation, Coach K has become a bit reliant on one-and-done players recently.

This has been a steady transition. Back in the 1990s, Krzyzewski coached players like Grant Hill, Christian Laettner, Shane Battier, and Elton Brand. Even in the 2000’s, Coach K turned J.J. Redick into the ultimate villain and Carlos Boozer into a brutally efficient player. Each of those players mentioned stuck around at Duke for at least two years.

Hill, Laettner, Battier, and Redick each stuck around for four seasons, which gave the Blue Devils coach a distinct experience advantage over most opponents. His star players were not only loaded with immense talent, but they were well-seasoned in the college game. He got to mold them into his prolific system.

While he still benefits from having an experienced team in some respects, Coach K has needed to adjust his recruiting strategy in recent years. One-and-dones are how you can compete from one year to the next. They’re a supply constantly needing to be replenished every year. Credit Krzyzewski for making the adjustment necessary to continue to contend every season. But it hasn’t been a very smooth transition.

The Era Of One-And-Dones

In 2005, the NBA adopted the rule making players wait a year after their high school graduation to be eligible for the draft. This has created a culture of players who go to college for a year and then bolt for the potential riches the NBA offers. Until the 2010 season, Krzyzewski refused to give in. It wasn’t until after he lost numerous players from his 2009-10 national championship team that he gave in. Kyrie Irving served as the guinea pig. An injury suggested maybe he would come back for another year, but a strong NCAA tournament killed that idea.

Austin Rivers was next. Krzyzewski did well with him, as Rivers averaged 15.5 points per game and 2.1 assists. He developed Rivers well enough for him to be drafted with the 10th overall pick and he was named a Wooden Award Finalist as well.

After not having any players leave after one year in 2012-13, Krzyzewski faced perhaps his greatest challenge as a head coach — Jabari Parker. Parker wasn’t like Irving or Rivers; he was even more talented than those players. The coach helped Parker get adjusted to the college life and prepared him for his NBA career. But it wasn’t always easy.

After a win over Virginia in which Parker had just eight points and three rebounds, an assistant coach got a text message from Parker’s mother, wanting a meeting with Coach K. Despite how great Parker was, he was failing to utilize his greatness. It wasn’t until Krzyzewski spent all night watching tape that he realized the issue. As weird as it sounds, Parker was concerned about being good too.

“I knew that before he got here,” Krzyzewski said, via SI.com. “At [his high school] he played with a self-imposed regulator based on human conditions. He didn’t want his teammates to be jealous of him.”

Following a talk with Krzyzewski, Parker finished the season strong. He was second in the ACC Player of the Year voting and numerous outlets had him as a first team All-American and he was selected with the second overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft. While his time with Irving and Rivers went smoothly, Krzyzewski’s time with Parker didn’t. It was during that time he developed a much better strategy at maximizing the talents of one year players.

Coach K’s positive experience with Parker gave him the confidence necessary to deal with three one-and-done players in 2014-15. He had Justice Winslow, Jahlil Okafor, and Tyus Jones. Okafor was the star, finishing second to Frank Kaminsky in the Wooden Trophy voting. Winslow developed into an impressive defensive player under Krzyzewski and Jones showed impressive maturity as a freshman point guard. Despite having to find enough touches for Okafor and Winslow to keep them happy, he still averaged over 10 points per game. Coach K’s affinity for one-year players reached its peak when he won the national title in 2014-15 — led by three freshmen.

Brandon Ingram gave Coach K three straight years with a player he knew would be gone after one year. Krzyzewksi, now knowing how to handle such players, allowed Ingram to thrive. The freshman guard responded by having one of the best seasons ever by a first-year player at Duke. Ingram was drafted with the second overall pick, cementing Duke’s status as an ideal place for top recruits to go, even if their stay in Durham would be short-lived.

Embracing The One-And-Dones

Duke enters the 2016-17 college basketball season with perhaps its best freshman class in recent memory. According to ESPN, they have five of the top 45 freshman recruits. Coach K’s freshman class is led by Harry Giles, who, barring significant injury, will be leaving after his freshman season. Just like Okafor and Parker before him, Giles is the type of athletic big man who should thrive in Krzyzewski’s offense.

Forward Jayson Tatum is also likely to leave after one year; at most, he’ll be around for two. Tatum ranks third on ESPN’s top 100 list, trailing only Giles and Josh Jackson from Kansas. Guard Frank Jackson ranks 10th on the list, and because he can be such a dominant scorer, don’t be surprised if he bolts after a year. Center Marcus Bolden could be gone after a year as well, however, he’s the least likely to do so of Duke’s new Big Four.

For better or for worse, Coach K now loves and relies on players who he knows will likely leave after a year. His experiences with Parker, Okafor, Winslow, Jones and Ingram have given him the confidence necessary to handle such stars. It’s a risky strategy, but it’s one which has paid dividends for Coach K lately — and likely will for the foreseeable future.