Duke may be guilty of an NCAA rules violation after head coach Mike Krzyzewski took a call from a recruit, Alex Poythress, while Poythress was traveling to play in tournaments. Here is a transcript of that call.
- Krzyzewski
Hello! This is Coach K's phone.
- Poythress
Hi. Coach Krzyzewski? This is Alex Poythress.
- Krzyzewski
Uhhh … sure. This is Coach Krzyzewski. How are you, Alex?
- Poythress
Good. I'm good. I have some down time between tournaments and thought I'd call and say hi.
- Krzyzewski
I'm glad you did, Alex. I'm just here being myself, being Coach Mike Krzyzewski. I am a legend. Everyone respects me.
- Poythress
Huh. Yeah, coach.
- Krzyzewski
Could you say that for me, Alex? Could you say: "You are Mike Krzyzewski. You are a legend. Everyone respects you."
- Poythress
Sure. I guess so. Do you have a cold or something, coach? Your voice sounds different.
- Krzyzewski
What? No. I'm me – Mike Krzyzewski and not anyone else. Now say that thing I asked you to say to- …
[There is a scuffle in the background. Someone yells: "Steve! Get off the phone!" And: "Who are you talking to?"]
- Krzyzewski
Sorry about that, Alex. That was my assistant, Steve Wojciechowski. He likes to pretend he's me a lot. Well, more than a lot. All the time. He doesn't have much else going for him.
- Poythress
Oh. That's alright. I called your phone and I thought something seemed a little strange from the beginning.
- Krzyzewski
You know what wouldn't be a little strange, Alex?
- Poythress
What's that, Coach K?
- Krzyzewski
If you said the following to me: "You are Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski. You are a legend. Everyone respects you and no one thinks you're just a useless leech who can't get a job elsewhere like Chris Collins."
- Poythress
This is Chris Collins I'm talking to now, isn't it?
- Krzyzewski
[silence]
- Poythress
Isn't it, Chris?
- Krzyzewski
Dammit. Let me go get Coach Krzyzewski for you. Please don't tell him I was pretending to be him again.
[In the background: "Coach K, the phone is for you." And: "I thought I told you guys to stop answering my phone. Steve, knock it off! Stop smelling my hair!"]
- Krzyzewski
Hello. This is Coach Krzyzewski.
- Poythress
Yeah, this sounds like you this time.
- Krzyzewski
Who is this?
- Poythress
This is Alex Poythress from Clarksville, Tennessee.
- Krzyzewski
I don't think I can talk to you right now, son. It might be an NCAA violation. I need to get off the phone.
- Poythress
Oh. Sorry, coach.
- Krzyzewski
No problem. It wasn't intentional.
- Poythress
Coach? One more thing before you go?
- Krzyzewski
Yes, Alex?
- Poythress
Did you visit my house last week?
- Krzyzewski
No, I did not.
- Poythress
Yeah, I thought you looked a lot more black in person than you do on TV. Well, tell Nate James I said.
- Krzyzewski
Will do, Alex.
