NEW YORK (AP) — Mike Krzyzewski’s last Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament will end in the final game.
Paolo Banchero had 18 points and 11 rebounds and No. 7 Duke held off Miami with free throws in the final minute as the Blue Devils and their retiring Hall of Fame coach advanced to the ACC championship with an 80-76 victory Friday night.
Top-seeded Duke (28-5) will face seventh-seeded Virginia Tech in Saturday night’s championship at Barclays Center after the Hokies beat No. 25 North Carolina in the late semifinal.
Banchero was asked during a postgame interview with ESPN who he wanted to face in the final and responded, simply: “UNC.”
Krzyzewski put an end to that in his postgame news conference.
“We’ll be honored to play either team,” he said before his players could answer the question again.