Duke has fond memories of Indy

Duke coach Mike Krzyzewski was asked earlier in the week if he'd reflected on how special it would be to play in Indianapolis.

In 1991, Krzyzewski won his first NCAA championship there. He said he's too busy focusing on West Virginia, Duke's NCAA semifinal opponent in Saturday's game, to get too wrapped up in nostalgia about Indianapolis.

He said his family talks about how special it was, but he's locked in on the present. Still, Krzyzewski is fond of Indianapolis.

"To me, Indianapolis has been a great place to have the Final Four," he said. "There's a spirit there."

Basketball holds a special place in the hearts of fans in the Hoosier State, and Duke forwards Mason and Miles Plumlee understand that spirit better than most. They are from Warsaw, Ind., about a two-hour drive from Indianapolis.

They have been deluged with requests for tickets.

"I've said no to probably 20 or 30 people," Mason Plumlee said.

Duke is in Indianapolis today for a 90-minute practice at Lucas Oil Stadium and a brief interview session with the media. The thing Krzyzewski likes about the Final Four Indianapolis is that the area around the arena always is buzzing with fans in the streets going to restaurants, checking into hotel room and talking basketball.

He's zeroing in on West Virginia, but he won't be oblivious to the atmosphere in the city that holds special memories he's too busy to savor.

Ken Tysiac