The State of Duke Basketball: Coach K's Olympic Commitment

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. 

Throw in versatile forward Dominique Ferguson (currently being recruited but still without an offer) and center Josh Smith (has an offer) and you have eight highly touted prospects being recruited by the Blue Devils for a class that already has three commitments (Seth Curry will also be eligible in 2010).

Duke only has enough scholarships to add another three players to it's 2010 class (another would open up if Kyle Singler left after next season), so it's obvious that Krzyzewski isn't planning on all of his targets choosing Duke.

What Krzyzewski has are backup plans, and good ones.

For a coach who has been criticized recently for casting too small of a recruiting net, he couldn't cast a bigger one in 2010.

This change in recruiting is likely a response to losing out on so many targets in recent years, but it could be as much about foresight as it is about reaction.

With Duke's recruiting time being cut into by Team USA responsibilities (Duke's assistants also spend considerable time with the Olympic team), casting a wider net and offering more players could make up for less face time with recruits.

Furthermore, Duke is hosting a camp for elite high school players in August, inviting several of the Blue Devil's top prospects to the campus for some quality time with Coach K in Duke's state-of-the-art practice facility. 

Getting a large number of top recruits on campus at once is a recruiting dream, and the face time that Coach K will have with recruits at the camp will surely go toward making up for time overseas.

So while Duke fans may be justifiably concerned with Krzyzewski's moonlighting, it seems like he's as determined as ever on the recruiting front and willing to adjust his recruiting philosophies ensure the Blue Devils talent pool doesn't dry up while he's working with the NBA's best.

Combine Krzyzewski's revitalized and rebooted approach to recruiting with another Olympic gold medal (always good for PR), and the Blue Devils could be in for one of their best recruiting stretches in years.