College Basketball

Mike Krzyzewski Disciplines Duke Basketball Team on Leave of Absence

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 4:26 p.m. ET

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Duke Men’s Basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski may be out recovering from back surgery, but that has not stopped him from taking action to discipline the team.

Duke Basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski’s recovery from back surgery seems to be going well and he is on schedule to return in early February. Unfortunately, the team has not performed well in his absence, recording a 2-3 record in ACC play since he left for surgery. Coach K has also noticed Duke’s disappointing performances, and recently met with the team to discipline the players.

Mike Krzyzewski held a team meeting at his house earlier this week. Coach K reportedly wasn’t happy with the team’s performance of late, informed the players that they are banned from the locker room and from wearing any Duke apparel. He has reportedly used this tactic before to help past teams focus. The punishment for the players will last indefinitely “until they start living up to the standards of the Duke program“.

The Blue Devils also later held a separate players-only meeting to help the team get back on track for the remainder of the season. The team’s issues are now more than just injuries, Grayson Allen drama, and missing their Hall of Fame coach. Everyone is now healthy except forward Chase Jeter, but Duke’s losses have mostly been due to bad defense and mental mistakes. Acting head coach Jeff Capel declined to speak on the players’ punishment, which was supposed to be private only between the team and the locker room.

Duke Men’s Basketball will return to action Saturday afternoon with a road matchup against Wake Forest. The team is still looking for their first true road win this season and will face a struggling Demon Deacons team. Hopefully this decision will help the team make the adjustments necessary to play up to the high expectations of the Duke Basketball program.

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