I hope we won't settle for anything less or accept anything less. Basically, that has been Duke's pattern since the difficult early years that marked Krzyzewski's arrival in 1981. There was a painful period of three seasons in which Krzyzewski battled daily to get players to buy into his defensive philosophy and up-tempo offensive strategies. But once the tactics were meshed with a talented influx of players, Duke turned upward in 1984, starting with a stunning upset of powerful North Carolina in the ACC Tournament semifinals at Greensboro. Now the Duke system seems to be on autopilot at times.
Younger players learn from upperclassmen in what looks like an endless chain of success.
It's the best learning process you could want. Battier did, of course, and even became a better player defensively and offensively than almost anyone in the history of the program. You learn what it takes to be a champion. I think once you learn that lesson, it stays with you through life.