Krzyzewski in midst of a busy year

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DURHAM -- The task of maintaining an elite college basketball program has evolved into a 365-days-a-year undertaking.

On top of that, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is tackling a task of Olympic proportions.

Krzyzewski is juggling his ongoing Duke duties with his role as head coach of the USA Basketball Men's Senior National Team.

"I'm going to be a busy little guy, but it's exciting," Krzyzewski said Tuesday. "This has been the busiest year of my life, by far."

Krzyzewski has racked up frequent-flier miles since the Blue Devils' season ended in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament, hitting the road for meetings with USA Basketball managing director Jerry Colangelo and with players that will eventually make up the U.S. Olympic team for 2008, near the end of Krzyzewski's three-year commitment.

In less than a month, things truly will kick into high gear in preparation for the FIBA Men's World Championship later this summer. From July 18-25, players selected by USA Basketball will convene on Las Vegas for week-long workouts that will produce a 12- to 15-member squad.

Following a handful of days off, the selected players will gather again in Vegas for four more days of workouts, including a scrimmage exclusively for U.S. troops as part of the fledgling "Hoops For Troops" program and an exhibition game, both against Puerto Rico.

Next it's off to China and then Korea for more exhibition games before heading to Japan for the world championships, which are scheduled for Aug. 19-Sept. 3.

"It's a huge honor and a huge commitment," Krzyzewski said. "I'm pacing myself by having people help me make good decisions.

"There are three priorities -- our family, our Duke program and USA Basketball -- and some other things were going to have to be cut. Like my outside speaking, I've cut that like 90 percent. There's a financial commitment you make to that, too, which is fine. I'll eat supper tonight well. I'm not complaining."

Krzyzewski's staff won't always be free to pick up any resulting summertime slack. Krzyzewski said that associate head coach Johnny Dawkins would be "involved with everything I do with that team over the next three years,' serving primarily as the players' representative.

Mike Schrage, Duke's director of men's basketball operations, also will help every step of the way, and assistant coaches Steve Wojciechowski and Chris Collins will help out Krzyzewski's USA Basketball coaching staff during the first week of workouts in Las Vegas.

Duke's summer recruiting schedule, however, likely could have been sparse anyway. The Blue Devils already have verbal commitments from a pair of players, and with just one scholarship junior -- DeMarcus Nelson -- and no seniors currently on the roster, that might not add any more prospects to the class of 2007-08.

"It puts a little bit of a strain, but we're not looking to bring in a huge class,' Krzyzewski said. "We may bring in only one more player, if he's the right guy, but it does set you back in looking ahead for the other years.

"We feel we'll be all right because most of the time I'm missing is in August, and if a recruit doesn't understand that and we lose him, so be it."

While July is a heavy recruiting month, August typically is a month that Krzyzewski reserves for time with his family, but he shifted that up to May. One thing he might miss out on involving his family is the birth of his fifth grandchild: His daughter, Lindy Frasher, is due to give birth to Spencer Quin Frasher in late July.

Krzyzewski's wife, Mickie, proudly displayed a three-dimensional sonogram image of the baby, who will be called Quin, following Tuesday's press conference.

"He has a nose like me," Krzyzewski said.

"We're trying to do surgery before he's born."