2019 NCAA Tournament: Coach K’s Been Under The Hood Again

COLUMBIA, SOUTH CAROLINA - MARCH 22: Vinnie Shahid #0 of the North Dakota State Bison is defended by Jordan Goldwire #14 of the Duke Blue Devils in the first half during the first round of the 2019 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Colonial Life Arena on March 22, 2019 in Columbia, South Carolina.Duke fans remember a lot about the 2015 National Championship run. They remember Jahil Okafor’s fanciful footwork in the post, Quinn Cook’s senior leadership, and how Tyus “Stones” earned his nickname. What often is forgotten is the fact that, with just four games left in the regular season, Coach K made a significant change to a starting lineup that had lost only two games when healthy: Krzyzewski inserted sophomore Matt Jones into the starting five in place of junior Amile Jefferson. Jones served primarily as a defensive specialist on the perimeter, but his presence allowed Justice Winslow to play as a stretch-4, creating offensive mismatches that Winslow exploited throughout March. Then, when Duke needed to “play big”, Jefferson was available to come off the bench to give the Blue Devils a more traditional lineup.

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