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Normally we wouldn’t link to just a single picture but in this case, it’s too interesting not to. This is a picture of Duke’s current assistants and one guy in the back we can’t identify: Chris Carrawell, Amile Jefferson, Jon Scheyer and Nolan Smith (Jefferson of course is not currently an assistant but we expect he will become one next year).
Carrawell is the greybeard here (and yes he has a bit) at 43, hardly ancient.
The other guys? Scheyer just turned 34 this past Tuesday - happy birthday to Duke’s future head coach - while Smith’s birthday is about two months earlier, June 25th, and he’s 33.
Jefferson is the baby of the group at 28.
It looks like a conditioning team run, or maybe a timed mile, and two things really jump out at us here: first, the youth, and second, the happiness.
When you look at this picture, it looks like a bunch of guys who really get along well.
Mike Krzyzewski is a tremendous coach, one of the greats not just in basketball but in all sports. We guess most Duke fans join us in having a bit of anxiety about the transition.
But look at that picture again. It asks for a caption.
Coach K is winding down a brilliant, stunning career, and he’s about to turn over his program to a rising star in Scheyer and a group of young assistants who have charisma, confidence and presence.
There is that anxiety but those guys look like they’re ready to step up. We could be wrong of course, but it looks like the program is going to be in good hands.
Our caption?
The Kids Are Alright.