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GREENVILLE, S.C. — Mike Krzyzewski, like most people, doesn’t look forward to family reunions.
Adding more to the problem, Krzyzewski’s gatherings seem to take place on a year-to-year basis.
Krzyzewski, who faced former assistant Quin Snyder and Missouri in the second round of last year’s NCAA Tournament, will go up against another coach today that has come out of the Duke coaching tree.
Krzyzewski’s Blue Devils, seeded first in the South Region, take on No. 8 Notre Dame, which is coached by former Duke assistant Mike Brey, at 1:10 p.m. at the Bi-Lo Center.
Krzyzewski owns a 13-0 record in games played against his former assistants, but that doesn’t make them any easier.
“I hate it,” Krzyzewski said. “It’s not even a like or dislike.
“Mike was a huge part of our success at Duke. He and his family are part of our family. I hate playing against people who are part of the family. I would think Mike doesn’t look forward to it, either.”
Brey actually cracked several one-liners about the situation, and he and his team see in an incredible opportunity in front of them.
Notre Dame, which ended an 11-year drought with last year’s appearance in the NCAA Tournament, seeks its first Sweet 16 appearance since 1987.
“I hope he’s real uncomfortable over the next 24 hours,”Brey joked. “Distracted and feeling guilty.”
Brey spent eight seasons as an assistant for Krzyzewski from 1987-95.
Brey first served as an assistant for Morgan Wootten at DeMatha High School, a national powerhouse near Baltimore.
Brey has a good understanding of the Duke program from his time in Durham, but the team that he leads out onto the floor today won’t be a carbon copy of the Blue Devils.
Krzyzewski and Brey talk about once at month by telephone at this juncture in the season, and Krzyzewski is often calling to congratulate Brey on a big win.
“(Wootten) was always strongly pushing that you have to be yourself,”Brey said. “While we run our program very similar to Mike in Durham, I think I’m very much my own man.”
The Blue Devils are tough to emulate because they don’t really run a set offense, but both programs share two obvious qualities: they are hungry and they want to play their basketball at this point in the season.
Notre Dame is confident coming off its 19-point win against Charlotte, and it isn’t in awe of the Blue Devils.
“They’re vulnerable, they can be beaten. We understand that,” Notre Dame forward David Graves said.
“I don’t think we even have to play our best game to beat them. I think we have to play a solid game and make them become uncomfortable.”
Up to this point, none of Krzyzewski’s former assistants have had very much success in doing that, although Duke defeated Brey’s Delaware team 79-73 in 1995.
The Blue Devils defeated Snyder’s Tigers 94-81 last season, and they knocked off Tommy Amaker and Michigan 104-83 in December.
Those Duke victories don’t come without costs.
“He wants to see all of us do well, I don’t think he wants to be the guy that stomps on any of us,” Brey said. “We’re trying to make our way in this business, and I appreciate that.”
Not that Krzyzewski wants to lose, by any means.
When someone brought up his winning streak against his former assistants, Brey came back with a quick response.
“So you’re saying Mike adheres to the philosophy that he eats his young,” he joked. “He’s a competitive guy. If I play three-on-three basketball with him, he fouls the heck out of me.
“As tough as this is in the big picture, he’s going to be ready to go.”
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Contact Bret Strelow at 704-797-4258 or bstrelow@salisburypost.com
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