(Photo by Streeter Lecka/Getty Images)
Not many people in Mike Krzyzewski's position are interested in a second job. But that's exactly what Coach K has with USA basketball, albeit a part-time gig.
Recent reports of Krzyzewski's decision to stay with USA basketball through 2012 will certainly elicit mixed reactions from the Duke fanbase.
On one hand, there will be the pride of having their coach represent the nation on another gold medal Olympic run. On the other hand, there is the nagging feeling that Coach K's previous Olympic commitment played a significant part in Duke's recent struggles.
With the decision apparently made, one question is at the forefront of Duke fans' minds—will Coach K's next stint with Olympic basketball lead to more lackluster years for the Blue Devils?
It's no secret that Duke basketball wasn't very Duke-like during Krzyzewski's previous time coaching the USA team.
Duke missed out on several top recruiting targets in that time, failed to make it past the Sweet 16, and was sent home during the first weekend of the NCAA tournament twice.
The Blue Devils are in the midst of a five-year Final Four drought, an eternity by Duke standards in the Krzyzewski era.
To make matters worse, the recent transfer of Elliot Williams, combined with the early departure of Gerald Henderson to the NBA and top guard prospects Kenny Boynton (Florida) and John Wall (Kentucky) choosing other schools, has left Duke with only two guards for the upcoming season.
It's not hard to see why so many fans are likely to be less-than-excited about Coach K's decision to juggle Duke and USA basketball once again—the timing doesn't seem right.
Timing aside, there are reasons to believe Coach K's upcoming time with USA basketball could prove to be more successful (in terms of Duke, not the Olympic team) than the previous few years.
Duke's recent struggles can largely be attributed to major recruiting misses.
Add Patrick Patterson or Greg Monroe (two consecutive top recruits that chose other schools) to either of Duke's previous two lineups and the Blue Devils would have been serious Final Four contenders.
It's impossible to determine if Coach K's Olympic commitment hindered his recruitment of those players, but in all three years of Krzyzewski's previous USA basketball commitment, Duke missed out on a top target in a key position (Patterson, Monroe, and Boynton).
Krzyzewski has long been a fan of the less-is-more recruiting approach, going after one (sometimes two) players for key positions and often waiting to recruit backup players until top targets commit elsewhere. That strategy hasn't paid off in recent years.
However, Duke's recruiting approach seems to be changing.
The Blue Devils are recruiting more players for the 2010 class than they have recruited for a single class in several years.
Coach K is currently recruiting four of the top point guards in the 2010 class (only two have official offers), and two of the top small forwards (Harrison Barnes and Roscoe Smith) have offers from the Blue Devils.
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