DURHAM, NC – NOVEMBER 12: Duke’s head coach Mike Krzyzewski (C) and associate head coaches Steve Wojoiechowski (L) and Chris Collins watch their team during an NCAA game against Presbyterian Blue Hose on November 12, 2011 in Durham, North Carolina. Duke won 96-55 over Presbyterian tying head coach Mike Krzyzewski with Bobby Knight for the most wins in NCAA Division I basketball. (Photo by Sara D. Davis/Getty Images)
NCAABy Kevin McGuire on

The Duke men’s basketball team was all set to make a trip to the Dominican Republic for some exhibition preseason basketball, but that trip has now been scrapped. That’s because Hall of Fame coach Mike Krzyzewski will be undergoing surgery on his right knee this weekend. Coach K will be getting a complete knee replacement, Duke announced today, and the rehab process will force him to stay home instead of hitting the road.

“While it’s disappointing that we aren’t able to make the Dominican Republic trip, this is a positive development for both our team and myself because it will allow us to be at full strength for the start of practice this fall,” Krzyzewski said in a released statement. “After three consecutive days of working with the team, it became clear that the condition of my knee wouldn’t be sustainable through next season. The best course of action is to correct the problem now rather than later when our team would be more profoundly impacted.”

This will be the second major surgery for the 70-year-old Krzyzewski this year. In January, college basketball’s top coach underwent back surgery. That surgery kept Coach K off the sidelines in Durham for nearly a month. This knee replacement surgery will be done by joint replacement orthopedic surgeon Michael P. Bolognesi at Duke University Medical Hospital. Krzyzewski is expected to spend a few days in the hospital before beginning his rehab process. If all goes according to plan, Coach K should be good to go for the start of the college basketball season.

It is unclear exactly why the basketball team’s trip to the Dominican Republic had to be canceled instead of continuing with assistant coaches taking the lead on the sidelines. The Blue Devils were scheduled to play exhibition games against the national team of the Dominican Republic on August 20 and 23.

While this is a bummer for the players who miss out on a chance to do some traveling to the Caribbean, the team can still do some team-building activities closer to home instead. Perhaps most importantly, they’ll remain close to being under the watchful eye of Coach K during his rehab.

[Duke]

About Kevin McGuire

Contributor to Athlon Sports and The Comeback. Previously contributed to NBCSports.com. Host of the Locked On Nittany Lions Podcast. FWAA member and Philadelphia-area resident.

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