Legendary Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski (Coach K) has coached his final basketball game. Coach K’s Duke Blue Devils fell to the University of North Carolina (UNC) 81-77 in the Final Four. The Duke loss marked the end of a legendary coaching career for Coach K. He ends his career with five national titles, 13 Final Four appearances, and a career record of 1,202-368z. He also won three Olympic Gold Medals as the head coach of Team USA. While he certainly has his critics, Krzyzewski is unquestionably one of the greatest basketball coaches on any level of all time. In honor of his retirement, I decided to highlight the four games he coached against Wisconsin as the head coach at Duke.
Game One: 2007-08 Big Ten/ACC Challenge
The first time the Wisconsin Badgers faced Coach K, he was already a Hall of Fame coach, having been inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001. At the time of their meeting, both teams were undefeated. Wisconsin was 5-0 and ranked 20th in the nation. Duke was 6-0 and ranked seventh.
Duke won the game in blowout fashion 82-58. Trevon Hughes and Jon Leuer were Wisconsin’s leading scorers, with 12 points apiece. Wisconsin went on to finish the season 31-5, but lost to Steph Curry and Davidson in the Sweet 16. Duke lost to the seventh seed West Virginia in the Round of 32.
Game Two: 2009-10 Big Ten/ACC Challenge
Two years after their first matchup, Duke traveled to Madison to face Wisconsin in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge. Duke was ranked sixth in the country while Wisconsin was unranked. The underdog Badgers shocked the Blue Devils and won 73-69. Trevon Hughes had 26 points and Jon Leuer had 17. Wisconsin finished the season 24-9, but was upset by the 12th seed Cornell in the Round of 32. Duke, on the other hand, won the National Championship.
Game Three: 2014-15 Big Ten/ACC Challenge
Many, if not all, Badgers fans remember the 2014-15 Wisconsin basketball team. Led by Sam Dekker and Frank Kaminsky, this team was one of the best teams in Wisconsin history. They would end up playing Coach K and Duke twice that season. The first matchup came in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge in Madison.
Entering the game, Wisconsin was ranked second in the country and Duke was ranked fourth. Both teams were 7-0. Duke won this game by 10 points, 80-70. Traevon Jackson was the Badgers’ leading scorer with 25 points. Frank Kaminsky had 17.
Game Four: 2014-15 National Championship Game
As fans remember, the Wisconsin Badgers made it all the way to the National Championship game in the 2014-15 season. Wisconsin had made it despite facing undefeated Kentucky in the Final Four. The game was a highly competitive one, and was tied at 31 at halftime. Unfortunately, current Bucks guard Garyson Allen led Duke to a 68-63 victory over Wisconsin. Frank Kaminsky, who was the National Player of the Year Award that year, had 21 points to lead Wisconsin in scoring. Both Kaminsky and Sam Dekker were drafted into the NBA after the season.
Coach K’s Record Against Wisconsin: 3-1
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