Former Duke basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski’s true feelings on NCAA Tournament expansion buzz

Duke basketball has been humming right along in the second year since the retirement of head coach Mike Krzyzewski. The Blue Devils currently sit at number eight in the nation with a record of 20-5 under the leadership of Krzyzewski’s successor Jon Scheyer, and Duke will have a chance to avenge their loss to number three North Carolina when they host the Tar Heels on March 9.

Recently in college basketball circles, there has been talk of expanding the NCAA tournament from its current 68-team format to be able to include more programs. Although Duke certainly won’t need any expansion to qualify this year (or most years, for that matter), Krzyzewski still seems to believe that the change would ultimately be a good thing for the sport.

“I would like to see more access,” Krzyzewski said, per Nick Schultz on On3 Sports. “That’s not what I’ve spent all my time on, but I’d like to see more credit being given to the teams that have done well and celebrate our sport. I think it’s a deep look into the tournament and what can be done. Is there’s something that – instead of the conference tournament, although they make a lot of money, that lends itself to the 64 or 68? Is there something in between the regular season and the tournament that we could add that would add to the game, but also to give recognition to the coaches and the teams that have had terrific seasons?”

Duke basketball next takes the floor on Wednesday on the road against Miami.