Coach K on verge of 900 wins

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Duke guard Nolan Smith played a role in propelling his Hall of Fame coach past a handful of career milestones.

"Every time people tell me he's close to something else, it's not really a surprise," Smith said yesterday, "because he's always close to something." Next up for Mike Krzyzewski is his first attempt at career victory No. 900, when his top-seeded Blue Devils (31-4) play No. 8 seed Michigan today in the West regional.

A win over the Wolverines (21-13) would send Duke to the regional semifinals for the 20th time in 26 years and make Krzyzewski, who is 899-283 in his 36-year career, the second Division I men's coach with 900 victories.

He can tie his mentor and former coach at Army, Bob Knight, at 902 wins if the Blue Devils clinch their 12th Final Four berth under him. A win in Houston would not only put Duke in the national championship game, it would leave Krzyzewski alone atop the wins list.

"The fact that he's climbing to the top, we want to make that happen," forward Miles Plumlee said.

To do that, they'll have to get past a tested Michigan team that already has played four games against the No. 1 seeds and kept it tight against each of them, losing three times to Ohio State and once in overtime to Kansas.

"The teams we've played have prepared us for this challenge," guard Zack Novak said. "They've got a lot of really talented players, and they do a real good job running their system, but I think that the games that we've played up to this point have prepared us, and I think we're ready." Duke and Michigan certainly have a history -- both in the recent and not-so-recent past.

The schools have played three times since 2007, with Duke winning the first two matchups in blowout fashion but the Wolverines beat the Blue Devils in their last meeting.