NCAA News Wire
CBK roundup: Coach K looks forward to five more years
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski is well past retirement age at 67, yet there are no plans to hit the rocking chair as he prepares for his 35th season with the Blue Devils.
“I’m looking forward to the next five years,” Krzyzewski said Thursday during his season-ending press conference. “What do we do in the next five, not just what do we do next season. .”
The NCAA’s career leader with 983 wins, including 910 at Duke, Krzyzewski could have an overhauled roster next season. All-American freshman Jabari Parker is weighing his future and could leave for the NBA and Duke’s other top scorer, sophomore Rodney Hood, might turn pro.
Jahlil Okafor (Whitney Young High School, Chicago, Ill.), the top-ranked high school player in the nation, verbally committed to Duke in November.
—Star freshman Tyler Ennis is a one-and-done at Syracuse. Ennis met Thursday with coach Jim Boeheim to inform him of his decision to enter the NBA Draft. He is expected to sign with an agent, forfeiting his remaining college eligibility.
The 6-foot-2 point guard is projected by DraftExpress.com as the No. 14 pick. Other draft-dedicated providers have him in the lottery. Ennis averaged 12.9 points, 5.5 assists and 3.4 rebounds in 2013-14.
—Kansas freshman 7-footer Joel Embiid, considered one of the surprise newcomers in college basketball this season, plans to enter the 2014 NBA Draft, according to multiple reports.
Yahoo Sports reported Embiid will make a formal announcement as soon as this weekend and he is in the process of selecting an agent. Embiid responded via Twitter on Thursday, telling Chicago prep star Cliff Alexander “haven’t made a decision yet.”
The 20-year-old Cameroon native told The Sports Xchange in February he would weigh his options after the season and measure those against his development. NBA Draft experts consider Embiid, who has played organized basketball only three years, a top-three pick — and possibly No. 1 — if he decides to leave.
—Steve Masiello was placed on administrative leave by Manhattan while his “degree status” is reviewed by Manhattan College.
The school’s basketball coach is in limbo after an unexpected turn of events in which he left the school to accept the same position at the University of South Florida. During a background check, USF discovered Masiello did not possess a college degree.
