DURHAM — Nearly 100 former Duke players will be in attendance for Mike Krzyzewski’s final game at Cameron Indoor Stadium Saturday, adding another emotional element to a historic evening.
All of Coach K’s over 200 former players were invited to participate in a pregame celebration before the 6 p.m. tipoff against rival UNC and 96 were able to accept the invitation.
The full list is below:
The list includes Duke greats from every decade of Coach K’s 42 years at Duke, including Christian Laettner, Grant Hill, Carlos Boozer, Steve Wojciechowski, JJ Redick, Shane Battier, Grayson Allen and many more.
It was reported earlier in the week that at least 80 former players would be in attendance.
“Well, the first few years, I don’t think I would have predicted that 80 of them would be coming back or that I would even have 80, but it’s great,” Coach K said Thursday. “By being in one place and having a good level of success throughout, you’re able to form a lot of friendships.”
After the game, Coach K will return to the court and address the home fans for the final time.
“I’ve tried not to think about it that much, but I know it will be emotional,” he said.
More: Coach K’s legacy is firmly cemented in Cameron. The verdict is still out on his final Duke team
More: ‘Mine for 42 years, but it’s Duke’s forever’: Coach K readies final bow at Cameron Indoor
With ESPN’s College GameDay taking over Cameron during the early morning, former Duke player and ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas led a series of interviews with the Blue Devils’ assistant coaching staff and former players.
Fans packed in around 10 a.m. Saturday at the 9,314-seat arena – eight hours before Duke tips off against North Carolina for Coach K’s final home game.
Assistant coach and Coach K’s successor Jon Scheyer was asked how he was dealing with the emotions of the day:
“For me, it’s hard to put into words,” he said. “Once the ball goes up, I think everything will be great.”
Saturday’s contest will be the 257th meeting between Duke and North Carolina with Duke holding a 46-38 edge over UNC at home. Coach K holds a 50-46 lead of his biggest rival with a 22-19 mark at Cameron Indoor.
David Thompson is an award-winning reporter for the USA Today Network covering NC State and Duke athletics. He can be reached at dthompson1@gannett.com, at 828-231-1747, or on Twitter at @daveth89.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Former Duke players will be there for Coach K’s final home game
original source: These are the former Duke players who will be in attendance for Coach K’s final game at Cameron
