ACC: Mike Krzyzewski Sits Alone At The Top

If anyone older than 40 is reading this, there’s no doubt they will be upset. John Wooden is no longer the greatest coach in college basketball history.

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This honor now falls to Duke’s Mike Krzyzewski and his five national titles. Yes, I understand this number is significantly less than John Wooden’s 10 championships, but that doesn’t tell the whole story.

When “One Shining Moment” was playing, it marked the fifth time Coach K has cut down the nets after a national title victory. But as the clock was striking midnight in Indianapolis, these nets meant something different.

This was the title that sealed Coach K’s spot as the greatest college basketball coach of all time, even though it wasn’t 10 in 12 years like Wooden was. Heck, Coach K hasn’t even had an undefeated while Wooden had four.

So, what makes Krzyzewski better than the Wizard of Westwood?

Coach K has accomplished his feats in an era where it’s far more difficult to win a title and recruit than a generation ago. When Wooden was coaching, he practically had his pick of any player west of the Mississippi River because UCLA was the only relevant school out there.

Meanwhile, Coach K has had to battle the NBA, playing overseas and the constant battle for top tier programs to get McDonald’s All-American’s.

The other main reason Coach K should be regarded as the best college basketball coach of all-time is his ability to adapt to the change in the game. When he won his first national championship in 1991, Grant Hill was on the only freshman on the team to play serious minutes. A mere 24 years later he won his fifth title thanks to freshmen scoring 60 out of Duke’s 68 points.

Wooden on the flip side came out in 1997 and said he wanted a ban on dunking the ball. Dunking the ball!

“OK, but the 10 national titles!” is something most Wooden supporters will say. But, let’s all remember how the NCAA tournament was set up during the Wooden era compared to what we know now. Back then only conference champions qualified for the event, making the field that much weaker.

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So instead of powerhouses from the ACC making the field like both North Carolina State and North Carolina, the conference was limited to sending just one team.

The field was obviously smaller as well with it just being 25 teams in 1970 and never more than 32 teams during Wooden’s run, meaning he usually just had to win four games to win a title, with the exception of having to win five in 1972. That just gets you to the title game now.

In 1970, UCLA’s NCAA tournament wins came over Long Beach State, Utah State, New Mexico State and Jacksonville. Duke just beat Robert Morris, San Diego State, Utah, Gonzaga, Michigan State and Wisconsin in what some people thought was an easy run to the championship.

Finally, the cherry on top should be the gold on top. Coach K has worked with Team USA to restore its power in international basketball, coaching the likes of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Chris Paul and Carmelo Anthony. It doesn’t have much to do with college basketball, sure, but just another notch in Krzyzewski’s bet.

So, the next time someone throws 10 championships as an arguing point, use these. Or just mention 1,000-plus wins. That should do the trick.

Next: Ranking The 2015 Freshmen

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