USA - Coach K owns win record after Duke victory

NEW YORK (NCAA) - Every time Mike Krzyzewski coaches a game, it's a big deal.

It's why the United States national team, having lost some of its luster in international basketball, gained instant credibility when Coach K was put in charge by USA Basketball before the 2006 FIBA World Championship.

Krzyzewski won at West Point as the coach of Army in a five-year stint at the beginning of his career, and he's done nothing but win ever since in his more than 30 years at Duke University in the vaunted Atlantic Coast Conference.

After Tuesday night's 74-69 triumph over Michigan State at Madison Square Garden in the State Farm Champions Classic, no coach has won as many games in NCAA Division I as 64-year-old Krzyzewski.

The victory was his 903rd, and it allowed him to pass his former coach at the United States Military Academy at West Point, Bobby Knight, who has 902 wins.

The two men have a lot in common.

Knight, who had a legendary career as the coach of the Indiana Hoosiers, also led the United States to a gold medal at an Olympics.

His Team USA won the title at the 1984 Games in Los Angeles.

At the time, Krzyzewski was early in his career at Duke and going up against other greats like North Carolina legend Dean Smith, NC State coach Jim Valvano and Maryland boss Lefty Driesell.

Coach K would go on to lead the Americans to Beijing gold, and a world title in 2010.

He will be walking the sidelines when the United States defend their Olympic title next year in London.

After Tuesday night's game, Krzyzewski shook hands with Michigan State coach Tom Izzo and also embraced the 71-year-old Knight, who was working as a television commentator for the game.

Krzyzewski later revealed what he'd said to Knight in the moments after Tuesday's victory.

He said: "Well I just told him, I said, 'Coach, I'm not sure people tell you this, but I love you and I love what you've done for me, and thank you.'

"And he says, 'Boy, you've done pretty good for a kid who couldn't shoot.'

At that point, there was laughter in the press conference.

"I think that meant he loves me too," Krzyzewski said.

"I'm going to take it as that."

Krzyzewski, who has led Duke to four NCAA titles, 13 ACC Tournament Championships and 12 ACC Regular Season Championships, admits he is glad to have finally claimed the record number of wins so people will stop concentrating on him.

"There's too much attention focused on me for this last week," he said.

"And I don't, you know, I get attention all the time, I just get attention.

"And I've gotten too much. And with the NBA not being there, you get even more."

Izzo, meanwhile, had to take part in another high-profile game against an ACC giant.

His Spartans lost to the University of North Carolina on Friday, which was Veterans Day.

That game also had special significance as it was played on an aircraft carrier, the USS Carl Vinson.

"I was in a no-win situation," Izzo said of facing Krzyzewski.

"I was either going to be the guy who threw the ball to (former home run king) Henry Aaron for the record breaker or the guy who shot Bambi."

FIBA