Mike Krzyzewski is off to a 4-0 start in his 42nd and final season as Duke’s basketball coach, but the legendary figure’s farewell tour hit a speed bump early this week. Duke walk-on Michael Savarino, who is Krzyzewski’s grandson, was arrested Sunday morning for suspicion of DWI and was not with the team for its 92-52 victory over Gardner-Webb on Tuesday.
Further complicating matters, Duke star freshman Paolo Banchero was a passenger in the vehicle and was cited for aiding and abetting DWI. But while Savarino was away from the team Tuesday, Banchero started and played 26 minutes against the Bulldogs, finishing with 10 points and eight rebounds. After the game, Krzyzewski offered a brief insight into the how discipline is being handled for the two players.
“It’s two different situations, two entirely different situations,” he said. “Headlines might make it look like it’s the same. It’s not. I think the decisions we made are in conjunction with our authorities, my superiors. And we’re taking action. We took action, and we’ll continue to take action.”
Banchero was a passenger in the backseat of his own vehicle during the incident. Under North Carolina law, the charge of aiding and abetting DWI can be applied to those who knowingly encourage, aid, advise or instigate another person to drive or attempt to drive while impaired.
“We had a violation of our standards,” Krzyzewski said. “We’ll handle that internally. We already are handling it. Violation of our standards, and that’s it.”
Banchero was the No. 2 ranked prospect in the 2021 recruiting class and is the projected to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-9 forward has reached double figures in his first four college games.
Krzyzewski is retiring after this season, which will be his 42nd as Duke’s coach, and handing the program over to his assistant and former Duke star Jon Scheyer. The Blue Devils’ next game is Friday vs. Lafayette. As Krzyzewski’s final season continues, we will update this piece with the latest tributes — and tribulations — from the farewell tour of a coaching legend.
How to watch Duke vs. Lafayette live
Date: Friday, Nov. 19 | Time: 8 p.m. ET
Location: Cameron Indoor Stadium — Durham, North Carolina
TV: ACC Network | Live stream: fuboTV (Try for free)
DWI charge for grandson
An otherwise sterling start to Krzyzewski’s final season hit a speed bump in the early morning hours of Nov. 14, when Duke walk-on Michael Savarino, who is Krzyzewski’s grandson, was arrested for suspicion of DWI. Complicating matters, Duke star freshman Paolo Banchero was a passenger in the vehicle and was cited for aiding and abetting DWI. But while Savarino was suspended, Banchero was not held out of any game action, as Krzyzewski explained “it’s two different situations.”
“Headlines might make it look like it’s the same,” he said. “It’s not. I think the decisions we made are in conjunction with our authorities, my superiors.”
West Point flashback
Duke played host to Army West Point on Nov. 12 in its home opener as part of the Duke Veterans Day Weekend Showcase. The Blue Devils won 82-56, but the game carried special significance because Army is where Krzyzewski both played and first served as a head coach. Between his four years as a student at Army and five as the coach, Krzyzewski spent nearly a decade of his young adult life in West Point. Army explored his history with the program in a special tribute video released before the game.
Garden party
Krzyzewski’s final season began on a big stage, with the Blue Devils beating Kentucky at Madison Square Garden on Nov. 9 in the Champions Classic. The venue is one of Krzyzewski’s favorites, and it offered a parting gift to the legendary coach. Krzyzewski is now 34-11 all-time at Madison Square Garden, and that record will remain unchanged unless the Blue Devils end up playing in the NIT, which would be nothing short of a disaster.
More on Coach K’s final season
- Duke makes sure Coach K’s farewell tour starts off on a high note with impressive opening win vs. Kentucky
- Whether Duke’s succession plan is successful will be decided later, but Jon Scheyer is off to a great start
- How Jon Scheyer rose from Duke ‘special assistant’ to Mike Krzyzewski’s successor in eight years
