Whether they were acting in ignorance, or openly displaying arrogance, I was hoping that my prediction of how Duke would respond to two players being arrested on DWI-related charges would be different. Instead, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski, Athletic Director Nina E. King, and University President Vincent E. Price missed an opportunity. In allowing freshman Paolo Banchero to start and play just a few days after being arrested on serious charges, Krzyzewski, King, and Price failed to set a better example for other schools. I agree that Banchero’s charges are different from those being faced by Krzyzewski’s grandson, Michael Savarino, but this was simply a bad decision. To play Banchero, then speak of “a violation of our standards…” does not measure up. Krzyzewski has to know this, and reporters at the postgame press conference, and the media in general, should not have let him off so easily; but this was predictable. Not just the Duke’s response, but the media’s coverage as well. So, forgive me for not displaying a higher standard of texting, but the message below should be clear. Just follow the bubbles.
