Nearing the end of his farewell tour, Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski's emotions run high, but he said it's all about team

There were grown men holding back tears on the floor of the Petersen Events Center on Tuesday, but emotions might flow more freely Saturday night in Durham, N.C.

Before its 86-56 loss to the Blue Devils, Pitt honored retiring Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski with a ceremony recognizing his 47 years as a college coach. It was his last game on an opponent’s court — perhaps, his last in Pittsburgh (unless Duke is sent to PPG Paints Arena for the first round of the NCAA Tournament later this month).

But Duke’s game Saturday against North Carolina is Krzyzewski’s last at Cameron Indoor Stadium where the Blue Devils play their home games.

When he was asked to predict his emotional state for that game, Krzyzewski immediately deflected the spotlight toward his players, not wishing to look like a hypocrite.

“I told my team, I will be with them,” he said. “Otherwise, you are really selfish. I ask them not to be selfish.”

Krzyzewski said he won’t use the final days of his career as a means of motivating his players.

“I didn’t talk to them about my last road game or (say), ‘Guys, win it for me. This is my last road game.’ I want to be in their moment.

“The thing I’ve learned, one of the joys of coaching for me in 47 years, is to be in the moment of the team that I have the honor to coach. So, I did that when I was in my 30s, 40s, 50s. Imagine in your 60s being in the moment of 19-, 18-22-year-olds when you win? And then imagine if you’re in your 70s?” said the 75-year-old coach. “How lucky can you get, really?

“For me, then, to say, ‘No, hey, look at me. It’s my last game,’ I’m not going to do that. I am sure it will be emotional, but it’s going to be about my team always, always, always, always.”

The game Saturday carries another element of significance because it could be Duke’s 27th victory among only four losses this season. The No. 4 Blue Devils, who have won seven in a row, are trying to earn a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament.

Duke had a different leading scorer in its past five games, with Trevor Keels, Mark Williams, A.J Griffin, Paolo Banchero and Wendell Moore Jr. taking turns.

Krzyzewski joked that having so many offensive threats “makes me a better coach.”

“They don’t care who leads us in scoring,” he said. “They just want us to lead the other team in scoring. And they have been a really good group in that regard.”

With the victory against Pitt, Duke (26-4, 16-3) nailed down at least a tie for the ACC regular-season championship. Keels, who scored 27, was not ready to celebrate, however.

“We’re happy. We’re in first place,” he said. “We still got a huge game Saturday to take care of. We can really celebrate after that game.”