Busting Brackets
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ACC Basketball: 10 questions looming for the 2021-22 season

By Jerran Anderson

Feb 8, 2018; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski and assistant coaches Jeff Capel and Nate James during the national anthem at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 8, 2018; Chapel Hill, NC, USA; Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski and assistant coaches Jeff Capel and Nate James during the national anthem at Dean E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mike Krzyzewski Duke Blue Devils Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports
Mike Krzyzewski Duke Blue Devils Nell Redmond-USA TODAY Sports /

9. Will the Coach K Farewell Tour end on a high note?

This past June, it was announced that the 2021-22 season would be the final season for Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Krzyzewski. After 41 seasons of leading the charge in Durham, Coach K is ready to step away from the helm with 1,170 career wins, 15 ACC Tournament titles, 12 ACC Regular Season crowns, five National Championships and 12 Final Fours amassed.

The timing couldn’t be anymore interesting for him, as it comes on the heels of Roy Williams’ exit as the UNC head coach following the 2020-21 campaign. The Tar Heels finished last season with an 18-11 record and 10-6 record in the conference, good for fifth in the ACC.

Given those numbers, it will be interesting to see if the Coach K Farewell Tour will end on a high note. What helps their cause a ton is their fourth nationally-ranked 2021 recruiting class led by Paolo Banchero and Trevor Keels. Banchero is a hybrid wing prospect at 6-foot-9 who will make a name for himself this upcoming season. Keels reunites with his former high school teammate,  Jeremy Roach, as well.

It also helps that Head Coach “in-waiting” Jon Scheyer is also on the coaching staff. He’s become a staple on the Blue Devils’ sideline alongside Nolan Smith. Scheyer played under Coach K from 2006-10 and then joined his staff as a special assistant in 2013 and worked his way to Associate Head Coach in 2018, which is his current position until 2021-22. He’s set to become Duke’s 20th head coach beginning in 2022-23.