With the stakes as high as they’ve been all season, Duke found a way to grind out a 78–73 win over Texas Tech in the Sweet 16 on Thursday night.
The closing minute of the contest saw the Blue Devils come up with a number of pivotal defensive stops on their way to victory, an effort sparked by a tradition as fabled as Mike Krzyzewski himself.
With his team up 73–68, the 75-year-old coach got down on one knee and slapped the floor which expectedly prompted a synchronized response from his players. Moments later, Coach K walked away with a milestone 100th NCAA tournament win.
Krzyzewski, the credited inventor of the infamous floor slap, was asked after the game why he responded that way in the moment, to which he replied, “What the hell, why not?”
He continued, “Our guys really wanted that because it’s kind of like across the bridge to ‘The Brotherhood,’ you know? They can now say they did that. Hopefully, they can say that again, at least on Saturday.”
Coach K’s patented floor slap has rallied a number of Duke wins and rattled more than its share of opponents since it was introduced during the 1986 season, Krzyzewski’s sixth in Durham. Not to mention, the tactic has found its way into all levels of the sport and will likely be a part of the game in the years to come.
The Blue Devils will now advance to their third Elite Eight in five seasons and have a chance to send Coach K to a 13th career Final Four. Three more wins would place this team in rare company and give the program and its legendary coach a sixth NCAA title.
It remains to be seen exactly how Duke’s journey will end, but for at least one more game, Krzyzewski was able to deliver yet another signature moment going into Saturday’s clash with No. 4 Arkansas.
