No excuses for Blue Devils, but still plenty of questions

LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Mike Krzyzewski makes no excuses. Still, questions abound following Duke's ouster from the NCAA tournament by Indiana.

"There are human elements in all these things," Krzyzewski said. "I would never, ever blame a loss on one play, or an official, or a player. If you want to blame anybody blame me."

The nation's No. 1 team, with perhaps college basketball's No. 1 player and No. 1 coach, blew a 17-point first-half lead. With their lead fast evaporating, the Blue Devils did not switch to a zone despite Duke players in foul trouble and Indiana strong inside.

Then there's All-American Jason Williams, who missed a foul shot Thursday night with about four seconds left that would have tied the score.

"The game is too great to reduce it to excuses or making bogus statements like: 'If this would have happened or that would have happened,"' Krzyzewski said. "Well, it didn't happen. Be a man and congratulate the winner and go on."

The top-seeded and Blue Devils (31-4) will have all spring and summer to mull this over. This was, after all, a team that returned four starters from last year's national championship squad and now won't be in Atlanta next week for the Final Four.

Determination has made Krzyzewski one of the game's best coaches. He has a 58-15 record in the NCAAs.

But was coach K too stubborn to switch to a defense he seldom uses, but one that may well have been called for as the game began to slip away?

Indiana won without making a single 3-pointer in the second half as it pounded the ball inside to Jared Jeffries, who scored 24 points and had 15 rebounds, Jarrad Odle and Jeff Newton.

"I'm not sad about losing," Williams said. "I'm just sad that it's over. This has been the greatest ride of my life. I've done so much growing up in this last year, more than I can ever have imagined. I'm just sad it's coming to an end."

Duke's players didn't blame Williams, saying the star guard has been a pillar for the team and will be missed when he leaves early for the NBA in June.