This year's tourney run means a little more to Krzyzewski

ATLANTA -- They saved the last bit of net, after cutting down almost two of them in a 15-minute post-game ceremony that has become commonplace for the Duke Blue Devils, and the Living Legend, their coach.

Winning never gets old for Mike Krzyzewski, whose grandsons Joey and Michael join him on the court.(AP)

With his players, family and assistant coaches, who all happen to be former Duke players, having already had their turn to cut the nets, it was Mike Krzyzewski's chance to end it. It was an honor he certainly deserved, even if he's had his fair share of these types of things, and one he was definitely relishing.

While watching him celebrate his team's hard-fought 66-63 victory over the Xavier Musketeers in the Atlanta Regional Final, putting Duke into its 10th Final Four during his tenure, one thing stood out about Krzyzewski: This type of thing never seems to get old.

It could easily have been a we've-done-that-so-let's-be-cool type of demeanor for the coach, but there he was in the middle of his players, celebrating as if he were going to his first Final Four.

So when Krzyzewski took the slow deliberate steps to the top of the ladder to cut down the last bit of net, it was appropriate that he was standing there at the top, looking down on everyone else waving to the Duke fans in the stands.

That's where Mike Krzyzewski is in the college basketball world: Looking down at everybody else. There is one coach on top of him in the history of the game, and that's John Wooden, the Wizard of Westwood, who turned UCLA into dynasty.

That is even on the verge of being debatable.

Consider:

• Krzyzewski is two victories away from becoming the all-time leader in NCAA Tournament wins, so if he beats Connecticut in the semifinals and then wins the title, he will surpass former North Carolina coach Dean Smith atop the tourney wins list.
• This will be his 10th Final Four since 1986, and he's won three National Championships.
• He's doing it in an era when there is supposed parity, at a time when a team needs to win four games to get to the Final Four, unlike in the days when UCLA had to win two.

Love or hate the Duke program, but there's no denying its greatness, and the greatness of its coach.

"I get to see his greatness in him every day," said guard J.J. Redick.

This trip for the top-seeded Blue Devils was a smooth one until Sunday when they met a tough, feisty Xavier team. Xavier came in having won 16 of 17 games, making it the hottest Xavier since Xavier Hollander, the Happy Hooker.

For a while, it appeared that Xavier would pull off the upset. They had already beaten the second seed (Mississippi State) and the third seed (Texas), so why not the top seed?

Xavier led at the half 30-28 and seemed on the verge of a huge upset in the second half. But two things happened that changed the game. The first was when center Anthony Myles, the only real power presence inside, picked up his fourth and fifth fouls in a 15-second span and was gone with 12:27 left in the game.

Myles should have been pulled from the game after the fourth foul, but Xavier coach Thad Matta was too preoccupied with questioning the first call, screaming about how it should have been a three-second violation on Duke.

"I got him out too late," said Matta.

Without Myles, who left with 16 points and 10 rebounds, the game shifted to the backcourt, where seniors Lionel Chalmers and Romain Sato were left to take over. Chalmers had 13 points in the first half, but he was shut down in the second half by Chris Duhon of Duke and finished with 17. Sato struggled the entire game, finishing just 2-of-10 on the night and had 10 points.

The two guards combined to shoot 8 of 26 on the night.

"We knew that stopping them was the key to us winning," said Duhon.

This was a game that matched a team with six High School All-Americans in Duke against a team that had none. That's what made it so special that it was so close down the stretch for Xavier, which was trying to go to its first Final Four.

"We left our hearts out there," said Matta.

In the end, it was too much from the freshman star for Duke Luol Deng. He finished with 19 points, seven rebounds and three assists, including a 3-pointer late to tie the game and a slam off a rebound that showed his wonderful athletic ability.

Duke also got a big game from center Shelden Williams, who had 12 points and 13 rebounds. A key for Duke was keeping Williams and Deng in the lineup after they picked up their fourth fouls midway through the second half.

There were 43 fouls called in a game, far too many for a game with that high of stakes, and it appeared Xavier got the worst of some of the calls. Maybe the officials should have joined the net-cutting ceremony, too. That's what Krzyzewski gets, respect from officials, respect from everybody.

At one point, Krzyzewski waved an official over and he ran to him as if it was a mother calling over a 6-year-old.

Maybe Duke does get more of the calls, but they win because of their players and their coach.

There is no denying the greatness of both.

"I realize when I committed here what type of coach he's been and I wanted to experience it," said Duhon.

Even his players noticed how their coach seemed to be giddy over this one. There was a reason.

"This is one of my favorite teams," Krzyzewski said.

"Each year is a new year and each year is a different team and he coaches each one different," said Duhon. "That's why it never gets old."

And that's why the celebration at center court was not just the same old, same old. His family was there, and they've been there before, but now there are more to enjoy it. His daughters have grown up and now they are mothers, too, which makes it even better.

Grandpa was truly enjoying himself. Taking that net down, the steps felt so right, so perfect for the moment.

"It has to be that way," said Duhon.

If the coach cuts down the last bit of net again a week from Monday, let the arguments begin as to whether he's moved into the same class as Wooden. If not, he's just behind him.

This is one Special K.