Coach K defends his decision to end Grayson Allen's suspension after 1 game
To the surprise of many, Duke guard Grayson Allen returned to the starting lineup in Wednesday’s 110-57 win over Georgia Tech – after missing only one game for his indefinite suspension that was announced on Dec. 22.
Allen was disciplined after his latest tripping incident – his third such incident in the past two seasons – against Elon on Dec. 21. Because of the Blue Devils’ limited schedule over holiday break, Allen missed only an upset loss to Virginia Tech. And it’s possible his return was accelerated because coach Mike Krzyzewski is set to take an indefinite leave of his own for back surgery.
Following Wednesday’s win, both Allen and Krzyzewski discussed the decision to end the suspension.
“I had no idea (how long the suspension would be),” Allen told the News and Observer. “I was home over break, and I knew coming back I was going to have to work my way back and earn it and be under control and accept whatever discipline came by way from our coaching staff. When I was back on the court, just put everything in the past.”
Grayson Allen
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Coach K defended the decision to reinstate Allen in an interview with ESPN:
"I think it's appropriate, and I think the things that we've done are appropriate," Krzyzewski told ESPN's Jay Bilas. "There are things that you see or the public see, and there are things that you all don't see and shouldn't see or shouldn't be talked about, and they're called teachings. You don't need to teach out in the public all the time. ...
"What he did was wrong. He was punished for it. I think it's time to move on, and I think the new role he has will be a good one for him.”
