GREENVILLE, S.C. — Mike Krzyzewski expressed few complaints about his team’s performance following Duke’s 78-61 victory against Cal State Fullerton in the first round of the NCAA Tournament here on Friday. He had some things to say, though, about the conditions of the court and the pregame environment at Bon Secours Wellness Arena.
For one thing, he didn’t like the sight of an empty arena while the Blue Devils and Titans warmed up about 30 minutes before tip-off. The building had been cleared after Miami’s victory against USC so that workers could clean it and prepare it for the night session, but spectators were not allowed back inside until well after 6 p.m.
It made for a sterile environment during warm-ups, without fans or bands, and didn’t allow the teams a chance to establish familiarity with the sort of scene in which they’d be playing. Eventually the crowd reached capacity in the first half of the Blue Devils’ victory.
