Coach K eschews vacation

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DURHAM - Between now and the beginning of September, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski will travel to Indianapolis; Teaneck, N.J.; Atlanta; Las Vegas; and cities in China, Korea and Japan before returning to Durham.

This is how the coach for the U.S. men's national basketball team spends a summer.

"I'll be a busy little guy, but it's exciting," Krzyzewski said on Tuesday during his annual summer interview with members of the local media.

All that travel will affect how much time Krzyzewski can devote to recruiting, i.e. how he keeps his day job at Duke.

Duke already has two recruits for 2007 -- Nolan Smith and Taylor King. Krzyzewski said he likely would recruit one more.

The month of July usually is devoted to evaluating future Duke players but Krzyzewski will be multi-tasking, juggling Duke responsibilities and USA Basketball responsibilities.

Krzyzewski will spend July 6-11 at basketball camps evaluating future college players, then go to USA Basketball training camp July 18-25 in Las Vegas. He'll take a few days off then head back to Las Vegas for an Aug. 1 scrimmage and an Aug. 3 exhibition between the U.S. and Puerto Rico.

The rest of the month will be spent on exhibition games in China, then Korea before the FIBA World Championships in Japan, Aug. 19-Sept. 3.

"It puts a little bit of strain on how much you can go see a [recruit]," Krzyzewski said of his USA Basketball duties. "... But we'll be all right because most of the time I'm missing will be in August. If a recruit doesn't understand that and we lose them, then so be it. We probably should have lost them."

On Tuesday, Krzyzewski also spoke about Duke men's lacrosse and the situation that program and Duke athletics are in with three players facing rape charges.

"This is the most trying time. But that's the way it is if you're going to be in there for the long run," he said, responding to a question about other difficult situations for Duke athletics. "If you can't accept trying times, then you don't deserve what Duke has to offer."

Krzyzewski said other schools have tried to use the lacrosse situation, and the impact it has had on the Duke athletics department, against Duke basketball on the recruiting trail.

"In this situation, it requires more of an in-depth [explanation]," he said. "We say, 'We're going through a time.' We explain what it is."

Krzyzewski also discussed the recent arrest of former Duke star J.J. Redick in Durham for driving while intoxicated. Asked if Redick's arrest exacerbated the embarrassment surrounding the school due to the lacrosse situation, Krzyzewski said no.

"I don't know if embarrassed is the right word," he said. "When [things] happen you should take responsibility for it. ... My main thing with J.J. is, 'Let's get on. Take responsibility. I love you. You're an idiot.' But I'm not going to throw him down the drain."

PRACTICE FACILITY UPDATE: Duke will break ground on a $15-million athletics building in December, according to Duke assistant athletics director Mike Cragg.

The facility will house the athletics department's academic support programs and two practice courts for its men's and women's basketball teams.

Cragg said the athletics department has secured $14 million in donations and would have the entire $15 million needed to build the new facility by December.

The university had asked that the athletics department have all of the funds in hand before breaking ground on the project.