Mike Krzyzewski says NCAA reforms not well coordinated

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Friday, August 10, 2018

DURHAM, N.C. -- Dukemen's basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski says the NCAA didn't go far enough with its reforms when it comes to how the changes were coordinated.



Speaking two days after the governing body announced numerous changes following a high-profile corruption scandal in college basketball, Krzyzewski on Friday said he approves the intent behind the changes but added that "they don't have a plan of execution."



"I think the single biggest thing that I would have done different is coordination," he said. "I don't think it's coordinated. ... And I think before you put something that big out, how are we going to execute it?"



To punctuate his point, Krzyzewski showed a photograph of a 2005 summit that included leaders from the NCAA, NBA, National Association of Basketball Coaches, the AAU and others.



"What I would say is, before you do something like that, you should have one of these," Krzyzewski said, gesturing to the photo.



"I'm not being critical of what was done," he added. "I'm being somewhat critical of the coordination and the implementation, the process of getting there and the process of making it happen. Who is doing that?"



Among the notable changes, the NCAA included provisions allowing agent relationships.



The NCAA proposes that a few high school players identified as elite prospects by USA Basketball be allowed to sign with agents beginning July 1 before their senior year. But the NBA would have to change its age-limit restrictions.



Also, college players who sign with agents may return to school if undrafted, but only if they sought NBA advisory evaluations and participated in the league's scouting combine. That also would require tweaks to NBA and players' union rules.



"They're all well-intentioned, but they're not coordinated in how you do it," Krzyzewski said. "Like, no one wants to identify those elite players. The thing about undrafted players coming back, that's OK, but we're talking maybe a half a dozen. Maybe 10 at the most. And those kids wouldn't come back, probably, because if they went to the [NBA] combine, they've kind of gone down that road."

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